A Texas police department is in damage control after it threatened to censor the speech of Christian street evangelists during a pride festival, following a heated <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2074971464487284897?s=20">confrontation</a> that has drawn the attention of the federal government.
On June 27, Sarah Stogner, a longtime officer with the Fort Worth Police Department, went viral after threatening street preachers Richard Penkoski and David Grisham with disorderly conduct citations over their religious speech at Trinity Pride Fest, according to <a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/fort-worth-police-department-pride-fest-viral-video-david-grisham-officer-sarah-stogner-texas/287-c8928e80-44d7-4af0-ae77-0890cb28acf0">WFAA</a>.  
Leading up to the face-to-face clash, <a href="https://dallasexpress.com/tarrant/preachers-claim-police-warned-offensive-speech-about-transgender-women-could-lead-to-citation-at-pride-festival/">The Dallas Express</a> reported that the preachers were blocked from public streets and sidewalks surrounding the pride event.
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Female Texas Cop THREATENS to ticket a retired officer and Christian street preacher for &#8220;offensive speech&#8221;
Cop: &#8220;If someone is offended by your talking, then we have a problem&#8230;&#8221;
Man: &#8220;You&#8217;re going to ticket us for &#8216;offensive&#8217; speech?&#8221;
Cop: &#8220;Yes, I am&#8221;
This cop is blatantly… <a href="https://t.co/qX0UjnRBSL">pic.twitter.com/qX0UjnRBSL</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2074971464487284897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“That ordinance means music, not talking. If someone is offended by your talking, then we have a problem,” Officer Stogner told the preachers.
One of the evangelists fired back: “That is a constitutional violation of our rights. I don’t care if they’re offended.” 
Stogner doubled down: “Okay, then I’ll write you the ticket, then we’ll go from there.” 
&#8220;You&#8217;re going to ticket us for &#8216;offensive&#8217; speech?&#8221; the other preacher, who was recording the exchange, said.
&#8220;Yes, I am,&#8221; Stogner replied. 
<a href="https://x.com/Carlos__Turcios/status/2071306445115588915?s=20">In a separate exchange</a>, another Fort Worth police officer warned the street preachers that they could face legal consequences if their Christian message offended others. The officers later issued the evangelists one citation of disorderly conduct related to loud noise from a bullhorn, according to <a href="https://dallasexpress.com/tarrant/preachers-claim-police-warned-offensive-speech-about-transgender-women-could-lead-to-citation-at-pride-festival/">The Dallas Express</a>.
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🚨FORT WORTH, TEXAS🚨Police told street preachers at the FW all-ages Pride event they could be cited if someone was offended by their speech. Asked if calling a transgender woman “sir” was citable, an officer replied, “It’s a gray area.”
Follow:<a href="https://x.com/Carlos__Turcios?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Carlos__Turcios</a><a href="https://x.com/DallasExpress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DallasExpress</a> <a href="https://t.co/DSAtqZNmW1">pic.twitter.com/DSAtqZNmW1</a>
— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) <a href="https://x.com/Carlos__Turcios/status/2071306445115588915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
The tense exchanges racked up tens of millions of views on X, fueling debate over free speech and religious liberty protections in one of the nation&#8217;s most conservative states.
“In Texas? Wow,” Elon Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2071608690612810014?s=20">wrote</a> on X. 
After the Department of Justice <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/2075532674706321783?s=20">initiated a review of the incident</a>, the Fort Worth police chief acknowledged his officers had mishandled the incident.
&#8220;The biggest issue that I have is just the conversations and the way that we were describing what is lawful, what is not lawful,&#8221; Police Chief Eddie Garcia told <a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/fort-worth-police-department-pride-fest-viral-video-david-grisham-officer-sarah-stogner-texas/287-c8928e80-44d7-4af0-ae77-0890cb28acf0">WFAA</a> in an interview. &#8220;When we&#8217;re right, we&#8217;re right, and when we&#8217;re wrong, we&#8217;re wrong.&#8221; 
&#8220;There certainly was a better way to have that communication, and we were wrong in the manner in which we communicated that. Certainly, we&#8217;re going to take accountability for it,&#8221; he added. 
Garcia added that accountability will include renewed training on the First Amendment. 
&#8220;We just trained up our command staff again with refresher courses. We&#8217;re going to be training our sergeants. We&#8217;re going to be training our officers,&#8221; Garcia said.
The proposed measures didn’t cut it for the street preachers, who argued the damage is already done. 
&#8220;They have already violated their rights,&#8221; Attorney CJ Grisham, who represents David Grisham (no relation),  said, disputing the noise ordinance citation. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t meet the noise violation ordinance in any way whatsoever. So, just on its face, the charge is baseless,&#8221; he told WFAA.
Grisham alleged the viral exchange represents a troubling pattern with law enforcement, taking direct aim at Officer Stogner. 
&#8220;We have her on video doing this last year at the Pride festival. So, this is a pattern of abuse by Officer Stogner. But it&#8217;s not just her. Look at how many other officers were standing around,&#8221; Grisham said. 
It’s unclear whether Stogner or any of the officers involved will face any disciplinary action for the incident. 
On Tuesday, Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, demanded more information from the police department to determine whether “further formal action” was necessary. 
“Government actors cannot discriminate against viewpoints or restrict peaceful free speech just because it may be offensive to some,” Dhillon <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/2077077136347636220?s=20">said</a>. “Under this administration, the Civil Rights Division will defend free speech, as protected by the Constitution.”

Sydney Makes History As 50,000 People March For Global Equality In Pride March

Texas Police Forced Walk Back Threats Against Christian Street Preachers At Pride Festival

