The U.S. Navy SEALs and Naval Special Warfare Command's official Facebook page faced a wave of ridicule over the weekend for commemorating the commencement of "pride month."
The backlash intensified when the post was spotlighted on the widely-followed "Libs of TikTok" page on X, previously known as Twitter. The contentious post, devoid of any caption, featured an image adorned with rainbow motifs and the words, "NSW. Dignity. Service. Respect. Equality. Pride."
On Saturday, the "Libs of TikTok" page shared the post on X, expressing their dismay with the statement, "The Navy SEALs have gone woke. Our elite special forces. This is terrifying." The administrators of the special warfare account, anticipating controversy, restricted the accounts permitted to comment on their post.
Despite these measures, the comment section was inundated with disapproval. "This is a slap in the face of every special warfare operator that has put their lives on the line for our nation," one individual commented. Another added, "Man this woke s--- is like a cancer and needs to be handled and dealt with as a threat to national security. Gone way too far."
However, not all responses were negative, with some users viewing the post as a positive gesture. "Fantastic!! Thanks for recognizing our strength is in our differences!" one user praised.
Interestingly, the social media accounts for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force refrained from acknowledging Pride month on Saturday.
This incident follows a recent blunder by the Department of Defense (DoD), where they appeared to confuse Pride Month with PTSD Awareness Month in a social media post on Saturday. In a post on X, the Pentagon clarified that June is recognized as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Awareness Month, a commemoration first acknowledged by the U.S. government in June 2014, a year before June was also officially designated as Pride Month.
"June is PTSD Awareness Month and the DoD is committed to supporting service members and veterans affected by PTSD," the post read. "If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available," the DoD added. "You are not alone."
However, the image accompanying the post displayed "Celebrate Pride Month 2024" with a Progress Pride Flag graphic. The tweet was subsequently deleted and replaced with a PTSD Awareness Month graphic.
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