TDS Time Machine | Pride Month
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Pride is a celebration of queerness, acceptance, and club remixes you can actually dance to. And today I'm here at RuPaul's private pool to tell you how Pride Month came to be. Because just like all queer people, June has a coming out story of its own.

You could say Pride's roots go back to the 60s, with Billy's Reminder Day pickets. Reminder Day was like the precursor to what Pride is now, in the same way that Madonna was the precursor to Lady Gaga. And if you don't get that reference, you should probably stop watching now, because this is a Pride segment and you're a terrible ally. The 60s also saw protests all over America, like the Black Cat Tavern riot in LA and a protest at the White House demanding equal employment opportunities for gay people.

That's right, it used to be legal to fire people just for being gay. Which makes no sense. Who you have sex with should have no bearing on whether you get to keep your job. Unless you do it on the copy machine. Well-known fact: that is how most paper jams get started. I learned the hard way.

But then of course came Stonewall in '69, when police raided a gay bar in New York City called the Stonewall Inn, and the queer community fought back. It was such a significant moment in America's gay rights movement that to this day, that whole block is now a historic site visited by people from all over the world. The only way that corner of Christopher Street would attract more gay people is if Britney had a residency there.

Stonewall was the big turning point. Though they still faced so much discrimination, the LGBTQ community finally felt empowered enough to hold big public celebrations. The first ever official gay pride parade was held in Chicago in 1970. But one day later, New York held an entire Pride Week. During this seven-day celebration, the community marched from the village to Central Park with slogans like "Gay, Gay All the Way" and "Gay Power."

Which isn't just a good slogan, it's also the energy source that keeps the lights running on Broadway. Of course, we can't talk about pride without talking about the symbol of it. No, not your grandparents googling what is scissoring. I'm talking about the rainbow flag, which was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker. He called himself the Gay Betsy Ross, which makes sense. Not only did they both design iconic flags, but they also belonged to communities where wigs were very popular.

One of the coolest things about Gilbert Baker was that he refused to trademark the pride flag. He wanted everyone to be able to share it and reinterpret it, which is why today the flag has become as fluid as sexuality itself.

By the time we reached the 80s, the AIDS crisis came to the forefront and Pride took on a new mission. It wasn't just about visibility and acceptance, it was about destigmatizing and promoting public health, which was especially important because the federal government pretty much just pretended AIDS didn't exist, like what Tom Hanks does with Chet.

Once we made it to the 90s, Pride was even more mainstream than ever before. And in 1999, President Bill Clinton signed the executive order officially recognizing June as Pride Month for the first time. Yeah, if two people of the same gender wanted to have sexual relations, that was fine with him. Even if he didn't totally understand the definition of sexual relations.

Clinton's executive order referred to June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Then in 2009, President Obama changed it to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. Then President Trump dialed it back a little and just called it LGBT Pride Month. Which makes sense. No big words and it's less scary for Mike Pence.

But these days, the Biden administration extended the name again to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month, making it, as of now, the only thing that's been built back better.

But whatever you call it, Pride has truly become a global phenomenon. It's celebrated everywhere. Manila, South Africa, Brazil, Madrid. Pride's gone to so many places, if it had an Instagram, you'd have to mute their stories. We get it, Pride. You had fun in Spain. Stop making the rest of us feel so boring.

So this month, don't forget where Pride came from and all the people who fought to make it a reality. The LGBTQ community still faces many challenges, but it's also experienced a lot of progress. And if you ask me, that's worth celebrating. Hello, hello, hello. Oh, shit. RuPaul's back from vacation early.

Vermont Supreme Court gives gay couples legal rights. New Hampshire makes a remark under its breath and scratches its ass. The Vermont Supreme Court, grateful for a case not involving sap rights and tapping permits, made history yesterday when it ruled gay couples are entitled to the same benefits and protections as heterosexual couples.

The ruling prompted jubilation among Upper New England's gay community, thousands of whom took to the streets chanting, "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it. Yeah." Presidential candidate Steve Forbes added his two billion cents, calling the ruling a, quote, "flagrant example of judicial activism. I believe in traditional marriage, just like his dear old dad."