Christianity

LGBT

News

Texas

LGBTQ activists in Seattle believe a sharp influx of transgender young adults is causing a civil emergency — and they want taxpayer help.
The <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/lgbtq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seattle LGBTQ Commission</a> asked Mayor Katie Wilson in a May 2026<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYfRlKWm3yM/?img_index=2&amp;igsh=MWRkd2toYWwwNjdnMQ%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> letter</a> to declare a civil emergency caused by a mass influx of “transgender and gender-nonconforming” individuals relocating to the city. The commission has asked the city officials to fund cash-strapped LGBTQ+ groups providing shelter and relocation services to transgender refugees.
&#8220;Due to the rapid influx of 2SLGBTQIA+ persons seeking refuge in Seattle for increased safety needs, civil rights protections, and access to essential services the Seattle LGBTQ Commission formally recommends that City leaders declare a civil emergency that ensures an effective and empathetic response to protecting these internally displaced persons (IDPs) at a time of urgent crisis for our community,&#8221; states the letter.
Transplants are coming to Seattle from red states such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Kansas, and Idaho &#8220;due to anti-trans legislation, threats to personal safety, and barriers to healthcare and legal recognition,&#8221; according to the letter, which lists several transgender-affirming groups  &#8220;already responding to this crisis.&#8221; The listed groups include Gender Justice League, Seattle&#8217;s LGBTQ+ Center, and Traction, a nonprofit that helps &#8220;red state refugees&#8221; relocate to the Pacific Northwest through its<a href="https://tractionpnw.org/open-arms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Project Open Arms</a> initiative.
&#8220;Hundreds of thousands of Two-Spirit, transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse, and gender-nonconforming (trans+) people and their families are seeking to escape legislative persecution and violence,&#8221; states Traction&#8217;s<a href="https://tractionpnw.org/open-arms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> website</a>. &#8220;Our goal then and now is to support U.S. &#8216;transplants&#8217; – trans+ people and their loved ones displaced by violence and persecution – seeking safer, more welcoming places to live.&#8221;
C. Michael Woodward, executive director of Traction, told The Daily Wire it&#8217;s had more than 1600 applicants for relocation services since President Trump&#8217;s election but has only been able to help around 130 individuals move, due to resource limitations.
&#8220;I&#8217;m 63 and transitioned nearly 30 years ago. I&#8217;ve been doing trans+ and LGBTQ+ advocacy for almost that long, too,&#8221; Woodward told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Even so, I never once imagined we&#8217;d be doing this kind of work for our community, but here we are.&#8221;
Woodward said the group does not work with unaccompanied minors and has not been &#8220;presented with the opportunity to work with any emancipated youth&#8221; but would &#8220;handle those on a case-by-case basis.&#8221;
Traction is working to build &#8220;a nationwide network of groups doing similar work in other states,&#8221; according to its <a href="https://tractionpnw.org/open-arms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1132095 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece.jpeg" alt="" width="1010" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece.jpeg 1010w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece-300x171.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/megs-piece-768x438.jpeg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px" /></div>
Screenshot from June 25, 2026, Seattle City Council Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes meeting.
Many of Seattle’s transgender transplants are “young adults,” according to<a href="https://www.seattle.gov/lgbtq/who-we-are" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Kody Allen</a>, co-chair of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission and a social worker at a youth homeless shelter, who spoke on a panel about 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities in Seattle at a June 25, 2026,<a href="https://www.seattlechannel.org/mayor-and-council/city-council/2026-2027-select-committee-on-federal-administration-and-policy-changes?videoid=x188271" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> city council meeting</a>.
&#8220;In my day job, I am a program manager for a homeless shelter. We have seen a massive increase in trans&#8211;specifically&#8211;and queer young adults who are coming here from other states,&#8221; said Allen. &#8220;We are turning away 10, at least 10 young adults a night, and we are the biggest shelter in the city. And many, many, many of our clients are trans refugees who have come here.&#8221;
The meeting focused on how changes in federal policy have impacted local funding. Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ panel discussed how Seattle could build long-term infrastructure to provide social services, such as housing, to the city&#8217;s growing number of transgender refugees. Allen warned groups that provide &#8220;queer&#8221; and &#8220;trans specific healthcare&#8221; are facing a funding crisis and may not be able to stay open throughout the year.
&#8220;If these community-based organizations that are specifically for queer people close, the impact that would have, obviously on the people who use those services, but also every other community-based organization in the city who are also experiencing decreased funding because of the federal&#8211;this federal administration&#8211;would put a huge strain on the system,&#8221; Allen stated.
Dominque Stephens, who was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVsCsq_DAG_/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appointed</a> by Mayor Wilson as Seattle&#8217;s special advisor on LGBTQ+ affairs, told city council the Mayor&#8217;s office was planning to create transgender homeless shelters.
&#8220;We want to make sure that we&#8217;re doing this in a very intentional way,&#8221; said Stephens. &#8220;We know that in our shelter expansion, there will be a trans specific site that will be stood up.&#8221;
Stephens explained the mayor formed a Trans and Queer Community Stabilization Interdepartmental Team to create long-term transgender infrastructure as the group figures out &#8220;what we do in terms of folks who are migrating here.&#8221;
Seattle City Councilwoman <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/council/members/alexis-mercedes-rinck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexis Mercedes Rinck</a> said Seattle needed to &#8220;stand firm&#8221; in welcoming &#8220;queer and trans people.&#8221;
&#8220;Across the country we have seen intense attacks against queer and trans people, both with hostile legislation and physical violence,&#8221; said Rinck at the meeting. &#8220;So, I want to say loud and clear, while we know we have more work to do here in the city of Seattle we need to stand firm in being a welcoming city for queer and trans people.&#8221;
A total of<a href="https://familypolicyalliance.com/help-not-harm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 27 states</a> have passed legislation protecting minors from receiving harmful sex-rejecting medical procedures such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-change surgeries.
Washington State took a major step towards becoming a transgender sanctuary for minors when former Governor Jay Inslee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/washington-to-allow-shelters-to-keep-runaway-children-from-parents-if-child-seeking-transgender-surgery-abortion?row=0&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed SB 5599</a> into law in May 2023.  The law allows homeless shelters to shield runaway minors seeking transgender medical procedures without contacting their parents. International Partners for Ethical Care Inc. filed a lawsuit challenging SB 5599 in<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67697823/international-partners-for-ethical-care-inc-v-inslee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> August 2023</a>, arguing it violates the fundamental rights of parents. After being dismissed by a lower court, the Supreme Court announced in June 2026 that it would<a href="https://aflegal.org/press-release/u-s-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-america-first-legals-landmark-case-defending-parents-right-to-challenge-laws-that-hide-their-childrens-gender-transitions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> hear the case on appeal</a>.
&#8220;SB 5599 is directed toward families in Washington state, and sets up a terrifying scenario for parents whose kids have fallen prey to gender ideology,&#8221; a representative from International Partners for Ethical Care told The Daily Wire. &#8220;A child can run away from home in Washington to seek &#8216;gender affirming care&#8217; and the state authorities or shelters where the child may be found are not required by law to notify the parents of the child&#8217;s whereabouts with any urgency.&#8221;
Florida, Idaho, and 14 other red states filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the plaintiffs. The coalition of states expressed concerns the law could impact parents across state lines, writing they &#8220;fear that their own residents whose runaway children cross state lines may be harmed by Washington’s law&#8221; in the<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-840/396471/20260217151332802_Intl%20Partners%20v.%20Ferguson%20-%20Amicus%20Brief%20for%20Filing.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> brief</a>.
International Partners for Ethical Care agreed the law could impact parents nationwide, telling The Daily Wire, &#8220;Nothing in the law&#8217;s language that would prevent it from being applied to children who arrive in Washington from other states.&#8221;
The Daily Wire asked the Seattle LGBTQ Commission and Mayor Wilson&#8217;s office for information on how many of the transgender refugees were 18 and under but did not receive a comment. Mayor Wilson did not provide any additional information on the transgender shelter expansion project discussed at the city council meeting.

Scenes from the Seattle Pride Parade, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Genna Martin)

Massive Influx Of Transgender Refugees Is Causing ‘Civil Emergency’ In Leftist City

Parental Rights

Seattle

Transgender

Washington State

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Oh, the irony. California State Senator Scott Wiener, a champion of LGBTQ-friendly legislation, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-lgbtq-activist-politician-gets-run-out-of-trans-march">chased</a> from a Pride march last month over his views on Gaza. To the crowd, Wiener was a supporter of “genocide” who “didn’t belong” among the LGBTQ community. As it happens, on top of being a radical leftist, Wiener is radically anti-Israel. The allegations against him are akin to those against Senator Bernie Sanders; no matter how rabidly these progressives champion the Palestinian cause, they can never be forgiven for the crime of being Jewish. They are far from blameless in expecting to be spared for having bent the knee.
The protestors’ visceral reaction to his presence is indicative of a greater issue: a rigid mindset that requires the world be pigeonholed into a single theory. Wiener’s decades-long activism for their stated cause was rendered meaningless the moment he was grouped into the “oppressor” class. 
This fallacious way of thinking is as old as philosophy itself. It relies upon a “top-down” approach that is simply incompatible with human nature. Top-down philosophies come in many forms. They are characterized by a grand theory that seeks to unify all the social and political forces of the world into one framework. 
A top-down philosophy begins with a theory of reality and then interprets every event through that theory. It starts with the answer and searches for the evidence. Bottom-up approaches begin with observation, accept complexity, and allow conclusions to change when reality shakes expectations. 
The most infamous example of a top-down theory is economic determinism. At the outset of &#8220;The Communist Manifesto,&#8221; Karl Marx claimed, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” Marxists regularly find themselves trying to explain with “class warfare” that which is completely unrelated. A Marxist will see all wars as an expression of underlying economic distress. To the empiricist (or the bottom-up philosopher), trying to categorize all wars as an expression of anything is a fool’s errand.
A popular philosophy among the American Left is called intersectionality. It is the belief that the world turns according to privilege and discrimination. It brings together critical race theory, decolonialism, and a host of other postmodern theories to place all of human history in terms of oppression. 
The trouble with top-down philosophies is that they are not subject to self-correction. In many cases, they require either blatant denials of reality or the simultaneous acceptance of direct contradictions, reminiscent of Orwell’s “doublethink.” 
Since all new evidence must be interpreted according to the grand theory, the theory itself becomes impossible to disprove. When confronted with the reality that empirical evidence does not show the prevalence of colonial privilege, rather than rejecting the theory, proponents shift the narrative, which becomes that the institution of evidence is a form of colonial privilege designed to bury oppression.
Earlier this year, SAGE Publications (one of the most prestigious journal publishers in academia) published a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15327086251377052?__cf_chl_f_tk=o2_EUy1e8.UR6BL6EJ6F2oAmEBr7f6nVF0.WnRZKEWc-1782829429-1.0.1.1-XHYEdPxIvDcbs6ipUj8fsQjKeEwBSI7aDqDYVIaThFg">paper</a> titled &#8220;&#8216;Inviting Methodological Reworlding&#8217;: Toward a Pluriversal Future.&#8221; The thesis critiques “Western epistemological traditions that privilege objectivity.” In other words, facts are a colonialist tool that we should disregard when they don’t align with how we feel. 
Last month’s display should serve as a wake-up call, not only to theorists but to those who try endlessly to contort themselves to fit the theory. But I wouldn’t hold my breath; the radical Left has favored this approach for hundreds of years.
Edmund Burke, often called the Father of Conservatism, saw the dangers of this mindset and argued for its alternative. Years before the Reign of Terror, Burke predicted that the French Revolution would end in tyranny. Though he agreed with many of the grievances against the monarchy, Burke rejected radical change through vast theorizing as arrogant and dangerous.
Instead, he called for change through cautious, incremental experiments. Burke argued that the world was simply too complex to be understood by any theoretician. Our best way of moving forward was by modifying the tried and true institutions we had built through generations of accumulated wisdom.
There is a reason that English society flourished and the French revolutionaries did not: the same reason that American liberalism flourished and the centrally planned Soviet Union did not. In politics, humility always defeats certitude.
David Hume, another intellectual giant in the conservative movement, commented extensively on the divide. Hume criticized top-down approaches as inviting disaster through human error.
Hume <a href="https://davidhume.org/texts/e/1">wrote</a>, “It is easy for a profound philosopher to commit a mistake in his subtile reasonings; and one mistake is the necessary parent of another, while he pushes on his consequences and is not deterred from embracing any conclusion.” 
He recognized that no human, no matter how academically gifted, is capable of creating a flawless system. It’s simply impossible. 
The &#8220;queers for Palestine&#8221; couldn’t adjust their framework to a Jewish ally, so instead they adjusted their allies. Scott Wiener was left behind.

