Pride Month Events In America Could Be Targeted By Terrorist Groups

Federal law enforcement agencies in the USA have warned about the potential for terrorist groups to target Pride Month events this year. 

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI released a joint announcement that foreign terrorist organisations (FTOs) and their supports may begin potentially targeting LGBTQIA+ events and venues, seeking to “exploit increased gathers associated with the upcoming June 2024 Pride Month.” 

ISIS was explicitly named by the release, due to their track record of posting anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and history of targeting queer events and venues. 

The announcement recalled messaging from ISIS in 2023 rallying against the “growth and promotion” of the LGBTQIA+ community while calling for followers to make attacks on “soft targets.” Furthermore, three ISIS sympathisers were arrested in June 2023 for attempting to attack a Pride parade in Vienna.

Additionally, 2024 is the eight year anniversary of the Pulse gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, which killed 49 people and wounded a further 53. The attacker swore allegiance to ISIS right before the attack, and messaging after the fact from the terrorist group praised the high-profile nature of the attack.  

The FBI and DHS have both advised a long list of potential threat activity to monitor for, ranging from direct threats of violence to unusual inquiries or observation of a venue’s security measures. 

The general advice could serve well in Australia, too – last year, a man was sentenced to 15 years in jail last year for planning a potentially ‘catastrophic’ attack on Mardi Gras, and teens in Sydney were recently arrested for terrorism have been linked to prior attacks on gay men.