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They may have gotten unexpectedly shellacked in the midterm elections last week in part because of their anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, but that hasn't stopped conservatives from once again losing their cool about the existence of LGBTQ+ people.
Hey, at least they're consistent!
The latest right-wing outrage centers on the U.S. men's soccer team's decision to change the colors of its logo badge for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
The badges have changed from the usual red, white and blue to the colors of the rainbow to signal its support of LGBTQ+ community while playing in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in some cases.
And predictably, conservatives are hoppin' mad about it.
\u201cNEW - No longer just red stripes. United States redesigns its crest with rainbow colors ahead of World Cup in Qatar.\n\nIt's now a blue "USA" with LGBTQ+ color stripes below.\n\nhttps://t.co/8jhKElnXjH\u201d— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1668440090
The logo redesign is part of the U.S. team's "Be the Change" initiative, which was founded in 2020 in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. The initiative aims to address social injustices and inspire Americans to "make a difference in their community and in their own way."
The rainbow badge is not new and has been used by the team on several previous occasions. It also will not appear on the team's uniforms, but rather as part of the decoration in the team's press area and at parties and other events during the World Cup.
But that of course has not deterred right-wingers from making a stink about the logo. Several bold-faced names on the far-right have mocked the decision, including Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro, pro-Trump commentator Miranda Devine and right-wing Twitter account LibsofTikTok.
But nobody was quite so up in arms about the logo as self-described "theocratic fascist" and Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh, who called the U.S. team "treasonous" because of the logo and suggested they should be barred from re-entering the United States after the World Cup for using it.
He told his viewers in a recent video:
“If I was in charge of the country, they wouldn't be allowed back into the country."
Luckily Walsh isn't in charge of the country, nor will be most of his conservative compatriots come January.
On Twitter, many people found the right's response to a simple logo absurd and infuriating.
\u201cIn case you didn't think gay people were next...\n\nMatt Walsh is advocating for not letting the US soccer team back into the United States for rainbow colors in a crest.\n\nThis is the same person political detransitioners like Chloe Cole have been allying with to ban trans kids.\u201d— Erin Reed (@Erin Reed) 1668552575
\u201cLOL the "Americans" who are now suddenly hoping the US loses at the #WorldCup because the team has some rainbow flags around the facility in Qatar.\n\nImagine hating your country just because its soccer team might not hate gay people.\n\nCrazy.\n\nGo #USMNT!\n\nhttps://t.co/xWse3tztco\u201d— Cyd Zeigler (@Cyd Zeigler) 1668466200
\u201cThe Daily Wire's Matt Walsh calls the #USMNT soccer team "treasonous" because they're using rainbow colors in their logo and says they shouldn't be allowed to reenter the country.\u201d— \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf42 hot girl Autumn \ud83c\udf42\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf42 hot girl Autumn \ud83c\udf42\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1668557111
\u201c@JasonSCampbell I guess it's good he's not in charge. \n\nAlso, why do conservatives never take their own advice about leaving a place they don't like? In this case, Walsh can leave and go to one of the numerous theocratic states around the globe.\u201d— Jason Campbell (@Jason Campbell) 1668546179
\u201c@WUTangKids Beating cops with American flags while trying to literally steal an election? Totally cool. Men\u2019s soccer team incorporating a rainbow color scheme to send a message of the importance of being inclusive? Now you\u2019ve gone too far. What is wrong with these people?\u201d— Wu-Tang is for the Children (@Wu-Tang is for the Children) 1668528529
\u201c@JasonSCampbell @mmfa That was a really long way for him to say \u201cI want fascism because I\u2019m scared of a rainbow\u201d.\u201d— Jason Campbell (@Jason Campbell) 1668546179
\u201c@JasonSCampbell Sweet so we can ship all those maga flag waivers out of the country go ahead and pack up Matt\u201d— Jason Campbell (@Jason Campbell) 1668546179
\u201cZero daylight between the Republican Party and Qatar on LGBTQ issues btw\u201d— Texas Style Ginger Ale (@Texas Style Ginger Ale) 1668558644
\u201cThankfully it\u2019s not against the law to hurt Matt\u2019s feelings\u201d— Destroyer of Bad Takes Hulk (@Destroyer of Bad Takes Hulk) 1668554645
In a statement to Reuters, the U.S. team's spokesman Neil Buethe said the aim of the rainbow logo is to "support and embrace the LGBTQ community" and to "promote a spirit of inclusiveness and welcoming to all fans across the globe."
How absurd that anyone would find that controversial.