GettyImages-2247207061

How The Left’s Rejection Of Reality Backfired On A Progressive Champion

Israel

Progressivism

Scott Wiener

Upstream

The Denmark-based toy company LEGO has come under fire for promoting Pride parades and other LGBT themes despite having a young customer base.
It’s true that plenty of adults enjoy building LEGO sets, and some of the company’s offerings are explicitly made for ages 18+. But that doesn’t change the fact that the vast majority of LEGO sets are marketed to children. Those kids are also following the brand on social media.
“Pride moments built, brick by brick,” the Pride-themed Instagram caption says. “Swipe to see more of our LEGO colleagues&#8217; stories.”
The attached slideshow includes video clips of LEGO minifig characters discussing their “coming out” stories, including one attending a Pride parade and another male character proposing to his boyfriend. 
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Many parents were furious and called for a boycott. 
“LEGO is now openly pushing Pride parades, gay marriage, and rainbow ideology straight at children,” one X commenter <a href="https://x.com/UnluckyIrishman/status/2072706657055089009">wrote</a>. “This isn’t ‘inclusion.’ It’s sexualizing childhood and grooming the next generation with adult themes.”
“Parents are waking up. Boycott time. Companies that target kids with this stuff deserve to lose customers… keep this garbage away from our children,” the post continued. 
“So it is the 250th year of [the] United States and THIS is what a beloved American toy, a favorite pastime for millions and millions of kids produced! THIS is what you push to kids and young people,” another person <a href="https://x.com/Littleeagle09/status/2072661078576648251">agreed</a>.
This isn’t the first time LEGO has promoted Pride. In 2021, the company released a set called “Everyone Is Awesome” that showcased 11 figurines with different hairstyles and faceless heads, each in a color of the Progress Pride flag. The set included a purple-colored drag queen.
LEGO labeled the product as being intended for an 18+ audience, though set designer Matthew Ashton said in a statement that it was designed with children in mind. Ashton recalled his experience coming out as a gay man in his teens and said that if he had received this set from a loved one, he would have felt more supported.
“Children are our role models and they welcome everyone, no matter their background. Something we should all be aspiring to,” Ashton said. “If I had been given this set by somebody at that point in my life, it would have been such a relief to know that somebody had my back. To know that I had somebody there to say ‘I love you, I believe in you. I’ll always be here for you.’ So, in a way, this set is not just for the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s for all of the allies — parents, siblings, friends, schoolmates, colleagues, etc. — out there as well.”
This year, on June 1, the company again promoted an “<a href="https://ideas.lego.com/activities/710a1994-c0cf-4ec3-b28d-5ce9dd161b65" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everyone is Awesome</a>” activity on its official website. “It&#8217;s time to paint the town red, orange, yellow, green… basically a whole rainbow of color! That’s right, it’s Pride Month, and we’re celebrating the best way we know how: with LEGO® bricks!” the description says. 
“This year, we want you to celebrate what makes you — and everyone you love — quite frankly, AWESOME. Embrace the power of those words and what they mean to you.”
“Remember, the more color, the better! After all, what would a Pride-themed build be without bright, beaming splashes of color? We want to see Technicolor creations that celebrates everything Pride Month stands for. So, gather your bricks and unleash your creativity!”