Being both Vermont-based and a highly regarded cultural barometer, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream celebrated the event by releasing new flavors including Apple Brown Betty Friedan, Maple Thorpe, and, of course, Penis. Geeks, losers, dweebs, simps, propellerheads. These are but a few of the labels that our society uses to describe the science fiction world.

But as Steve Carell discovered, our collective intolerance hasn't spawned anger in return, but rather a spirit of inclusion that reflects the deepest meaning of turning the other cheek. The worlds of science fiction and fantasy have long presented positive images of gay characters. But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters. However, this on-screen tolerance hasn't been reflected off-screen. Until now.

Welcome to Gaylaxicon 2000. What is Gaylaxicon? Gaylaxicon 2000 is a science fiction convention for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, their friends and family. Is it hard to tell people you're a science fiction buff? Yes, sometimes people have a harder time with that than the fact that I'm bi. You're bi? Yes. Cool. Is it time for gay science fiction fans to come out of the closet? Yes, it is.

What would that closet of the future look like? I don't know. Wouldn't it be cool if the doors themselves didn't roll on little rollers but have little air compressors underneath it? That's the kind of closet you want to come out of. Am I right? No matter what form that closet of the future may take, here at Gaylexicon 2000, people are already out. Donning new experimental personas. Attending informative science fiction forums.

and admiring hundreds of fantasy-based works of art. Are you telling me that if I look at one of these, I'm going to be seeing imaginary animals having sex? Yes, indeed. Anthropomorphic erotica. Explain that concept to me. Well, that depends on the artist. Some of these people are notorious for drawing sexy skunks, some for rabbits, some for almost any species you can imagine. Could you describe what we're looking at here?

What I'm looking at is based upon a lifetime of study, observation. I'm trying to make a comment about our society and the way we live today. It's a guy having anal sex with a fox. Clearly there was something for everyone at Gaylexicon. But as I soon found out, there was more. Much more. If I were gay and a science fiction buff, which I am not either of them...

What would you have for me to do here? The most exciting event would be the masquerade. What's so much fun about the masquerade? You find out a little bit about their personality. It brings out a different side to them? Yes, it shows a side that is usually hidden. Couldn't that be dangerous?

While Jack Frost denied that there was any danger in the masquerade process, I had my doubts. So I decided to conduct a little experiment of my own. How does one create a costume for themselves? I guess first of all you have to know what you want to be.

As I began to immerse myself in character after character, I realized that in fact there was no danger. By revealing my inner self, I found myself childlike, liberated, inspired, and very gay. Despite the Pope's presence, all is not well in Canada.

In fact, many citizens are hoping the Pope can heal some very deep divisions that are threatening to tear the Canadian nation apart. Our own Ed Helms reports. Bill Whatcott is a decent, hardworking Canadian citizen who is being persecuted because of his sexuality. I'm Bill Whatcott and I'm definitely a heterosexual. By choosing to live an openly straight lifestyle, Bill has become an object of ridicule. Is it fair to say that because of your sexuality, you've suffered?

Yes, that would be a fair statement. Suffered because he lives in Canada, our gay neighbor to the north. Where if you don't like gay music, gay sports, and gay cops, you're an outsider. And to make matters even worse for Bill Whatcott, he lives in Canada's gayest city, Regina. That's right, Regina. Regina.

A hotbed of heterophobia, where local gay supremacist Duncan Campbell has this to say about Bill Whatcott. I don't think a lot of people like him. Ouch! Even in the face of straight bashing like that, Bill has nothing but kind words for the gay majority. Homosexual sex is a sin. It doesn't matter what gender. That's disordered sex. And it's a disordered desire and attraction. It's filthy.

What have you found to be-- Think about the damage they're gonna do to each other. When they're going down that path, they're going down a path that'll lead to a lot of disease and unhappiness. He's tolerant, he's well-spoken, and he has a mustache. But the gays still refuse to accept Bill Whatcott.

So, in a heroic act of defiance, Bill decided to stand up for his kind and organized a parade in the name of Straight Bride, a colossal demonstration that brought downtown Regina to its knees. It was Straight Canada's finest hour, but the gay majority continues to make Bill's life a living hell. One time in Toronto, I had a homosexual try to pick me up,

I actually didn't even know he was gay. I was just trying to help him. You know, we were at a YMCA and he wasn't using correct technique. I'm sorry, you were where? Okay, the YMCA. Do you have that in America? It's like a health club. Is it a gay club? This one turned out to be a gay pickup spot because he asked me to go out for coffee and I did. Nothing else happened, we swear.

