The official Facebook page for the U.S. Navy SEALs and Naval Special Warfare Command was mocked this weekend for marking the start of “pride month.”
Backlash to the post surged when it was highlighted on the popular “Libs of TikTok” page on X, formerly known as Twitter. The post had no caption and included a photo with rainbow designs that read, “NSW. Dignity. Service. Respect. Equality. Pride.”
Libs of TikTok shared the post to X on Saturday, writing, “The Navy SEALs have gone woke. Our elite special forces. This is terrifying.”
The special warfare account took steps to limit the accounts that can comment on their post, suggesting administrators knew it would be controversial.
The comment section was nevertheless full of criticism.
“This is a slap in the face of every special warfare operator that has put their lives on the line for our nation,” one person wrote.
“Man this woke s— is like a cancer and needs to be handled and dealt with as a threat to national security. Gone way too far,” another person said.
Not every comment was critical, however, with some users saying the post was positive.
“Fantastic!! Thanks for recognizing our strength is in our differences!” one person wrote.
Social media accounts for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force made no mention of Pride month on Saturday.
The incident comes after the Department of Defense (DoD) appeared to mix up Pride Month and PTSD Awareness Month in a social media post on Saturday.
In an X post published on Saturday afternoon, the Pentagon explained that June marks PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Awareness Month. The commemorative month was first recognized by the U.S. government in June 2014, a year before June also officially became Pride Month.
“June is PTSD Awareness Month and the DoD is committed to supporting service members and veterans affected by PTSD,” the post read.
“If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available,” the DoD added. “You are not alone.”
But the picture attached to the post read “Celebrate Pride Month 2024” with a Progress Pride Flag graphic. The tweet was later deleted and replaced with a PTSD Awareness Month graphic.
Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report
