The third annual National “Pride” Flag Walk-Out Day is gaining momentum across Canada as concerned parents organize a boycott of schools. This grassroots movement aims to protest inappropriate LGBT content and symbolism in educational environments. How do parents plan to combat schools focusing on LGBT topics?
The Origins of a Controversy
The third annual National “Pride” Flag Walk-Out Day, scheduled for May 30 to June 2, aims to protest Pride symbols in Canadian schools. The movement encourages parents to keep their children home during school Pride flag raising ceremonies and participate in organized “pray-ins” at various locations.
Central to the controversy are claims about certain Pride merchandise allegedly featuring demonic imagery, particularly a “Rainbow Devil t-shirt” cited by organizers. According to fact-checkers at the Associated Press, viral images purporting to show Satan-themed children’s clothing at Target were AI-generated and never sold by the retailer.
🏳️🌈 Outrage in #Canada as parents and students stage massive walkouts, protesting the celebration of #Pride Month in schools. 🏫 What’s driving this controversy? Canadian journalist @DavidKrayden breaks it down. pic.twitter.com/xQlogQfmMw
— Redacted (@TheRedactedInc) June 11, 2024
Fact vs. Fiction in the Debate
The Associated Press has confirmed that the images circulating on social media showing alleged satanic Pride merchandise at Target are false. These images were created by artist Dan Reese using Midjourney, an AI text-to-image generation tool, who was inspired by false reports linking Target’s Pride collection to satanic themes.
Target representatives have explicitly stated, “Target has never sold these items,” referring to the alleged demonic-themed Pride merchandise. Despite this clarification, the narrative continues to fuel the National “Pride” Flag Walk-Out Day movement, with organizers providing specific instructions for parents to contact school officials and express their concerns.
CANADA – High school students in Ottawa organized a walkout protest against LGBTQ indoctrination.#ProtectChildhood pic.twitter.com/GDM3rNTiRz
— Lawyers For Justice Ireland (@LFJIreland) June 25, 2023
The Broader Movement and Its Goals
Organizers of the walk-out argue that schools, including Catholic institutions, should focus on traditional education rather than LGBT topics. The initiative provides participants with resources, including a sign-up form, communication templates for addressing school administrators, and information about planned protest activities.
The movement frames itself as protecting children from ideological messaging in educational settings. While Target did remove some items from its Pride collection last year, this was due to threats impacting worker safety rather than any connection to satanic imagery, as confirmed by the retailer.