But despite these brushes with gayness, Bill has remained impressively grounded in his masculinity. He showed me his gun collection. - Geez, I am actually giving it a decent polish now. - Yeah, polish that thing up. - And even indulged me in a front yard tussle.

Later, we enjoyed a relaxing moment together where Bill shared even more details about his life as a heterosexual, including the fact that he's a male nurse. Not many nurses are hunters and gun owners. When will Gay Canada

except people like Bill Whatcott. Probably never. And yet Bill Whatcott carries on, fighting for the rights of all straight, parade-loving Canadian male nurses who sometimes get coffee with people they meet at the YMCA. Excellent. Really nice job, Ed. I have to say, an in-depth report is excellent reporting, Ed. Well done. Thank you. Thank you very much. You're welcome.

It's really interesting. In doing this report, I realized something about myself. -Mm-hmm. -Um... Yeah, I, uh... I'm straight. I said it. I'm straight. It feels pretty good. -Ed, that's really not the big of a deal. I mean, like, 90% of the country says, "I'm straight," and I don't go announcing it, but, you know, it's not that... -You're straight, too? -Yeah. Yeah. -Ladies and gentlemen, TV's Jon Stewart, also straight.

I had no idea you were... We should hang out. Yes, yes. No, we could go to the YMCA, help each other work out, give each other massages. Do you slow dance? That's gay. That's... Right, I'm straight.

Ed Helms, everybody. We'll be right back.

is the anchor. For NBC Nightly News, I'm Tom Yamas. A new chapter begins. NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings on NBC.

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That includes our introductory five-piece system, free gifts, free shipping, and a 60-day money-back guarantee. All of that available at MeaningfulBeauty.com. You know, I had a crazy weekend. Yesterday, like every year, in the end of June, last weekend, I dressed up in glitter like a peacock. And I marched down Fifth Avenue to raise awareness of exotic birds.

I gotta tell you, this year, almost more than any other year, it went really, really well. I couldn't believe the support I was getting. People are like, this is a great day. It's been too long, you know? And I was like, yeah, exotic birds, you know what I mean? And then people are like...

Wasn't Friday amazing? And I was like, why? What happened Friday? It is a history-making night with a vote that just happened a short time ago. New York becomes the seventh jurisdiction in America to recognize marriage for same-sex couples. Wow, that's a major civil rights victory. New York is still applauding.

Finally, New York State's gay and lesbian community are free from the burden that was having to set foot in Connecticut in order to get married. Really? The nuptials are in Stanford? Yes, it was last Friday night at 10.30 p.m. Eastern Gay Rights Time. After a week of tense negotiations and dueling protests featuring brutal gay versus Jew bullfighting,

The Senate in Albany finally made an honest state of New York by a vote of 33-4, destroying society as we know it, and 29 against. The vote was in doubt right up until the last minute. As of Thursday, the state Senate was deadlocked 31-31. Marriage rights supporters had to find at least one more Republican to flip, and then upstepped Mark DeSantis, state senator from Buffalo, who would run on a platform of banning gay marriage. Here's what he had to say.

As a Catholic, I was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. All right, so we'll just move on from here. Maybe they'll find a vote from someone who doesn't appear to be on Elliot Ness's enemies list. I cannot legally come up with an argument against same-sex marriage. Who am I to say that someone does not have the same rights that I have with my wife, who I love,

or they have the 1,300 plus rights that I share with her. I vote in the affirmative, Mr. President. You know what? I'm so impressed. In honor of this man, in honor of this great man, I will no longer do my offensive Italian New Yorker voice.

For as long, because it's not often you see this son of a bitch, the courage that this mother f***er, the balls, the giant f***ing gagoons hanging over this man like bocce balls on a summer afternoon. I can't, I'm sorry. It's very hard not to do the voice. It's a very fun voice.

