Brand Controversies Amplify Lie that Pride Merch is Dangerous for Children

This is getting really fucking scary.

by Evan Urquhart

It’s not exactly a cutting-edge observation to note that the anti-trans movement is just the anti-gay movement rewarmed and repackaged to a mainstream that is somewhat less familiar with/more prejudiced against transgeder people. But, what else is there to say about the slow traversal of the lie that mere referencesto LGBTQ+ people presents a danger to children, moving as it has from the fringes of far-right social media to relatively mainstream right-leaning tabloids.

One mediator helping the extremist rhetoric to make that crossing has been the rapidly expanding campaign to target brands for selling LGBTQ+ themed merchandise for Pride month, which starts tomorrow. What started with outrage over a particularly modestly cut bathing suit marketed to trans women has morphed into a seething, all-consuming desire to punish any company offering rainbow-colored mechandise. Now, crazies on social media are frothing at the mouth over the existence of queer adults who have built things with LEGO, and the New York Post and Fox Business are scandalizing readers with the news that retailer Belk has children’ clothing with vague Pride slogans.

Or, as the Post puts it:

screenshot from the New York Post

Wow! Transgender pride shirts for toddlers! That’s…literally nothing!

The story goes on to explain that Belk’s website had offered a T-shirt with the words “So happy to be me” and a blue, pink, and white happy face that was described as being for boys aged 4 to 7, but was available in sizes down to 2T (like every other piece of “boys” clothing). Also, as soon as Belk was contacted for comment by Fox Business (whose story the New York Post reprinted) they removed the shirt. However, one other shirt for boys was still for sale that that had a Pride flag alongside other symbols.

This is every bit as ridiculous and stupid as it is dangerous and frightening. The idea being pushed into the mainstream is that merchandise with trans pride colors is inappropriate to be offered for sale on any website. That’s despite the fact that most people realize they’re trans at a young age, affirming their identity in a nonjudgmental way that leaves room for it to evolve and change leads to the best outcomes for such youth, and medical interventions which happen when trans youth are consistent in their identities through puberty are safe, effective, and lifesaving for young people impacted by gender dysphoria.

Even if you don’t believe the scientific evidence showing the above is true, there’s no mechanism for how wearing a T-shirt could cause harm in any way. There’s no theory of it advanced, no defense of the idea that this is harmful, just the sheer disgusted certitude of extremists that LGBTQ+ people are dangerous by our very nature, and a willingness in right-wing publications to amplify and repeat that endlessly. It’s a smear tactic to drive escalating attacked on a vulnerable minority.

Meanwhile, the violent threats which have been used to cow retailers into acceding to the demands of anti-trans activists unchallenged are being whitewashed, sold to the public as “controversy” over trans identities by a mainstream media that seems increasingly willing to paper over the ugly details of how trans people are being targeted. Will we see a mainstream paper amplifying the notion that trans pride for toddlers is a thing and there’s a legitimate debate about whether a blue white and pink smiley face is harming children next? It’s 2023, who knows what fresh horrors await us.