While a number of companies have faced public criticism for promoting LGBTQ Pride Month in June, federal organizations promoting “pride” activities have mostly flown under the radar.
One of the few times a federal entity came close to being scrutinized occurred when the Navy deleted a pride post on its Instagram account.
Even after that incident, the Navy continued to promote Pride Month with the publication of an official memorandum on Twitter announcing the Navy’s 2023 pride theme: “Peace, Love, Resolution.”
The nautical military branch was simply following its commander in chief’s directive. The White House has made several announcements promoting and encouraging others to celebrate Pride Month, including by publishing a press release, posting on Twitter, and changing the official White House’s Twitter header to a pride logo.
Other military branches and federal organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Postal Service, and Department of Veterans Affairs followed the White House’s example and are promoting Pride Month.
Through this list is not exhaustive, here are 21 federal and federally funded organizations that promote Pride Month with taxpayer dollars:
- The Smithsonian Museums: The taxpayer-funded museums offer a lineup of LGBTQ events for the month of June, including sexuality talks and “drag story hours” featuring “drag queens” reading books to children.
- CIA: The Central Intelligence Agency announced its support for Pride Month with a puzzling theme: “WELCO-ME.” The acronym stands for “Wellness Equity LGBTQ+ Community Openness ME,” according to the Twitter post.
- FBI: The bureau announced its support of Pride Month on Twitter by thanking its LGBTQ employees for their service, dedication, and “perspectives.” While the bureau accepts LGBTQ perspectives, it has actively targeted Catholic perspectives.
- Department of Labor: This Pride Month, the Department of Labor says that it will “joyfully celebrate” LGBTQ employees by offering “guidance to workforce development on gender identity, gender expression, and sex stereotyping.”
- Department of State: On Twitter, the State Department encouraged individuals to view their “LGBTQI+ travel safety page.” It said in a press statement, “We strongly oppose the ‘otherization’ of LGBTQI+ persons to justify authoritarian power grabs and attacks on institutions of democracy globally.”
- Department of Education: Rather than focus on increasing the overall math, science, or literary scores of American children, the DOE decided it was more important to create this pride post on Twitter: “Our message to LGBTQI+ students, teachers, and staff as we begin #PrideMonth: ED has got your back.”
- Department of Agriculture: The Department of Agriculture connected pride to farming in a Twitter post that showed a poster with the words “2023 Pride Month: Changing the Landscape.”
- U.S. Agency for International Development: This federally funded world development organization claims that its “efforts are both from and for the American people.” It released its “first-ever LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development Policy” and is giving money through the organization’s “Rainbow Fund” to missions that “integrate LGBTQI+ considerations into their programming.”
- NASA: Johnson Space Center celebrates Pride Month by participating in Houston’s parade and events and by permitting employees to wear LGBTQ attire on Wednesdays during June. It also has various employee LGBTQ-themed socials planned.
- USPS: The Postal Service continues to promote Pride Month through LGBTQ-themed stamps. The USPS announced these Pride stamps via a post on Twitter: “We’re proud to continue honoring influential groundbreakers like Harvey Milk, Sally Ride, Isadora Duncan, Ellsworth Kelly, and Emilio Sanchez on our stamps and your envelopes.” The Postal Service also posted on June 8 that it offers special scholarships for LGBTQ individuals.
- Veterans Affairs: Under the theme “We All Have a Seat at the Table,” the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is holding its third annual “virtual Pride Month.” This month-long event features online seminars on topics that include “A Legal Guide to LGBTQ Couples,” “Healthcare and Fertility Preservation for Transgender Patients,” and “A Clinical Guide to Gender-Affirming Prosthetics,” to name a few.
- Army: Instead of producing its own Twitter post, the Army retweeted Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s press release honoring “LGBTQ Service Members.”
- Marines: Out of all the military branches, the Marines came the closest to not endorsing Pride Month. The only public support we found was a retweet of the Navy’s Twitter post on participating in the Department of Defense’s 12th annual Pride Month celebration and a public announcement on its website recognizing the service of LGBTQ service members.
- Navy: The military branch promoted Pride Month with the publication of an official memorandum on Twitter announcing the Navy’s 2023 pride theme: “Peace, Love, Resolution.” The Navy also participated in the Department of Defense’s 12th annual Pride Month celebration.
- Air Force: The Air Force saluted Pride Month in its Twitter pride post. So far, it has hosted two pride events on air bases, one of which included a presentation by LGBTQ officer Lt. Col. Bree Fram during a Pride Month luncheon at Altus Air Force Base.
- Space Force: Like most of the other military branches, the Space Force recognized its LGBTQ service members through a pride post on its Twitter account.
- Department of Justice: In a news release from “Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in Honor of Pride Month,” the DOJ posted a fact sheet on its work to defend LGBTQ individuals.
- Department of Transportation: On Twitter, the DOT published a poster that contained a pride-themed, Black Lives Matter fist logo with the word “pride” on the poster.
- Department of Energy: How energy relates to Pride Month is still unknown; nonetheless, the department felt a need to endorse the LGBTQ community by creating a pride-themed logo and posting, “When everyone has a seat at the table, America is at its strongest.”
- Homeland Security: Like other organizations, Homeland Security announced its endorsement of Pride Month by posting a video of the department raising the LGBTQ flag at its headquarters.
- Library of Congress: The nation’s library sponsored Pride Month by encouraging readers to check out its LGBTQ books. The library is set to host a number of pride events this June; however, The Daily Signal was unable to view them as the webpage was down.
Article cross-posted from Daily Signal.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