And so with support of Grisanti and his fellow Republican, Steven Salon, gay marriage passed, and of course you know what that means. The city estimates the new law will bring more than $180 million to the state in the next three years. Yikes. Ladies and gentlemen, I also am cashing in. It's a perfect time to roll out my new Jon Stewart brand, Tuxpedos! The elegance and panache of a tuxedo. But with the ball-flattering physique...

Yes, indeed. While Friday's decision brings the total number of states permitting gay marriage in districts to seven, 41 other states still have laws on the books explicitly banning same-sex marriage. It's why many gay activists are looking for federal action to achieve national marriage equality. Last Thursday, Barack Obama addressed that very question. I have long believed that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act ought to be repealed. Huzzah! Hear, hear!

Yay! I assume the president's problem with the Defense of Marriage Act is that should be a federal law in support of gay marriage. Part of the reason that DOMA doesn't make sense is that traditionally, marriage has been decided by the states. Really? The gentleman with mixed-race parents playing the states know best card. You know, when I was born, I was born, when I was born, my parents' marriage

would have been illegal in Florida and Virginia. So, different strokes. Of course, the implications of legalizing gay marriage can be hard to fully understand, unless perhaps you have a correspondent who works in musical theater. We sent our own Josh Gad from "Book of Mormon" out to make sense of this landmark legislation.

The legalization of gay marriage means one thing. Best put by Super Bowl hero David Tyree. This will be the beginning of our country sliding toward, you know, it's a strong word, but anarchy.

Now everyone from Albany to Rochester will have to deal with what people here in the city have long had to accept as part of their daily lives. Leather daddies creating traffic snarls and sailors gone AWOL.

- This is like an average day in the gay community, isn't it? - No, this is a very special day that we do every year. - Oh yeah, tonight's BET Awards. I forgot. - That's not why we're marching. - Sir, sir, may I ask you a quick question? How is this not like the apocalypse? - This is a parade, dude. - Yeah, it reminds me a bit of that passage from Revelations. "And behold, I saw a pale horse and its rider was wearing a jockstrap and hell followed."

I don't read the Bible. It's in there, page 42. What kind of parade is in store for tomorrow? I don't think any other parades.

We have Pride only once a year. You're saying this is all for the parade. Yes. But in reality, the St. Patrick's Day parade is a very accurate portrayal of how Irish people behave every day. I wouldn't say that at all. Oh, I would. The St. Patrick's Day parade. I would. Because some of the people who are out making a mess on St. Patrick's Day aren't even Irish. Yeah, but Irish people are always getting drunk and vomiting inside subway stations. Take a good look upstate.

normal, respectable people like this will have nowhere to turn. Are you worried about the repercussions of gay marriage? Yeah, I'm one of those people. Are you gay? I'm gay. I fish with guys like you. Oh, thanks. Yep. We look like other people. No, you're not gay. That's gay. You're not gay. They're gay and I'm gay. Really? Tyree! David Tyree!

That was David Tyree, Super Bowl hero, bravely showing his face here at Gay Pride Parade. Unbelievable. It's become clear to me now that you're not actually David Tyree. Even though I was on Broadway, once they found out I was a breeder, the knives came out. I loved you in the Book of Mormon. Oh, thank you. Too bad you didn't win. Are you from the Book of Mormon? Yeah, you look like it. Oh my God, you didn't get the Tony.

I hope you guys have fun f***ing yourselves. As the day wore on, it became clear that no one, not even this intrepid reporter, was immune from their takeover. I think that New York is a part of the world right now, and New York's going to still be New York, you know, and just be a part of everything else. Really? Yes. Then how did this happen? What? Three minutes ago, I was wearing a suit. I have no idea how I even got in these.

Good luck, Buffalo. You'll need it. Energy! It's Pride Month, right? Which... which America has been celebrating with huge pride parades around the country, from right here in New York all the way to Buford, Wyoming. Now, there, it was just two guys walking to CVS, but they were having a good time, so it counts as a parade.

But, but, yesterday's Supreme Court news has dimmed the celebration, because Justice Kennedy was the swing vote supporting gay rights, and there's widespread concern that Trump's next pick won't be. All right? It's a harsh way to end Pride Month. You know, it's kind of like ending your birthday party with a cancer doctor popping out of a cake, like, "Surprise! Happy last birthday to you." And although... You guys sound like you were at the birthday for real.