Lego Pride

Popular Toy Brand Promotes Pride Parades To Children

Business

Denmark

Lego

Pride

Pride Month

Social Issues

Toys

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***
For much of the last decade, Pride month in Major League Baseball looked like an unstoppable corporate and cultural wave. More teams hosted dedicated nights, rainbow merchandise filled stores, and front offices rolled out pregame spectacles, partnerships with activist groups, and messaging that framed baseball as a vehicle for social progress.
Today, nearly every team still stages some version of a Pride event. Yet the surrounding conversation has shifted. What once appeared as inexorable expansion now looks more like adaptation — and, in places, retreat — as players, fans, and institutions negotiate the limits of institutional messaging in a divided country.
The story of Pride in baseball is no longer one of unbroken conquest. It is one of boundaries being tested and, increasingly, redrawn. 
The earliest LGBTQ-themed events in professional baseball were small and localized. In 1998, the Florida Marlins hosted a &#8220;Gay Day&#8221; tied to local community groups. Two years later, in 2000, the Los Angeles Dodgers organized what became widely recognized as the first major professional sports Pride Night. It followed an incident in which a lesbian couple was ejected from Dodger Stadium for kissing; the team responded with apologies and ticket giveaways to advocacy organizations.
The Chicago Cubs launched their annual &#8220;Out at Wrigley&#8221; events in <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2021/08/20/out-at-wrigley-celebrates-the-20th-anniversary-of-its-trendsetting-gay-day-sunday/">2001</a>. For years these remained exceptions, while most clubs stayed focused on baseball.
Everything accelerated after 2015, as corporate America aligned with Pride branding following the Obergefell decision. Major League clubs followed suit. Commissioner Rob Manfred&#8217;s office brought in former player Billy Bean as an inclusion ambassador. Clubs formed partnerships with local LGBTQ organizations. Pride Nights moved from occasional experiments to annual fixtures on team calendars.
By the early 2020s, 29 of 30 teams hosted some form of Pride event. Only the Texas Rangers consistently declined. The peak arrived in 2021, when the San Francisco Giants became the first club to integrate Pride colors directly into on-field caps and uniforms. Across the league, rainbow logos, specialty jerseys, drag performances, fireworks shows, and themed concessions became standard promotional fare. Pride Month ranked among baseball&#8217;s biggest off-field initiatives.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1125601" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1125601" class="size-medium wp-image-1125601" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-1499077717-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-1499077717-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-1499077717-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-1499077717-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-1499077717.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images</div>
In 2023, the Dodgers infamously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/l-a-dodgers-will-honor-drag-group-mocking-catholics-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence">invited</a> the Catholic-mocking Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to receive a community service award on Pride Night. The team rescinded the invitation after backlash from religious groups and leaders, but the LGBT backlash to the backlash won out, resulting in the group ultimately being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boycott-the-dodgers-catholic-bishops-finally-fighting-back-against-anti-catholic-hate-group">reinvited</a>.
Even at the height of visibility, resistance surfaced. In 2022, several Tampa Bay Rays players declined to wear rainbow-themed logos, citing religious convictions. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/dodgers-clayton-kershaw-displays-bible-passage-hat-during-pride-night">Similar</a> <a href="https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/35470032/flyers-ivan-provorov-boycotts-pride-night-cites-religion">defections</a> emerged across sports. Leagues faced a new question: How far could corporate branding extend when it conflicted with players&#8217; personal beliefs?
MLB did not eliminate Pride Nights. Instead, the league adjusted its approach. Commissioner Robert Manfred <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7389053/2026/06/24/mlb-pride-nights-giants-manfred/">explained</a> the goal was to avoid placing players &#8220;in an uncomfortable position.&#8221; Specialty on-field uniforms and mandatory rainbow elements became more restricted. Responsibility shifted back toward individual clubs. The emphasis moved toward optional ticket packages, giveaways, and fan experiences rather than compelling player participation.
The changed landscape was clear throughout this most recent Pride Month. Twenty-nine teams still hosted Pride Nights, complete with rainbow jerseys, caps, concerts, themed concessions, and community events. The Orioles distributed 15,000 Pride jerseys. The Blue Jays created interactive spaces inside Rogers Centre. The Dodgers, Mets, Cubs, Giants, Mariners, and many others ran large-scale celebrations. The Rangers again stood apart, choosing a Faith and Family Night instead.
But the defining controversy of 2026 was no longer whether these events would occur. It was how much players themselves were required to endorse them. During the Giants&#8217; Pride Night, pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote the biblical reference &#8220;Genesis 9:12-16&#8221; on their rainbow-logo caps. The passage recounts God&#8217;s covenant with Noah and presents the rainbow as a divine sign. Critics called it a protest. Supporters saw it as an expression of faith.
MLB issued verbal <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7364268/2026/06/15/sf-giants-pride-night-caps-bible-verses-mlb-warning/">warnings</a> — not for the content of the message, the league insisted, but for altering uniforms in violation of collectively bargained rules. No fines followed. Manfred later <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/commissioner-rob-manfred-responds-to-letter-from-senator-josh-hawley">confirmed</a> the players &#8220;were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be,&#8221; while stressing that uniform policy remains content-neutral.
The episode drew <a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/mlb-backs-down-pledges-no-punishment-for-religious-beliefs-in-reply-to-hawley/">attention</a> from Senator Josh Hawley and reignited what seems to be an evergreen debate in the Pride era over religious expression versus corporate messaging.
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<div id="attachment_1125543" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1125543" class="size-medium wp-image-1125543" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2283032111-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2283032111-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2283032111-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2283032111-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2283032111.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images</div>
Despite the wins this year, Pride Nights remain embedded in 29 of 30 promotional calendars. Attendance for these specific nights is difficult to track, but these individual clubs seem to view them as effective business tools. However, what conservatives can hang their hat on is that the confidence that once surrounded Pride has faltered at MLB itself.
The league now stresses player choice, limits certain forms of on-field messaging, and lets clubs adapt events to local realities. The era of treating players as default ambassadors for left-wing causes has receded. Conversations that once centered on expansion now focus on boundaries — between inclusion and compulsion, corporate branding, and personal conscience.
This evolution offers conservatives a practical roadmap rather than an abstract complaint.
First, support alternatives that already exist. The Rangers&#8217; Faith and Family Night demonstrates that teams can prioritize unifying themes rooted in faith, family, and community without defaulting to identity-focused programming. Fans and sponsors can and should reward teams that offer genuine choice. The San Diego Padres <a href="https://www.mlb.com/padres/tickets/specials/faith-family-night">hosted</a> a Faith and Family Night, as <a href="https://www.mlb.com/astros/tickets/faith">did</a> the Houston Astros; the Arizona Diamondbacks will host theirs in <a href="https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/tickets/concerts/faith-family-night">August</a>, and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/mariners/tickets/specials/faith-and-family">so will</a> the Seattle Mariners — among many other teams. I encourage you to go out to those games and pack the house to show your team what you support. 
Second, champion content-neutral rules and player autonomy. The Manfred policy shift, however imperfect and mealy-mouthed it may be, represents a victory for the principle that no player should be forced to wear or endorse political or social symbols. The Faith and Family Nights mentioned above do not force players to participate, and neither should Pride Nights. Conservatives should defend and expand these guardrails across sports, insisting that uniform and player participation rules apply equally regardless of the message.
Third, leverage market and cultural pressure. Baseball&#8217;s <a href="https://votehub.com/2026/01/20/the-political-lean-of-pro-sports/">relatively conservative</a> player base gives it an advantage other leagues lack. When players push back on conscience grounds as the Rays did in 2022 and the Giants pitchers did in 2026, the response should be vocal public support. Attendance, merchandise sales, and sponsorship decisions remain powerful signals. Fortunately, this seems to be already proving its worth.
Fourth, focus on merit and unity over identity. Sports thrive when they celebrate excellence, competition, and shared traditions rather than importing divisive cultural battles. Conservatives can promote heritage, patriotism, military appreciation, and family-focused events that bring people together without requiring ideological conformity.
Fifth, engage politically where necessary. Episodes like the Giants controversy show that elected officials and public scrutiny can influence league behavior. Sustained attention to religious liberty and free expression in professional sports keeps the leagues honest.
Pride Month is not vanishing from MLB, much like in the culture at large. But the version that once seemed destined to dominate every uniform and every broadcast has encountered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-truth-behind-the-disappearing-rainbow-logos">real limits</a>. The league that once placed players at the center of social messaging has moved toward keeping those conversations in the concourse, not on the field.
The lesson of the past several years is simple: Cultural momentum is not irreversible. Institutions still respond to incentives, players still retain agency, and fans still have a voice. Baseball&#8217;s Pride era is no longer defined by relentless expansion but by negotiation and limits. Whether that trend continues will depend less on commissioners and front offices than on the people who buy the tickets, fill the stadiums, and ultimately decide what kind of game they want to support.

