The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) raised eyebrows Thursday when the agency announced its theme for Pride Month.
The CIA said its 2023 Pride Month theme will be “WELCO-ME!” The theme is an acronym which stands for: Welcome, Equity, LGBTQ+, Community, Openness, ME! (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Calls CIA The ‘Cisgender Intersectional Agency’)
“Pride Month is an occasion for all of us at the Agency to pay tribute to the rich history, community, and mission contributions of our LGBTQ+ officers,” the agency tweeted.
CIA’s 2023 theme for #Pride Month is WELCO-ME!
Wellness
Equity
LGBTQ+
Community
Openness
ME!Pride Month is an occasion for all of us at the Agency to pay tribute to the rich history, community, and mission contributions of our LGBTQ+ officers.#Pride2023 pic.twitter.com/aEEZplX13s
— CIA (@CIA) June 8, 2023
The CIA joins a series of governmental agencies that have publicly used social media accounts to celebrate Pride Month.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin released a statement to “honor the service, commitment, and sacrifice of the LGBTQ+ Service members and personnel who volunteer to defend our country.” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken wrote a statement, which promised his department would, “promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world.” The U.S. Navy posted photos to commemorate Pride Month on Instagram, but removed them shortly after, causing some to suspect they capitulated to backlash.
In 2021, the CIA released a much-criticized campaign called “Humans of CIA,” in which a female CIA agent confidently introduced herself as a “first generation Latina,” a “cisgender millennial,” and “intersectional.”