And although many are worried about the future of LGBTQ rights, let's take a moment to celebrate how much progress has been made, and not just in America, but around the world. Taiwan will become the first Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage. History Tonight Down Under: Australia's parliament has voted to legalize gay marriage.

- The Supreme Court voted to legalize same-sex marriage in a historic vote. - Bermuda has now legalized same-sex marriage for a second time. The island's Supreme Court overturned a gay marriage ban that was signed into law just four months ago. The Supreme Court first legalized same-sex marriage last May. Then in February, Bermuda became the first national territory in the world to repeal its gay marriage legislation. - Yeah, that's right. Bermuda legalized same-sex marriage twice.

Yeah. And I know that seems weird, but that's just how legislation works in Bermuda. You see, what happens is you pass it in Parliament, and then it goes to the triangle where it's lost. Then a deep-sea diver finds it and takes it back to Parliament.

And it's not just marriage equality. Around the world, LGBTQ rights are moving forward in different ways. Pakistan passed transgender rights. Botswana's high court recognized a trans woman's identity for the first time. And all of Georgia is now gay. Yeah. Yeah, you... Don't even... Those queer eye guys do not mess around.

And even though the Trump administration has eroded LGBTQ rights by rolling back anti-discrimination laws and banning trans people from the military, they're going to find it a lot harder to reverse the public's views on gay rights. The most recent ABC News poll found that 81% of Americans said companies should not be allowed to refuse service to gays and lesbians. 67% now say the same-sex marriages should be

That's an incredible story. It's incredible all around, right?

Think of how perceptions have shifted. And it wasn't easy. Don't ever forget, it wasn't easy. It took marches, it took protests, it took lawsuits, and two different will and graces to get America here. But it got here all the same. So, happy Pride Month, everyone. We'll be right back. As you know, June is Pride Month, a time when the LGBTQ community celebrates the right to be seen and recognized.

But are corporations part of that community? Well, we sent Jaboukie Young-White to Pittsburgh to find out.

I'm Jaboukie Young-White, The Daily Show's senior Rust Belt correspondent. JK, I'm gay. And so is Pittsburgh. It's Pride Month, and Equality March is the original Pittsburgh Pride. It has bikers, pups, pups, furries, queens, twunks, drunks, cops, bears, and fish creatures. But there's one group that not everyone is happy about.

A lot of corporations are capitalizing off Pride and off LGBTQIA+ merch. I don't know, they're just making a lot of money off this. That's what the Q in LGBTQQIA stands for: corporations. Okay. But surely discriminating against our pride-loving corporations can't be the answer. Pittsburgh Pride Equality March is for everybody. It doesn't matter who you are, where you work, or who you love. And just so you know,

We love corporations, Viacom, you're great. Keep doing what you do. We're really big fans here at The Daily Show Viacom. Love you. So the answer is obviously to hug these corporations close. And corporations are hugging right back. Google KPMG, Aetna, Lyft, not Chick-fil-A, and here comes the true slay queen, Walmart. Is Walmart gay?

Walmart does take pride in their gay associates as a company. I don't think you can label a company with a sexual orientation. Walmart seems like a top to me.

I would agree with that. Yeah. I think it's amazing that so many people could come out and just live their truth as a marketable demographic. For sure. And they've really made it like a safe place for everybody, I think, for us too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 100%. It's like, here I am. I'm queer. I have a debit card. Everyone's gay as hell now. And gays love money, bitch. You know that. Right, right. So queer capitalism is totally chill? Actually, there is a specific issue with corporate sponsorship in Pittsburgh, and it involves the F word. No, not that. Fracking.

There's a lot of corporations that are seemingly buying. Last year, this march was called the EQT equality march. EQT doesn't stand for equality, it stands for they're a fracking company. Do you think that it's appropriate that a fracking company is a sponsor for Pittsburgh Pride? Lol. I think that it is completely inappropriate that a fracking company is a sponsor for anything.

EQT doesn't just shoot hot liquid deep into holes in the ground. They also swing both ways by supporting Pride and various anti-gay politicians.

So what are people supposed to do? Have a separate Pride without corporate sponsors? Some say frack yes. This Pride event represents the people, non-corporational Pride, something that centers our TLGBTQ communities of Pittsburgh. Do you think corporations can be gay people? No, corporations cannot be gay people. The People's Pride is non-corporate, has more color in its rainbow, and I found someone who can keep up with my moves.