Colorado Rockies v Boston Red Sox

How Fans Can Save Baseball From The Rainbow Corporate Machine

Baseball

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***
When most people think of Girl Scouts, they picture campouts and merit badges, or girl power and lifelong friendships. They always think of the slightly overpriced yet maddeningly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cold-sidewalks-vs-tiktok-fame-what-the-cookie-craze-isnt-teaching">delicious cookies</a>. 
But what they may not immediately realize is that, like most American institutions, the Girl Scouts were infected by the radical Left&#8217;s agenda decades ago. That rot has spread through the entire organization top to bottom, making it impossible to escape.
It’s frustrating to any conservative who has fond memories of joining Girl Scouts as a child and wants to share that same experience with her children and grandchildren. But the true nature of Girl Scouts becomes shockingly apparent during the month of June, which is when the scouts take an opportunity to spread lessons on LGBT pride and DEI principles.
This Pride month, it&#8217;s worth asking if you actually know what your daughter&#8217;s Girl Scout troop is doing.
Patti Garibay knows the truth about the organization better than most following years of volunteering and leading young girls. Garibay, a mom of three daughters, didn&#8217;t set out to start a competing scouting organization. She was happy to be a Girl Scout leader, where she led three troops, served as an area delegate, and helped organize new troops across northern Cincinnati. She bled green, as she puts it.
&#8220;I absolutely loved it,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire during a recent interview. &#8220;I loved the female empowerment, the leadership, the life skills, all the things that were so beautiful about Girl Scouts, patriotism, things like this.&#8221;
But that all changed in 1993 when she discovered that the organization was <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1993/10/25/girl-scouts-take-god-out-of-pledge/">removing its reference to God</a> in the Girl Scout promise. As a Christian, Garibay was upset by this, but as a volunteer, she was also alarmed. Where had the decision come from, she wondered, and why was no one informed?
&#8220;I was an area delegate,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That&#8217;s supposed to be a person that was chosen by their peers to represent and to really know what was going on in the Girl Scouts regarding governance. But yet I knew nothing about it.&#8221;
Garibay attempted to make changes by telling the public the truth about what was happening in the organization. But by 1995, she&#8217;d given up and launched <a href="http://americanheritagegirls.org">American Heritage Girls</a>.
Today, Girl Scouts USA publishes an official <a href="https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/gsusa/forms-and-documents/activity-zone/all-ages-levels/multicultural/LGBTQIActivities.pdf">LGBTQ+ Pride Month</a> fun patch program — available for Daisy scouts (kindergartners and first graders) on up. Fun patches are optional and are at the discretion of troop leaders to present.
Girls can earn a rainbow patch by completing activities including making rainbow flags &#8220;to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month,&#8221; watching documentaries on LGBTQ history &#8220;such as the Stonewall Uprising,&#8221; memorizing poetry by LGBTQ poets, reading children&#8217;s books such as “I Am Jazz” and “Love Makes a Family,” visiting the National Women&#8217;s History Museum website to study LGBTQ historical figures, and participating in the Gay, Lesbian &amp; Straight Education Network (Glisten)&#8217;s No Name-Calling Week. The patch guide calls it an effort &#8220;to disrupt anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and bias-based bullying.&#8221;
Another suggestion is for the girls to don their uniforms and &#8220;attend an LGBTQ+ Pride celebration in June with your family or troop.&#8221;
&#8220;As a Girl Scout, even when I was a leader, I was not allowed to march in uniform for a pro-life parade,&#8221; Garibay told me. &#8220;But now they&#8217;re saying march in uniforms for your LGBTQ+ Pride Month parade.&#8221;
The patch program is national and comes straight from Girl Scouts USA. But individual councils have developed their own supplemental materials that go even further.
The Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, for example, maintains an official <a href="https://vc.gsnwgl.org/troop-management/working-with-girls/inclusion/lgbtqia/">LGBTQIA+ training page</a> for troop leaders that informs volunteers, &#8220;Asking for and using correct pronouns is a way to treat everyone with respect.&#8221; 
The page also answers the question of who can participate in troops, camp, and other activities. Normal boys cannot. But the list of who is welcome includes &#8220;gender identity girl &amp; sex assigned at birth male,&#8221; which means a male who identifies as a girl is welcome to participate in Girl Scout activities, including overnight camp.
On overnight arrangements, the council guidance is explicit: &#8220;Girl Scouts who are LGBTQ+ can share a room and all facilities with other Girl Scouts. Unless a Girl Scout states otherwise, no separate sleeping arrangements are necessary. There is no need to &#8216;out&#8217; or discuss a Girl Scout&#8217;s gender identity with other youth or adults.&#8221;
As the rest of the world wakes up to the dangers of allowing men into women’s spaces, it appears Girl Scouts is still clinging firmly to the radical stances of years past. A biological male who identifies as female can share a cabin, changing area, and showers with your daughter. 
It’s worth reiterating that this isn’t one woke council on the West Coast. The rules come directly from the national organization in charge of the entire operation. 
The same national organization that once asked girls to promise their duty to God and country now publishes guides instructing troop leaders to familiarize themselves with Glisten terminology and celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) and National Coming Out Day (October 11) alongside Pride Month.
The council recommends volunteers complete the Safe Zone Project, a DEI-laden, heavily pro-LGBT curriculum that includes materials called &#8220;The Genderbread Person&#8221; and &#8220;Privilege for Sale.&#8221;
And while the organization still technically permits the word &#8220;God&#8221; in the Girl Scout Promise, a substitute &#8220;in accordance with a person&#8217;s own spiritual beliefs&#8221; is explicitly allowed. As Garibay observed: &#8220;If you kick God out, you&#8217;re also going to kick out His laws and His truths and His worldview. And sure enough, that&#8217;s exactly what had happened.&#8221;
Just like in Boy Scouts, which recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boy-scouts-now-officially-scouting-america-champion-dei-principles">rebranded to Scouting America</a>, membership has been on the decline for decades. According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boy-scouts-girl-scouts-membership-drop/">CBS News</a>, Girl Scout membership stood at around 2.8 million in 2003. By 2021, it had fallen to just over a million, which is a 60% drop. Some of those numbers increased following the pandemic, but it’s nowhere near what it used to be. 
Many parents who want their girls to experience what Girl Scouts used to be — a place to develop faith, character, life skills, and true female empowerment — are joining American Heritage Girls instead. 
The organization, which operates in all 50 states and has attracted over 1 million girls since its inception, is going strong. American Heritage Girls recently launched the <a href="https://info.americanheritagegirls.org/raising-godly-girls-guide-to-gender-identity">free e-book</a> &#8220;Raising Godly Girls&#8221; and produces a three-times-weekly podcast and free downloadable guides on gender, identity, resilience, mental health, and, this summer, body image in direct opposition to the woke LGBT garbage the Girl Scouts are promoting.
&#8220;American Heritage Girls tells girls the truth, and girls are hungry for it,&#8221; Garibay said. &#8220;She tells girls that they&#8217;re created female on purpose, that their femininity is a gift we&#8217;re celebrating, and that God doesn&#8217;t make mistakes. We&#8217;re not pretending biology is a social construct or that we&#8217;re assigned something at birth by a doctor in a medical coat. We give girls a biblical framework for their identity before someone else hands them a very different one at camp or in a classroom or at a troop meeting.&#8221;
It’s working, the founder says. &#8220;If parents don&#8217;t arm their kiddos with a solid framework, somebody else will fill that vacuum. I think we&#8217;ve seen that in so many youth organizations today.&#8221;
The Girl Scout cookies are great, but it’s impossible to ignore that they come with a heaping side of unwanted indoctrination. Conservatives should stay vigilant and not make the mistake of assuming the best parts of our childhood have remained unchanged, no matter how nostalgic it makes us.

2024 NYC Pride March

What Happened To The Girl Scouts So Many Americans Grew Up With?

Girl Scouts

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
The field of psychology has its own special version of obtuse, especially when it comes to the trans debate. I am a therapist, but I’m an outlier nowadays, and that is simply because I have common sense. I continue to be dumbfounded by what passes as professional expertise, such as the mythological, non-scientific idea that people are “born in the wrong body.”
It is Pride month, which means we are being surrounded by the LGBTQ alphabet soup. Most of us are sick and tired of the rainbows and perverted celebrations. However, behind these narcissistic displays, we must remember that there are still vulnerable populations being recruited into a <a href="https://genspect.org/the-cult-connection-part-1/">cult</a>.
One of the largest vulnerable groups the rainbow cult exploits is autistic people.  
While many young people overplay an autism label for clout or special treatment, it is undeniable that <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html">there are higher rates of autism compared to 20 years ago</a>. The explanations for this phenomenon shall be saved for another day; the point is there are more vulnerable autistic young people, who are easy to recruit into gender ideology and are harder to pull out of it.
In fact, the strong connection between autism and transgenderism is so apparent that the pro-trans crowd even acknowledges it. NPR  <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/15/1149318664/transgender-and-non-binary-people-are-up-to-six-times-more-likely-to-have-autism">states</a> uncritically, “Transgender and nonbinary people are up to six times more likely to have autism.” A 2021 <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9014767/">study</a> by the National Institutes of Health titled, “The lived experience of gender dysphoria in autistic adults: An interpretive phenomenological analysis,” begins by stating that “autistic people are more likely to be transgender.”
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/drcolleencira/?hl=en">Colleen Cira,</a> one of many likeminded psychologists with large followings on social media, cites these statistics: “Autistic adults are 8.1 x more likely to identify as asexual and 7.6 x more likely to identify as non-heterosexual. Trans and gender diverse adults are three to six times more likely be autistic than cisgender adults.” But her response to these statistics is not curiosity or concern; it is affirmation. She continues, “This neuro-queer community deserves to be seen and celebrated, so this Pride Month I am celebrating every queer and autistic person out there.”
Dr. Cira is not an outlier. You can find countless posts and websites of mental health professionals and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-73703-001">institutions</a> with a similar sentiment. Even autism organizations such as Autism Speaks <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/gender-affirming-care-transgender-autistic">promote so-called gender-affirming care</a> as the only valid treatment for the population in which it claims to specialize. Never once do these professionals question why so many autistic people claim a trans identity. To them, the dogmatic belief that any declaration of a trans or queer identity is real and true, no matter the context, is all they need. Their blind spot is so big they make Ray Charles look like a hawk.
It’s not a coincidence that trans communities love-bomb and provide a welcoming atmosphere for new recruits, something that easily attracts a lost soul who can’t figure out how to make friends. LGBTQ groups attract other “quirky” people who don’t otherwise fit in and provide a new sense of belonging. In addition, the trans community plays into the minority stress belief system, so the autistic individual can blame his or her problems on external oppression, rather than personal social deficits. 
The identity also becomes a type of shield for the socially awkward person. When the autistic person behaves inappropriately, he gets a pass because he is trans. And in many circumstances, he is given extra positive attention for being trans.
Finally, the trans culture provides a language and a script for people who can’t figure out the complexities of human-to-human interactions. Detransitioner Maia Poet wrote in her <a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-192672283?selection=4f793844-fca4-439a-8b6c-96cf3d49af70">Substack</a>, &#8220;My trans identity was the mask I wore, as an elaborate way to conceal the confusion and overwhelm I felt as I navigated the world encumbered by my autistic social deficits.”
For anyone who knows an autistic person, the real explanations for this connection are glaringly obvious, and it is not because autistic people were suddenly disproportionately mismatched with their bodies.
<ol>
<li>Autistic people struggle socially. They have difficulty interpreting social cues, understanding unspoken expectations, recognizing context-specific norms around clothing and behavior, and navigating social roles. Plus, they have trouble flirting, dating, and getting attention from the opposite sex. When you are truly different and get left behind, it would be natural to claim a &#8220;queer&#8221; identity instead of facing the pain of feeling ostracized. </li>
<li>Autistic people have sensory issues, which makes body changes and puberty even more difficult than normal. Also, they may prefer baggy clothing, which in and of itself is enough to identify as “nonbinary” or “trans masculine.” Binding (or flattening breasts) may feel good, or it can seem like a way to control changes happening to their bodies. </li>
<li>Autistic individuals often spend more time online than their peers, and many are drawn to activities such as gaming and online communities on platforms such as Discord, Reddit, Tumblr, and others. Digital spaces can feel easier to navigate because social expectations are more explicit and interactions can happen from the comfort and predictability of home. Features such as likes, reposts, and other forms of feedback also provide clearer social cues about what is rewarded or positively received online, for better or worse. Because of this, online communities can become especially influential during identity formation, and many young people are recruited to social movements and learn ways of understanding themselves through these digital environments.</li>
<li>Flags, symbols, and categories attract the autistic mind. They enjoy categories and ways to acknowledge details. The many <a href="https://www.sfgmc.org/blog/pride-flags">trans/pride flags</a> are a great outlet for those who experience the world this way. There is even an <a href="https://www.autisticempire.com/autistic-pride/">autistic trans flag</a>, which appears like a targeted marketing campaign.</li>
</ol>
The most concerning aspect of the trans-autism connection is that many autistic individuals tend to be more inwardly focused and <a href="https://www.advancedautism.com/post/addressing-rigid-thinking-in-autism">exhibit rigid patterns of thinking</a>. Although much of gender ideology is not grounded in logic, it can still foster an inflexible mindset that becomes difficult to challenge. As a result, it can be especially hard to help an autistic person reconsider beliefs she has strongly adopted. Parents of autistic children <a href="https://www.pittparents.com/p/wheres-the-village-for-autistic-kids">face unique challenges</a> in helping their children recognize when they may have been misled or influenced by systems and industries that financially benefit from reinforcing the belief that discomfort with oneself means being born in the wrong body.
Despite these obvious factors, NPR repeats in its article that “researchers are working to understand the connection” as if it is a complete mystery.
My profession used to understand that vulnerable people often seek certainty, categories, belonging, and explanations for pain. We once recognized that distress can be real while the explanation for that distress may still deserve exploration. Somehow, in this one area, psychology and medicine forget their own principles, pretend to ignore the obvious, and continue to remain obtuse.
***
Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, LCSW, is a licensed therapist. She is the author of &#8220;<a href="http://a.co/d/5KIhI3J">A Practical Response to Gender Distress: Tips and Tools for Family</a>&#8221; and &#8220;<a href="https://froggygirlbook.com/">Froggy Girl</a>.&#8221; You can find her on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the.truthfultherapist/?hl=en">@the.truthfultherapist,</a> X as <a href="https://x.com/pgarfieldjaeger">@pgarfieldjaeger</a>, and Substack as <a href="https://pamthetruthfultherapist.substack.com/">Pamthetruthfultherapist</a>.

