The U.S. Navy has removed social media postings that honored LGBTQ+ Pride Month, including rainbow flags with the word “Pride.” The Navy’s Instagram and Twitter pages had reportedly featured these posts on Thursday, June 1, but they were no longer accessible as of Friday, June 2.
The posts showcased images of Navy ships and planes with vibrant rainbow trails, accompanied by the phrase “Pride” in various colors. However, they were unexpectedly taken down.
Twitter users, including the “End Wokeness” meme account, drew attention to the removal of an LGBTQ+ Pride flag from the Navy’s page. Several users speculated that the posts were deleted in response to criticism regarding the military’s support for Pride.
When contacted for clarification, a U.S. Navy official stated that the visuals celebrating the start of Pride month were published to recognize and honor the dedication, loyalty, and sacrifices of LGBTQ+ soldiers and professionals who serve the nation.
In addition, the official also expressed the Navy’s commitment to seeking further opportunities to acknowledge the diversity and strength of its Sailors, as it does during all Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) observation months.
The @USNavy quietly removed their LGBTQ+ Pride banner pic.twitter.com/zqsFWHGBcw— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 2, 2023
Furthermore, the spokesperson highlighted that members of the LGBTQ+ community contribute to national defense, wholeheartedly pursue the goals of the Department of Defense (DOD), and deserve an inclusive environment that enables them to reach their full potential.
The Navy did not provide any specific reason for the removal of the Pride postings. However, previous emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request from the Functional Government Initiative and published by Fox News Digital revealed that Navy officials were hesitant to allow comments on last year’s online posts celebrating Pride month due to anticipated negative feedback.
In those emails, two Navy officers expressed disappointment over the public backlash received by their social media posts celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month last year.
The removal of the Navy’s Pride postings from social media has sparked discussion and speculation about the reasons behind this decision.
At the time of writing, the Navy has not provided further details or commented on the controversy surrounding the deletion of the posts.