But are they turning their back on progress?

Don't you think it's beautiful that queer people have been able to come out and live their truth as a marketable, capitalizing demographic? No. I would think it would be beautiful if those actions were genuine. They want to be a part of what's trending right now. Right now, being gay is trendy, you know? Pose is out and there are lots of gay celebrities now. Could you name a couple by any chance? So off the top of my head right now, Big Freedia. There's Deshawn Wesley and Naomi Maldonado.

They don't even want my brand? This is where I draw the line. There has to be some way for corporations like EQT to prove that they're really committed and not just experimenting.

Like maybe they just need to show that they're really about queer subculture in like a more inventive creative way. So I'm afraid where you're going with this. I thought that maybe this could really get across the message of what EQT stands for. It's like drilling but also... It's a little fast. Could you slow it down? Maybe that. That's right. Progress takes time.

50 years ago, corporations wouldn't touch the gay community. And now, they can't wait to show their love in public. And what better way to reciprocate that love than with the EQT Very Speed Deep Fracking Drill Down. Brought to you by EQT.

The NBC Nightly News. Legacy isn't handed down. We're NBC News. I'm Tom Brokaw. We hope to see you back here. I'm Lester Holt. It's carried forward. Tom Yarmouth is there for us. Firefighters are still working around the clock. As the world changes, we look for what endures. We are coming on the air with breaking news right now. We look for a constant. And from one era to the next, trust in the future.

is the anchor. For NBC Nightly News, I'm Tom Yamas. A new chapter begins. NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings on NBC.

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We'll be right back.

That includes our introductory five-piece system, free gifts, free shipping, and a 60-day money-back guarantee. All of that available at MeaningfulBeauty.com. Let's kick it off with the Supreme Court, America's highest court and the place Ruth Bader Ginsburg goes in between workouts. Yesterday, the court heard oral arguments in a big case that could have major impacts on the workplace.

The Supreme Court is back at work this weekend. Today it heard arguments in one of the most important cases of its new term. Does existing law protect LGBTQ employees on the job? The justices heard the case of Gerald Bostock, fired from a county job in Georgia after joining a gay softball league. He sued, but lower courts threw his case out. They ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act, signed by President Johnson,

which bans job discrimination on the basis of race and sex among other factors does not cover sexual orientation. Vostok's lawyer says firing someone for being gay is discrimination based on sex. - Man, this is gonna be a huge case and we're gonna have to wait to see what the court decides. But if you ask me,

it's crazy that you can fire someone for being gay. You know? I mean, like, if you're fired at work, it should only be for work reasons, like stealing or not showing up or saying you liked the final episode of Game of Thrones. You shouldn't be fired. It's, like, a big deal.

Also, I've always wondered this. Like, how do you fire someone for being gay? You can't tell who's gay. Like, if people haven't come out, you don't know. You don't even know what gay is. What, are you just gonna have bosses walking up to employees like, "Bob, you're fired for being gay." And he's like, "I'm not gay. I'm just Southern." It's like, "Oh, I... Oh, I'm sorry. I got confused. I'm sorry."

You realize this ruling could also affect everyone, not just gay people, right? Because by this logic, if you extend the logic, anything you do in your sex life can be grounds for losing your job, right? It's your sexual preference. That's what they're saying. Yeah, if you're one of those people who's really quiet during sex, yeah, you could lose your job at the mall. Yeah, if you're into domination and humiliating people, you could lose your job at Verizon customer service, huh? Yeah? And if you're the type of person who doesn't believe in the female orgasm, you could use your job as vice president of the United States. It could be really bad. You don't know.

I don't want that to happen to him. But actually, I'll be honest, I'm looking forward to this decision, because the people who get mad about other people having sex are always the ones who aren't getting any themselves. So, uh, we're gonna know by the way they vote who on the Supreme Court . June is Pride Month, or as it's called in the state of Florida.

While you're out there celebrating Pride, don't forget that some of its biggest supporters weren't always on its side. For more, we turn to Dulcé Sloan for another installment of Dulcé-ing. Hello, friends. It's June, which means it's the first month of the year where it's just hot enough outside to not be sexy. But in America, we know June also means Gay Pride Month! So I want to wish everyone a happy Pride. And I'm not the only one.

