SALT LAKE CITY (AP) 鈥� June is widely recognized as , but a handful of Republican governors have bestowed alternative titles that both supporters and opponents view as counterprogramming.
Without directly saying the idea was to replace Pride, the governors of Indiana and Tennessee rebranded June as Nuclear Family Month to celebrate units made up of 鈥渙ne husband, one wife and any biological, adopted or fostered children.鈥�
In Alabama, it’s Strong Families Month, intended to coincide with Father’s Day. Gov. Kay Ivey’s proclamation says fathers are 鈥渢he head of the household鈥� and 鈥渉omes led by a father and mother provide children with the structure and discipline necessary to succeed throughout life.鈥�
The governors of Utah and Arkansas deemed it Fidelity Month, which emphasizes fidelity to faith, country and family 鈥� without comment on how those families might be comprised.
Last week, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ X account posted a link to an article about her proclamation that declared, 鈥淎nother Red State is Counter-Programming Pride Month.鈥�
She and the other governors haven鈥檛 answered questions from The Associated Press about why their proclamations are all set in June.
The family focus for June has come on strong this year
Republican lawmakers in at least four other GOP-controlled states have introduced legislation this year calling for June to be Fidelity Month.
An organization pushing that concept was founded by Robert P. George, a Princeton University professor of jurisprudence who has long been a leader on conservative thought. His group did not respond to interview requests.
He told the National Catholic Register about the idea in 2023, saying 鈥渘obody gets a monopoly on a particular day or a particular month.鈥�
June Pride celebrations, which often include parade, festivals and performances, began in 1970 to mark the first anniversary of the violent police raid on the , a New York City gay bar, and have since expanded to cities worldwide.
鈥淵ou can call it whatever you want, but one thing you鈥檙e not going to do is take away our pride or take away our joy,” said Jordan Braxton co-president of USA Prides.
Every Democratic president since Bill Clinton in 1999 has signed a Pride proclamation each year 鈥� and no Republican president has.
One of the few is Utah’s Spencer Cox, who did so in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he deemed June a 鈥淢onth of Bridge Building鈥� before switching to Fidelity Month this year.
released this week found that a two decade-long increase in acceptance of same-sex marriages and relationships has flattened 鈥� largely because more Republicans oppose them.
Conservatives say they’re 鈥榬eclaiming the culture鈥�
Last year, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, an Illinois Republican, introduced a resolution to make June Family Month 鈥� and to unrecognize Pride Month, saying 鈥淎mericans are inundated with perverse Pride Month displays and events throughout the month of June that denigrate the nuclear family.鈥� It never got a vote.
Some backers view the state measures as an opportunity for a cultural reset.
Kevin Roberts, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said in an interview that it’s good to have the conservative recognitions because Pride celebrations 鈥渨ere going so far as to make it difficult to celebrate traditional marriage.”
The resolution approved by Tennessee鈥檚 Legislature and governor does not mention Pride Month specifically, while saying the 鈥渘uclear family is under attack in our beloved State and nation.鈥�
But Lakie Derrick, a conservative activist who authored the measure with a friend, said she did indeed target it to June to counter Pride Month, which she said 鈥済oes against鈥� American values.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just reclaiming the culture, and there鈥檚 no better month to do that than in a month where the culture says we鈥檙e gonna celebrate something so opposite to what we know to be right,鈥� Derrick said.
Marina Lowe, who leads legal and legislative affairs for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Utah, said that Pride Month is not the antithesis of other values-based recognitions. Many LGBTQ+ people also value faith and family, she said, so 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that these positions need to be in conflict with one another.鈥�
In Wenatchee, Washington, a school鈥檚 chapter was able to get Family Month banners posted on light poles that in the past had displayed rainbow flags during June. A local gay rights group, Out NCW, struck back by buying two billboards and passing out yard signs supporting Pride, its president, AJ Soto, said.
For some, this is why Pride Month exists
Josh Coleman, president of Central Alabama Pride, which has 42 events planned over two weeks, said the celebrations, which culminate with a parade on June 13 and festival June 14, won’t be affected by the proclamation.
鈥淚t’s not lost upon LGBTQ people when elected leaders don’t recognize or value the visibility of the community,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat’s why Pride started in the first place 鈥� to make sure the community had a community.鈥�
Alex Richardson, chair of the board of directors at Indy Pride in Indianapolis, said he sees the governor’s proclamation there as a 鈥渟wipe.鈥� But he also believes the events there this month are celebrating some of the things the governor supports.
鈥淪ure, the governor’s right, the nuclear family is worth celebrating,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淏ut I think so is the grandmother who raises her grandchildren, or the chosen family that shows up when a blended family can’t, or won’t, … or the weird blended households that are held together by love and effort.鈥�
___
Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Mulvihill from Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