autism, neurodivergent, neurodiversity

The Group Gender Ideology Seems To Attract Again And Again

Autism

<div>Members of a historic female-only society are being warned they could violate human rights law if they vote to exclude &#8220;transgender&#8221; males from their ranks.</div>
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<div>Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are voting on a resolution that would amend the group’s bylaws to clarify that only natural-born women can join the female-only society at its national meeting this week in Washington, D.C.</div>
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<div>&#8220;The proposed resolution would blatantly violate the D.C. Human Rights Law,&#8221; states a legal analysis addressed to voting members from the DAR Executive Committee. &#8220;Refusing admission to transgender women facially discriminates against them based on gender identity.&#8221;</div>
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<div>Gender identity is a term transgender activists use to describe a person&#8217;s feelings about their sex. The DAR&#8217;s headquarters are in Washington, D.C.</div>
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1123309 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5342-1-433x576.jpg" alt="" width="433" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5342-1-433x576.jpg 433w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5342-1-226x300.jpg 226w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5342-1-768x1021.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5342-1-1155x1536.jpg 1155w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5342-1.jpg 1179w" sizes=" (max-width: 433px) 100vw, 433px" /></div>
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<div>DAR allows <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daughters-of-the-american-revolution-chapters-plead-with-trump-to-save-org-from-trans-radicals">men who believe they are women</a> to join the historic female-only society, which prompted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-daughters-of-the-american-revolution-could-declare-independence-from-woke?author=Megan+Brock&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Daughters+Of+The+American+Revolution+Could+Declare+Independence+From+Woke">local chapters</a> to put forward the resolution clarifying that only natural-born women could join the society. “The term ‘woman’ shall be understood to clearly mean a woman who was born female, and therefore, individuals who were born male shall not be eligible for membership; transgender women shall not be eligible for membership,” the proposed resolution states, according to a document reviewed by The Daily Wire.</div>
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<div>The Daily Wire obtained an internal memo and legal analysis of the resolution distributed by the organization&#8217;s Executive Committee to voting members of DAR. The memo was dated June 19 — days before members would vote to decide if DAR&#8217;s future will remain exclusively female. The Executive Committee wrote it felt an &#8220;obligation&#8221; to provide educational information on the proposed resolution, warning it would &#8220;prohibit transgender women from joining the DAR,&#8221; according to the memo.</div>
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<div>&#8220;At the 135th Continental Congress, voting members will consider a resolution submitted by a group of DAR chapters to prohibit transgender women from joining the DAR,&#8221; states the memo. &#8220;The National Board of Management has an obligation to ensure that members voting on consequential matters have access to information necessary to fully exercise that responsibility.&#8221;</div>
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<div>The DAR Executive Committee called upon <a href="https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/samuel-r-bagenstos">Professor Samuel Bagenstos</a>, a professor of law at the University of Michigan with a <a href="https://www.michigandaily.com/news/government/domestic-policy-corps-and-out-public-host-supreme-court-civil-rights-litigator/">history</a> of involvement in LGBTQ+ litigation, to provide members with legal analysis of the &#8220;risks this resolution would create&#8221; for DAR.</div>
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<div>&#8220;I worked on many regulations and initiatives involving the rights of transgender individuals,&#8221; Bagenstos wrote in his legal analysis.</div>
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<div>Bagenstos served in the Biden administration from January 2021 to December 2024. He served as General Counsel to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from June 2022 to December 2024, as it made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-biden-admins-scramble-to-find-data-to-support-its-pro-trans-foster-care-reform">radical moves</a> to push transgenderism onto children. Bagenstos notes in his <a href="https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/samuel-r-bagenstos">biography</a> that he drafted and issued major rules on issues such as &#8220;the treatment of LGBTQ+ kids in the foster care system.&#8221;</div>
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1123313 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5343-481x576.jpg" alt="" width="481" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5343-481x576.jpg 481w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5343-250x300.jpg 250w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5343-768x920.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/IMG_5343.jpg 1179w" sizes=" (max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px" /></div>
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<div>The Executive Committee told DAR members informed decision-making is &#8220;best served when voting members have access to relevant information and expert analysis&#8221; and that Bagenstos&#8217; legal analysis of the resolution was being distributed &#8220;in full and without modification,&#8221; according to the internal memo.</div>
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<div>The legal analysis from Bagenstos strongly suggested DAR will face harsh consequences if it adopts the position that men cannot be women.</div>
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<div>“I have reviewed the proposed resolution that would introduce a requirement to bar transgender women from admission to membership in the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In my legal opinion, implementing the proposed resolution would expose the National Society to significant risk of being found in violation of the District of Columbia Human Rights Law,” Bagenstos wrote in the opening paragraph of the legal analysis. &#8220;If found in violation, the National Society could be required to pay damages to those excluded from membership. More significantly, it would likely lose both its D.C. tax exemption and any licenses or permits to operate Constitution Hall.&#8221;</div>
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<div>The three page legal analysis provided by Bagenstos concluded with a strong message to members that the adoption of the female-only resolution would &#8220;very likely&#8221; have dire financial consequences for the organization.</div>
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<div>“The proposed resolution would very likely expose the National Society to liability for damages and injunctive relief—as well as the revocation of business licenses and tax-exempt status–under D.C. law,” wrote Bagenstos.</div>
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<div>Bagenstos did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.</div>
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<div>Founded in 1890, the DAR aimed to give women the same opportunities as men to “promote Historic Preservation, Education, and Patriotism” in the United States. Throughout its more than 130-year history, DAR has welcomed over a million members, <a href="https://www.dar.org/national-society/about-dar/did-you-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supported</a> American efforts in three major wars, and continues to <a href="https://www.dar.org/outreach/patriotism/military-support-service-veterans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serve</a> active-duty military members and veterans, as described on its website.</div>
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<div>The Daughters of the American Revolution did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.</div>

