Network Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s comments calling Pride Month celebrations a “siege on childhood innocence” and a “pagan conquest” are drawing criticism from the largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization in the world.
“It’s painting LGBTQ people as a threat to children, which has long been used by anti-LGBTQ folks to demonize the community and dehumanize us,” Alejandra Caraballo, a civil right attorney and member of GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index Advisory Committee, told News 8.
The post, published Friday on the official “Micah Beckwith For Indiana” Facebook page and “TheMicahBeckwith” on X, begins with the warning: “PRIDE MONTH ALERT: The Rainbow Beast IS Coming For Your Kids!.”
Beckwith, who’s known for controversial comments on social subjects, spends several paragraphs criticizing Pride Month as “DEI indoctrination” in schools, business, and society.
“It’s a baseless attack and absolutely disgusting,” Caraballo said.
It follows GLAAD’s release of its fifth annual Social Media Safety Index report, which claims major social media platforms are not doing enough to ensure LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression online.
Evaluating the performance of TikTok, YouTube, X, and Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, the report identifies a trend of rolling back content moderation and loosening hate speech guidelines.
“Recent years undeniably illustrate how online hate speech and misinformation negatively influence public opinion, legislation, and the real-world safety and health,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.
It scores each platform on best practices for policies and practices protecting freedom of expression and privacy. TikTok scored highest (56 out of 100), while X ranks lowest with 30 points.
“The most significant changes this past year are the draconian rollbacks from Meta and YouTube, particularly their retractions of policy protections for transgender and nonbinary people,” the report states.
YouTube, which is owned by Google and scored a 41 in the Index, has pushed back.
“YouTube values being a platform where the LGBTQ+ community finds acceptance and representation, and we’re committed to continuing this important work,” YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle told News 8 in a statement.
The company said it does not “allow content that targets someone with prolonged insults or slurs based on their physical traits or group status. We also don’t allow other harmful behaviors, like threats or doxxing.”
The report does commend YouTube updating its advertising policies, “which now prohibits advertisers from excluding users from seeing ads based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Caraballo wouldn’t go as far to say Beckwith’s comments fall under the type of speech GLAAD is asking social media companies to crack down on because of his position as a politician.
“But I think in general, that kind of speech (from Beckwith) is really a reflection of what has been permitted by social media companies and the kind of dehumanization they have incentivized through their algorithms,” Caraballo said.
Neither Beckwith nor Gov. Mike Braun have responded to News 8’s request for comment.
-0-
