To the editor:
As I write this, it's the last week of Pride Month. Did you know that 17 other things claim the month? From Alzheimer's to PTSD, yet it's only one that religious zealots attack every June, Pride. No one is forcing everybody to celebrate Pride -- the government isn't mandating that people must buy Pride merchandise, fly a flag etc. yet some people lose their minds every June over rainbows, glitter and words like love, acceptance and kindness. It's very confusing that the words their savior spoke they find offensive one month a year.
Certain zealots have gone so far as trying to "reclaim the month" for just their particular religious way of thinking. They made shirts and everything. I don't think they understand that in this country not everyone has to follow their particular religion, even though they would love for this country to become a theocracy (as long as it's their religion that's ruling.)
I have no problem with any religion celebrating their faith, I just don't understand why they have problems with LGBTQ IA+ community celebrating. If a community that had to hide for centuries because of fear and ignorance of people who refused to learn and instead picked up a book and beat them over the head with it, a community that was considered a mental disorder until 1987, if they don't deserve a month to celebrate and spread some love and joy in the world, then nobody does.
Twelve months out of the year every department store carries religious items, crosses, angels, greeting cards and Bibles just to name a few things. There is no way to avoid this, and I don't care if those items are on the shelves, but one month a year you can find shirts with rainbows and rainbow flags among other items and the "religious right and conservative media" loses their collective minds. If they are so scared their community could be so easily swayed by rainbows and glitter, it seems they don't have much faith in their faith. If you think reading a book with gay character is going to flip you from straight to gay, why haven't all the books with straight characters never turned a single gay person straight? Just something to think about among those who cherry-pick Bible verses to use against people.
I hope all my friends who celebrate it had a very happy Pride Month.
Barbara Davis
Wintersville