This year it feels like every damn company with a logo is going full rainbow. You've probably seen these ads, like Burger King offering Whoppers with two top buns and two bottom buns. Listen, it's still bread. And every gay man I know is not eating bread in the summer. They're doing keto and crunches until October.

But don't forget, companies weren't always jumping on the pride float looking like a Lisa Frank trapper keeper. When the gay rights movement first began in 1969, most companies were too afraid to advertise to gay people. They didn't want to offend the rest of America, especially religious conservatives. They were so uptight they thought pretzels are too sexy. All those twists. Oh, it's so sinful. So companies kept their distance, except for...

Absolute Vodka. Absolute was one of the first big companies to market to the queer community because those Swedes don't give a shit about the religious right. They were like, "Who cares if the right doesn't like us? All they drink is milk." So thanks to Absolute for being a true ally. It's a good year. I didn't drink the whole thing because I got a work meeting after this and they said I gotta be sober this time.

Anyway, as gay people became more visible in society, some advertisers slowly started reaching out into the community until the AIDS epidemic blew up. That sent companies fleeing for the hills again. Oh no, what if the gays look at our ads? Wait, is that how you get ads? But you know what company doubled down on their advertising during the AIDS crisis? That's right. A second half got a kick. Damn, all right.

Where was I? Right, by the 1990s the queer community had once again fought its way into greater acceptance. So brands once again tried to dip their toes into the pool party, but they were still too nervous to jump all the way in. So American advertising entered a phase now known as "gay vague," which sounds a lot like being in a fraternity. Basically, it was companies hinting at possible homosexuality.

Like this Volkswagen ad where two dudes are driving in a car and then pick up this dirty ass chair off the sidewalk. So the ad leaves it open to interpretation. Are they roommates? Are they lovers? Are they roommate lovers? Because that's the worst kind of hookup. You gotta wait for them to text you back and finish up in the back. Now a few times during this era, a brand tried to make an outright gay ad, like Benetton and Ikea. And the ad completely won over the religious right and they apologized for everything.

One Ikea in Long Island even got a bomb threat. What is wrong with these religious fanatics? They know the furniture isn't gay, right? Plus, if there's one place that can reassemble after a bombing, unfortunately for the religious right, but luckily for everyone else, their time was ended.

Over the next two decades, Americans started to realize that gay people were just the same as everyone else, except with better abs. And as popular opinion improved, companies finally felt it was safe enough to take gay money.

And this time it was major brands. Amazon started advertising to gay people. Coca-Cola aired a commercial with two dads during the Super Bowl. And Just Salad even had a big gay salad. Which, come on, that was just a regular salad.

At least toss some glitter in it. And that brings us to today, when practically every company does Pride Month marketing. But just because every June a business acts like they're auditioning for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, it doesn't mean their values line up with their tweets. Take AT&T, for example. They love to show everyone how much they support Pride, while also giving $1 million to anti-LGBTQ politicians and PACs.

Or how retailers like H&M are launching pride collections. It comes made in countries that criminalize homosexuality, which is another reason wearing this ugly ass top should be a crime. They aren't the only hypocrites donating to anti-queer causes, but hey, why go through all the trouble of listing them here? I'm no hater. Oh, and that one too. Okay, are we done? This is making me sad.

The point is, enjoy all those gay Whoppers and pink Toyotas, but don't forget what this month is about. Pride is a time to celebrate the right to love who you want and to honor the people who fought to give us that right back when no brand was on their side. Except, you know what one of those gay Whoppers sounds real good about now. I'm dizzy.

It's June, which means it's time to celebrate the holiday Jojo Siwa invented, Pride Month. Pride Month started as an anti-establishment protest, but over the last few decades, it's gone mainstream. There are parades in every city, Pizza Hut puts out gay boxes, and even Exxon changes all its oil spills to a rainbow color. Hashtag ally. But recently, the conservative backlash has been growing, and this year, some pride traditions are coming under fire.

