Pride director speaks on Bud Light, Target controversy

BAY CITY, Mich. (WNEM) – June is Pride Month, and Great Lakes Bay Pride (GLBP), a local LGBTQ+ resource organization, hosts pride events throughout June but not everyone supports the movement.

Bud Light and Target have come under fire for their support of the LGBTQ+ community in recent weeks. Scott Ellis, the executive director of GLBP, voiced his thoughts on the controversy.

“It’s tragic that we’re having to experience this,” Ellis said.

Ellis was speaking about the recent boycotts of Bud Light and Target.

“We’re having to see companies that have come out in support of the LGBTQ+ community being threatened or even attacked because of their support and their visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, and that’s horrible to see,” Ellis said.

He said events taking place in the area to celebrate Pride Month are presented by Dow, and sponsored by Michigan Sugar, Hemlock Semiconductor, and Jolt Credit Union, along with 31 other businesses offering additional support.

Related: Great Lakes Bay Pride kicks off Pride Month

“I hope that we continue to see more of that, and that we push back against these extremist views from folks that don’t believe we should be celebrating and including the LGBTQ+ community just generally speaking,” Ellis said.

He said he believes the effort to make diversity, equity, and inclusion a fixture in society is on the right track, but there is still work to do.

“We have seen great progress happen here in Michigan over this last legislative session with the expansion of the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act,” he said. “We are actively working to pass legislation banning the horrible practice of conversion therapy. You know, we’ve made progress there, but we definitely still feel the effects of that hate speech and those comments and the discrimination that can still happen in our communities.”

There will be several events celebrating GLBP this month.

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