The U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, has doubled down on supporting the LGBTQ community after homophobic comments were made under a Facebook post recognizing and honoring the contributions of LGBTQ members of the Marine Corps.
The Facebook post was uploaded on the first day of Pride Month and shows an image of a helmet with six rainbow-colored bullets with the words “Proud to serve” written on the side. The caption under the post recognized June as Pride Month, praised the contributions of LGBTQ service members and pledged to foster “an environment free from discrimination, and defend the values of treating all equally, with dignity and respect” within the Marine Corps.
This did not sit well with some people, who left homophobic comments under the initial post.
But Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Yarbrough, head of communication strategy and operations for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, responded to each of those negative comments.
“This is a sad day,” one commenter wrote. “Whoever is behind this is a disgrace and should be court marshaled!” (sic)
“We should court martial people who respect the service of all our service members?” Yarborough replied. “The freedoms you enjoy are currently protected by those serving in the ranks, which includes LGBTQ. You are welcome for their service.”
“Why is the Marine corps singling out any particular group? While claiming all inclusiveness the Corps is choosing only some groups for identification. If truly all inclusive show there is no discrimination against anyone, period. No exclusion for identification for anyone. We are all Marines. Do your job well and leave it at that!” wrote a second poster.
“In the Marine Corps, we treat everyone equally. Field days, working paries, and weekend duties have no room for discrimination,” Yarbrough responded.
Other officers on Facebook replied to other negative comments, assisting Yarbrough by calling people out on their homophobia.
“My Marine Corps has gone woke,” a local Republican Party account tweeted.
“If by ‘woke’ you mean showing appreciation to a group who has made major contributions to the U.S. Military….then yes.” Master sergeant Rick Mistic wrote. “Have a meritorious day!”
A TikTok user, Ellie Rowan, posted a short video that went viral informing people about the ongoing Facebook debate. In response, users flooded the page, leaving a slew of supportive comments, with over 2,000 people “liking” the post.
“CWO Bobby Yarbrough should get a medal every June,” one commenter left on Rowan’s Tiktok post.
While LGBTQ people have served in the military since time immemorial, it’s only been in recent years that they could serve openly. Starting in 1993, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” act struck down the prohibition on gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, but placed restrictions on their service by requiring them to “closet” their identities. From 1993 until 2010, when the policy was repealed, more than 100,000 service members – including many outed against their will – were relieved from duty.
Following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, LGB service members were able to serve, but transgender individuals were prohibited from disclosing their identities until President Joe Biden repealed a Trump-era prohibition that required them to forego transitioning while enlisted. Now, any person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is free to serve in the various branches of the military.
As Yarbrough told one commenter who thanked him for honoring all Marines, regardless of their identities: “We take pride in all who serve.”
The Capital Pride Alliance is moving the 2026 Capital Pride celebration to the third week of June -- one week later than usual -- to avoid overlapping with major events tied to President Donald Trump's June 14 birthday and preparations for the nation's 250th anniversary. Pride weekend will run June 20-21, with the parade on Saturday and the festival and concert on Sunday.
Last year, the Trump administration marked the president's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Armed Forces with a downtown military parade. This year, all national parks will offer free entry on June 14, and the White House is expected to host several Ultimate Fighting Championship matches on the White House lawn to draw large crowds for Trump's 80th birthday and the country's Semiquincentennial celebrations.
Apple has pulled two of China's most popular gay dating apps from its App Store after receiving an order from the country's top internet regulator and censorship agency.
According to Wired, the tech giant removed Blued and Finka from both Apple's iOS App Store and several Android marketplaces over the weekend. New downloads are now blocked, though the apps remain functional for users who already had them installed.
"We follow the laws in the countries where we operate," an Apple spokesperson told Wired in an email. "Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only." The spokesperson added that the apps haven't been available in other countries for some time.
"I am my worst critic," says Cesar Toledo, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation. "I set really ambitious deadlines for myself, sometimes unrealistic goals, but somehow, through my tenacity and just that call to public service -- and being raised in a humble home where my mom worked three jobs to raise us -- I carry that very hard work ethic with me every day. And because of that, I've been successful in my career path."
Toledo assumed the role as head of the nonprofit dedicated to serving LGBTQ homeless youth earlier this year, succeeding longtime executive director June Crenshaw, who announced she'd be stepping down last fall.
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The U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, has doubled down on supporting the LGBTQ community after homophobic comments were made under a Facebook post recognizing and honoring the contributions of LGBTQ members of the Marine Corps.
The Facebook post was uploaded on the first day of Pride Month and shows an image of a helmet with six rainbow-colored bullets with the words “Proud to serve” written on the side. The caption under the post recognized June as Pride Month, praised the contributions of LGBTQ service members and pledged to foster “an environment free from discrimination, and defend the values of treating all equally, with dignity and respect” within the Marine Corps.
This did not sit well with some people, who left homophobic comments under the initial post.
But Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Yarbrough, head of communication strategy and operations for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, responded to each of those negative comments.
“This is a sad day,” one commenter wrote. “Whoever is behind this is a disgrace and should be court marshaled!” (sic)
“We should court martial people who respect the service of all our service members?” Yarborough replied. “The freedoms you enjoy are currently protected by those serving in the ranks, which includes LGBTQ. You are welcome for their service.”
“Why is the Marine corps singling out any particular group? While claiming all inclusiveness the Corps is choosing only some groups for identification. If truly all inclusive show there is no discrimination against anyone, period. No exclusion for identification for anyone. We are all Marines. Do your job well and leave it at that!” wrote a second poster.
“In the Marine Corps, we treat everyone equally. Field days, working paries, and weekend duties have no room for discrimination,” Yarbrough responded.
Other officers on Facebook replied to other negative comments, assisting Yarbrough by calling people out on their homophobia.
“My Marine Corps has gone woke,” a local Republican Party account tweeted.
“If by ‘woke’ you mean showing appreciation to a group who has made major contributions to the U.S. Military….then yes.” Master sergeant Rick Mistic wrote. “Have a meritorious day!”
A TikTok user, Ellie Rowan, posted a short video that went viral informing people about the ongoing Facebook debate. In response, users flooded the page, leaving a slew of supportive comments, with over 2,000 people “liking” the post.
“CWO Bobby Yarbrough should get a medal every June,” one commenter left on Rowan’s Tiktok post.
While LGBTQ people have served in the military since time immemorial, it’s only been in recent years that they could serve openly. Starting in 1993, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” act struck down the prohibition on gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, but placed restrictions on their service by requiring them to “closet” their identities. From 1993 until 2010, when the policy was repealed, more than 100,000 service members – including many outed against their will – were relieved from duty.
Following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, LGB service members were able to serve, but transgender individuals were prohibited from disclosing their identities until President Joe Biden repealed a Trump-era prohibition that required them to forego transitioning while enlisted. Now, any person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is free to serve in the various branches of the military.
As Yarbrough told one commenter who thanked him for honoring all Marines, regardless of their identities: “We take pride in all who serve.”
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