Rally for Transgender Equality

One Of America’s Most Iconic Women’s Groups Is Pushing Members To Allow Biological Males To Join

Daughters of the American Revolution

Women's Rights

Trans activist Laverne Cox said he’s lost most of his money, and Donald Trump is the one to blame.
The &#8220;Orange Is the New Black&#8221; actor explained the situation while <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jun/15/free-from-shame-laverne-cox-trans-woman-in-trump-america">speaking to</a> The Guardian, claiming the Trump administration turned people away from accepting radical trans ideology.
&#8220;Over the past two years, [Cox] has lost 90% of [his] income, however. Hosting contracts have ended and not been renewed. Corporate speaking engagements have dried up,&#8221; the outlet reported.
“This regime has threatened to defund any colleges and universities that promote gender ideology, DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion],” Cox told The Guardian. “Even though I’d be teaching a graduate acting class, it could be perceived as promoting trans ideology. These are the realities.”
The activist went on, “I’m not complaining — I’m very blessed. I think the important thing to note is that if Laverne Cox’s income has gone down significantly, what about all the other trans people who are not as privileged and as blessed as I am? There are material consequences for this kind of discrimination and scapegoating.”
Cox said it was all part of the plan, which was Project 2025&#8217;s agenda.
“All these words had to be taken out of every piece of legislation, policy, government document: gender, gender ideology, gender identity, LGBTQ, DEI, abortion, contraception,” he told The Guardian. 
Cox then used the tired analogy of comparing the “fundamentalist Christian ethno-nationalist project” with Nazi Germany.
“We’re in a very similar moment to Germany at that time,” he warned.
While most of the world, including corporate America, continues to move away from the radical trans agenda, Hollywood is still clinging stubbornly to the far-left ideals that dominated the culture six years ago. 
For Cox in particular, the souring of public opinion must be jarring. In 2014, he was celebrated for being the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy. But after Trump was elected, he claimed he lost out on speaking opportunities and other work. 
“I feel that this is a moment where we have to make some really important decisions about who we are, who we want to be, and how we’re going to proceed. I’ve been saying when history looks back at me, I want to be a Christian Dior, not a Coco Chanel. It’s that serious,” he told the New Yorker in a separate <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/laverne-cox-wants-to-rehumanize-everybody">interview </a>this week. 
“We’re in a fascist moment with this crazy president who wants to be a dictator, who’s just thrown every law out the window. In Nazi Germany, trans people were some of the first people who were attacked, and history is repeating …  It’s nuts, and they just keep finding new things to do to disenfranchise trans people in order to delegitimize our identities.”
“It’s not even about hope. We have to take action right now. We have to have the courage to tell the truth… I think rhetorically we need to rehumanize trans people and rehumanize everybody,” Cox insisted.

Laverne Cox

Trans Actor Blames Trump After Losing 90% Of His Income

Trans Actor Says He's Lost 90% Of His Income, And It's All Trump's Fault

Celebrities

Donald Trump

Entertainment

Hollywood

Major League Baseball has officially warned San Francisco Giants players who counter-signaled or rejected the team&#8217;s LGBT &#8220;Pride Night.&#8221;
Starting pitcher <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/giants-pitcher-refuses-to-hide-christian-faith-during-pride-night">Landen Roupp</a> on Friday etched a Bible passage found in Genesis onto his Giants cap, right next to the LGBT-themed rainbow logo he was directed to wear. Other players, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker, followed suit in standing up for their Christian faith, also adding Bible verses. And relief pitcher Sam Hentges refused to wear the rainbow cap altogether, stating, &#8220;I don&#8217;t morally support it.&#8221;
MLB’s chief communications officer Pat Courtney told The Athletic on Monday that these players have been &#8220;warned&#8221; about &#8220;future violations.&#8221; He said that writing on the team&#8217;s baseball caps &#8220;violates our rules.&#8221;
The Giants also addressed the Christian players. In a statement ironically about &#8220;inclusion,&#8221; the team apologized for its players apparently causing &#8220;pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community.&#8221;
“The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued.&#8221;
&#8220;We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations,&#8221; the team continued. &#8220;We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that.&#8221;
&#8220;Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all,&#8221; the statement closed. &#8220;We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”
<div id="attachment_1116807" style="width: 833px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1116807" class="wp-image-1116807 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-823x576.jpg" alt="" width="823" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-823x576.jpg 823w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-300x210.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-768x538.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 823px) 100vw, 823px" />Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images</div>
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet reacted to the MLB &#8220;warning&#8221; with his own warning — a sentiment widely expressed online.
&#8220;MLB should tread carefully,&#8221; he posted. &#8220;There’s a lot more us fans that agree with the pitchers than with the league when it comes to pride night propaganda. Let the MLB be warned, not the pitchers. Be careful, MLB.&#8221;
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MLB should tread carefully. There’s a lot more us fans that agree with the pitchers than with the league when it comes to pride night propaganda.
Let the MLB be warned, not the pitchers.
Be careful, MLB. <a href="https://t.co/pCeHh009y5">https://t.co/pCeHh009y5</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2066740999737770208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham noted that the rainbow symbol is Christian based. &#8220;The LGBTQ movement appropriated the rainbow symbol from Christianity. Now Christians are taking it back. Deal with it,&#8221; she wrote.
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The LGBTQ movement appropriated the rainbow symbol from Christianity. Now Christians are taking it back. Deal with it. <a href="https://t.co/i2XmwXeyQR">https://t.co/i2XmwXeyQR</a>
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) <a href="https://x.com/megbasham/status/2066754376543429037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Actor Rob Schneider called the MLB &#8220;anti-Christian&#8221; and said he&#8217;d &#8220;pay the fines for any [MLB] Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform.&#8221;
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I will pay the fines for any <a href="https://x.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform.<a href="https://x.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> is ANTI-CHRISTIAN <a href="https://t.co/miAT89eXJu">https://t.co/miAT89eXJu</a>
— Rob Schneider 🇺🇸 (@RobSchneider) <a href="https://x.com/RobSchneider/status/2066796902021210190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/giants-pitcher-refuses-to-hide-christian-faith-during-pride-night">The Daily Wire</a>, the Giants&#8217; &#8220;Pride Night&#8221; was held on Friday. The game was dedicated as a “celebration of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community” and included “pregame festivities, in-game celebrations, and appearances,&#8221; <a href="https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/pride-celebration">according</a> to the MLB. Same-sex couples renewed their marriage vows on the field in the presence of a drag queen, and the Giants celebrated the LGBT community <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/san-francisco-giants-pitcher-writes-bible-verse-hat-defiance-pride-night">through rainbow-colored hats</a>, Fox News reported.
Roupp inscribed a Bible passage from Genesis 9 on his cap. The verses describe God’s promise to Noah and all future generations that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood, with the rainbow serving as the sign of that covenant:
<blockquote>And God said, &#8220;This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.&#8221; — Genesis 9:12-16</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/giants-pitcher-refuses-to-hide-christian-faith-during-pride-night">Giants Pitcher Refuses To Hide Christian Faith During Pride Night</a>

Giants Final

MLB Targets Christian Players Who Rejected LGBT ‘Pride Night’

MLB Targets Giants Players Who Rejected LGBT ‘Pride Night’ 

