The alt-right hate group “The Proud Boys” have been fueled by Trump’s hateful words, especially after his call to “stand by” at the first presidential debate. However, Star Trek actor and social media guru George Takei had a brilliant idea for Twitter, posting this:
“What if gay guys took pictures of themselves making out with each other or doing very gay things, then tagged themselves with #ProudBoys. I bet it would mess them up real bad. #ReclaimingMyShine”
From there, the LGBTQ community took to Twitter and went wild posting everything from photos of their weddings, to their spouses, hilarious GIFS and memes, and more.
https://twitter.com/AllanaHarkin/status/1313114075317104640
Since Takei’s call for the LGBTQ community to take back the name, the hashtag #ProudBoys started trending and people from around the world began posting their photos and videos. According to Forbes, the Proud Boys group is extremely angry at the LGBTQ community. Forbes stated:
“The Proud Boys took none too kindly to this, filling up [social media network used by the alt-right] Parler with the type of hateful messages that got them kicked off Twitter in the first place. Much of the action was carried out by the Proud Boys’ official account on the app, which has 60,000 followers. Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys’ chairman, said in a separate Parler post that the left was attempting to turn the group’s name into “a slur” and that the gay pride campaign with #proudboys was an attempt “to drown out the voices of our supporters.”
https://twitter.com/BeingLGBTQPod/status/1312727388237725701
Unfortunately, Instagram banned the #ProudBoys hashtag, stating that some of the content posted using the hashtag was flagged by some users as inappropriate. Many in the LGBTQ community, including Trixie Mattel, took to social media to call out the platform (which is operated by Facebook) and question why #ProudBoys was never taken down when used for racism, but was taken down when showing LGBTQ content.
Thank you, gay twitter, for turning #ProudBoys into a celebration of love and beauty. What a joy to scroll on a Sunday morning. 🏳️🌈♥️ pic.twitter.com/HUidNTSUz9
— Michelle Cohen, MD (@DocMCohen) October 4, 2020
To see more, simply type in #ProudBoys to Twitter and enjoy!