In Florida, Ron DeSantis' administration has forbidden cities across the state from displaying colorful lights on their bridges during Pride Month, limiting bridge coloration to red, white, and blue. Bridges across the state that normally illuminate in colorful arrays of light to mark holidays won't be able to use any other colors. The goal of Ron's order is clearly to shut down any celebration of Pride Month.

Yo, what is up with Ron DeSantis? I mean, I can't believe a guy who rocks three-inch heels is such a dick to the gay community. By the way, by the way, red, white, and blue lights on crumbling infrastructure, perfect metaphor for America. And it's so sad because having pride colors on bridges also prevented a lot of straight people from killing themselves. Guys would be like, hey, I can't jump off this bridge. That's gay.

But if you think it can't get any pettier than a ban on rainbow bridges, there's a bar in Idaho saying, "Hold my heterosexual beer."

An Idaho bar is offering a break from the pride push that's being forced on Americans by declaring June to be heterosexual awesomeness month. The Old State Saloon offering deals all month long, including hetero male Monday, when any heterosexual male, get this, who must be dressed like a heterosexual male, gets a free pint of beer.

You must be dressed like a heterosexual male. So this straight bar is going to be critiquing everyone's outfits as soon as they walk in the door? It sounds super straight to me. What?

What exactly are they even saying here? Like, our bar is so straight that we're offering special deals to pack it entirely with dudes. I mean, you're basically one brick away from being Stonewall, okay? So, now I guess someone could argue that none of this stuff is explicitly anti-gay, but just check out how Colorado Republicans are celebrating pride.

The Colorado Republican Party is calling on people to burn all gay pride flags, proclaiming in a mass email to supporters that, quote, God hates pride. The Republican Party's message attacks so-called godless groomers, and it echoes the anti-gay slur used by Westboro Baptist Church protesters. Okay, awful story, but hang on. Wait, did Jesus have laser eyes?

Was that in the Bible? I mean, I knew he had powers. I didn't know he was in the X-Men. I don't get how anyone can be so angry about rainbow flags. I mean, it must be exhausting being that homophobic. You know, just eating a bag of Skittles like, no homo. No homo. No homo.

So there's backlash to Pride Month all around the country, and guess what? Some of those corporate allies are turning out to be fair-weather friends. - Target says it will no longer sell its Pride Month collection in all of its stores. The decision comes after conservative groups became upset over the chain's decision to sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise last June. The company says the backlash harmed sales. - Are you kidding me? Target stopped selling gay stuff? But their logo is literally a butthole. You know, that's it.

From now on, I will be going somewhere else to pretend to shop so I can poop in the bathroom. For more on this story, we go live to Target with our senior lesbian correspondent, Grace Kulinsmith. Grace, Grace.

Grace, what's the feeling at Target? It's pretty amazing. Did you know if you use the self-checkout machine, you don't have to pay? Yeah, okay, I don't think that's right, but that's not what I'm talking about. How do people feel about Target banging gay merchandise? Oh, yeah, it's so disappointing. Gay people just want equality. If Target wants to ban gay items, fine, but if they want to be equal, then they also need to ban all...

all the straight items, like golf clubs or cargo shorts or two-in-one shampoos. - Wait, no, that's the shampoo I use. I mean, it saves time and my hair looks great. - Yes. - All right, so anyway, so straight items are items that straight people use? - No, it's more of a vibe. Every product has a clear orientation. - Every product. Okay, what about like, I don't know, water bottles? - Okay.

Cell phone cases? Great. Okay, I think I get it. So a slotted spoon, that feels gay. Slotted spoons are so straight. They're serving nothing. Okay. Okay, what about sweaters?

Dog sweaters. Gay. Electrical sockets. Gay. Obviously, they're power bottoms. Okay, what about calculators? So that one's interesting. Standard calculators are straight, but graphing calculators are gay because they're doing way too much. Okay. Okay, I think I'm getting it. Printers are straight and humidifiers are gay. Ronnie, don't out them. They haven't told their

Okay, wait. Shit, I'm sorry. I don't know what... Look, hey, that's besides the point, okay? Pride isn't about rainbow tank tops at Target. It's a way for the queer community to remember how far we've come from the violence and discrimination we once faced. And most importantly, it's about me hooking up with my ex-girlfriend's ex-girlfriend in a cabin in Vermont. Let's just say that I'm the electrical socket. Okay, great.

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