Bible

San Francisco Giants

The UK-based cosmetics brand Lush Cosmetics is all in for trans rights. But some window art at a local store has drawn the ire of breast cancer survivors, who say glorifying voluntary “gender affirming” mastectomies is just wrong.
The photo was posted earlier this month on the Facebook page “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/chelmsfordforyou">Chelmsford for You</a>,” which is dedicated to the historic city about 30 miles north of London. It was one of several store murals meant to celebrate Pride month ahead of the Essex Pride celebration on June 20. Among the expected rainbows, however, the Lush mural stood out. 
It features a tiger with the signature trans flag inspired pink and baby blue stripes, plus pink mastectomy scars. It includes text that says, “Proud of my stripes.” The Facebook account noted that the design was created by queer artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/your_pal_bucky/">Bucky Ringsell</a>.
The responses online were very negative.
“Ugh. This is DISGUSTING,” one reaction said. “Teenage girls love to shop in your stores and here you are happily encouraging them to CUT OFF THEIR HEALTHY BREASTS in the name of trans pride. This is beyond repulsive. It&#8217;s dangerous and sick. No parent should allow their child near your stores.”
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Ugh. This is DISGUSTING <a href="https://x.com/LushLtd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LushLtd</a>. Teenage girls love to shop in your stores and here you are happily encouraging them to CUT OFF THEIR HEALTHY BREASTS in the name of trans pride.
This is beyond repulsive. It&#8217;s dangerous and sick. No parent should allow their child near your… <a href="https://t.co/yfhuGGtL82">https://t.co/yfhuGGtL82</a> <a href="https://t.co/h9fRSCXRl5">pic.twitter.com/h9fRSCXRl5</a>
— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) <a href="https://x.com/JuliaHB1/status/2066241254837633417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Several breast cancer survivors also weighed in on the transgender propaganda masquerading as “art.”
“As a woman who had half a breast removed last year due to cancer, I am writing to raise my concerns about your ‘Proud of My Stripes’ window display,” London-based journalist Janet Murray <a href="https://x.com/jan_murray/status/2066140253430161807">wrote</a> in an open letter to Chelmsford city council.
“I am also, on behalf of other women who have experienced breast cancer, respectfully requesting its removal,” the post continued. “Because mastectomies are not a fashion statement, an identity marker or something to be celebrated. They are something women undergo because they are ill, because they are frightened, because they are trying to stay alive.”
Murray said she’s not anti-trans and that it’s a “personal choice,” but says she still takes offense to the window display.
“I think I speak for many women who have experienced breast cancer &#8211; and for their families &#8211; when I say this: Breast removal surgery is not something I regard as cute, playful or empowering,” she added. “Nor is it something I believe retailers should be celebrating.”
She concluded by demanding that the mural be removed, a sentiment echoed by several others.
“Ditto. This is an insult to millions of women who lost their breasts to cancer,” former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova <a href="https://x.com/martina/status/2066168892502761819?s=43">wrote</a> in response to Murray’s letter. 
Lush Cosmetics has a history of fervent LGBT activism. Last fall, the company partnered with the activist group TransActual to create a 24-page illustrated book titled “Dream vs. Reality: creating a world where trans people are safe.” The company also released a pink, blue, and white “Liberation bath bomb” to raise money for trans causes. 
A <a href="https://weare.lush.com/press-releases/lush-partners-with-trans-led-groups-to-stand-up-for-trans-rights/">statement</a> at the time said, “This campaign comes from the heart of the business. Requested by our staff and led by our incredible campaign partners, it comes at a time where positive trans representation is needed to counterpoint some of the toxic narratives that have been shaping public discourse. We hope that the vision presented in this campaign becomes reality and helps to shape a world we can all be proud of.”
Lush Cosmetics did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on backlash over the image.

trans flag

Breast Cancer Survivors Sound Off On Graphic Trans Pride Mural

Breast Cancer

United Kingdom

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
The massive Pride campaigns that Target and Bud Light splashed across their stores and cans a few years ago have quietly disappeared. Not because the culture moved on, but because those brands never truly believed in the slogans. They believed in revenue, and rainbow branding looked like an easy shortcut. When it backfired spectacularly, they walked away.
Woke corporate stances are merely pragmatic: marketing strategies dressed up as moral crusades. There’s nothing authentic or altruistic about them. At bottom, it’s always been about profits, and performative progressivism seemed like an efficient way to court younger consumers.
Though it started in the 2010s, woke capitalism took over in 2020 with the Black Lives Matter explosion and black squares all over Instagram. But since then, consumers have noticed it was all a bunch of bull.
Now people are just exhausted by brands that preach values they don’t practice. Faux-generous brands claim to take the harder right over the easier wrong, when in fact it is the opposite. The minute the numbers shift, they drop the social justice stance.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with chasing profits. Businesses exist to make money. The problem is when campaigns erode trust by promising principles they abandon at the first sign of trouble. It’s the misrepresentation, the lying, that is the problem.
A growing number of shoppers are demanding something simpler: brands that are honest.
As the founder of XX-XY Athletics, I started this brand with the idea that we would be the first pro-woman, pro-truth brand that champions female athletes, even when it’s hard. We would also promise to make our product ethically. We didn’t promise all made in the U.S. — because we didn’t know if we could pull it off given reduced capacities here at home. So we didn’t lie about it. But we continue working to make it a reality.
On the other hand, Nike makes money pretending to champion female athletes. In reality, when Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track athlete of all time, became pregnant, they proposed cutting her pay by 70%. When junior elite runner Mary Cain joined Nike’s Oregon Running Project, she was bullied for her weight and psychologically abused to the point of considering suicide.
Beyond the hypocrisy in the athletic category, fast fashion has changed everything in the clothing business. We buy twice as much and wear it for half as long as we did 20 years ago, and it all ends up in the landfill.
We used to shop twice a year: in spring and fall. Fast fashion brands created today’s modern demand cycle, which is basically always on. Buy more, buy it now, who cares if the quality sucks, you’ll just get more next week.
The average American buys close to 70 new items a year. More than 50% of those items remain unworn and go straight to the landfill. But that doesn’t stop major fast fashion brands from pretending they are “green.”
“Values-led” branding in fashion is especially performative. Fast fashion’s self-created economic reality makes real alignment an impossibility: chasing volume and low prices clashes with genuine sustainability or ethical labor.
But the fashion hypocrisy is everywhere. Take Everlane, once celebrated as a beacon of “radical transparency.” Founded in 2010, it built a loyal following by revealing production costs and factory details for basics such as t-shirts and jeans. It told us we deserved to know how and where our goods were made. And it promised to transform the industry through its “radically transparent” approach.
Guess what happened next? In May, after years of slumping sales and debt accrual, Everlane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fashion-company-millennials-loved-just-got-bought-by-americas-rival">sold</a> to ultra-fast-fashion giant Shein for about $100 million. The brand that sold a conscience is now under the roof of a company notorious for the opposite model. Shein has been cited as one of the biggest apparel polluters in the world, not to mention the well-founded allegations that the brand uses forced labor from the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.
H&amp;M offers another textbook case. Its “Conscious” collection and ambitious goals — 100% recycled or sustainable materials by 2030, climate positive by 2040 — sound impressive in marketing. Yet the core business remains a fast-fashion volume machine churning out massive overproduction, waste, and pollution. The brand has faced lawsuits and criticism for misleading claims on polyester-heavy items marketed as eco-friendly. It also brags about its recycling program, offering discounts to encourage consumption to those who bring in products to dump in its bins. Talk sustainability; walk disposability.
Then there’s Lions Not Sheep, which wrapped itself in pro-America, patriotic messaging only to get fined by the Federal Trade Commission for ripping out “Made in China” tags and replacing them with fraudulent “Made in USA” labels on imported apparel. The penalty was over $211,000. Patriotism as costume.
Marketing fake values goes both ways, it seems.
Wellness brands such as Prime market themselves as clean and health-focused while drawing scrutiny over ingredients and formulations that don’t fully match the hype.
Even Patagonia, long hailed as the gold standard for environmental activism because it has touted itself as such, relies heavily on petroleum-based synthetics. No brand is perfect, but when your image vastly outpaces your practice, it’s greenwashing.
Brands that claim values must live them, especially when it’s hard, or they will lose the trust of their fans. Consumers should demand to know more about what they wear every day: where it comes from, how it’s made, and whether the company actually stands for anything beyond the next quarterly report.
Shoppers are waking up. They’re tired of being sold conscience by companies that treat principles as optional marketing strategies. Real values aren’t flexible. They don’t vanish when the market shifts.
Brands that understand this — the ones that align strategy with substance — will be the ones that endure. The rest are just full of it.
***
Jennifer Sey is the CEO of XX-XY Athletics. She is an author, filmmaker, and retired national champion gymnast.

MoveOn PAC Commissions Billboard Truck To Circle Target HQ In Minneapolis On Pride Weekend, Calling For The Company To “Reinstate Pride Merch”

The Truth Behind The Disappearing Rainbow Logos

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Target

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