[1/5] Parents and pro-LGBT counter protesters face off outside of an elementary school over a Pride Day assembly in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 2, 2023. REUTERS/David SwansonJune 11 (Reuters) - Millions of LGBTQ Americans are taking part in this year’s Pride celebrations against a backdrop of increasing attacks, both online and offline. LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD has already recorded eight instances of 2023 Pride events that had to modify their plans due to threats of violence by June 1, said spokesperson Angela Dallara. Online, slurs like “groomer” – a trope that LGBTQ people are “child groomers” or pedophiles – have traveled from the fringe into mainstream discourse. “An event, like the ‘Don’t Say Gay bill,’ can increase the online chatter.

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Persons: David Swanson, Jay Ulfelder, Jen Kuhn, Angela Dallara, Ron DeSantis’s, groomers ”, –, Ilan Meyer, Joel Day, Kimberly Balsam, Brigitte Bandit, she’s, “ They’re, I’m, ”, we’re, Pride, Christina Anagnostopoulos, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Pride, REUTERS, Reuters, Harvard University, GLAAD, FBI, ACLU, Republican, Center, UCLA, Princeton University, Palo Alto University, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Columbus , Ohio, Florida, Glendale , California, Austin , Texas, New York City