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The right-wing personality doubled and tripled down before shutting off the ability for people to post comments on his post.
The personal milestone of an engagement should be a cause for celebration, not controversy. However, Addison Smith, a former host at the right-wingtelevision network Newsmax, found himself at the center of a firestorm and the subject of many memes after posting an engagement announcement on X, formerlyTwitter, that many viewed as a direct attack onPride Month.
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Accompanied by photos — one depicting him on bended knee before a woman in a pink dress with a large bow and another highlighting their hands with the engagement ring visible — Smith’s Sunday morning post declared that his engagement had “defeated” Pride Month, drawing ire from theLGBTQ+ community.
The post quickly went viral, amassing over 21.6 million views, but it was met with intense criticism rather than applause, garnering only 2,900 likes compared to the 6,700 comments before Smith limited commenting capabilities. Critics were particularly taken aback by the juxtaposition of a supposed celebration with a blatant disregard for an entire community celebrating Pride. “Why were you thinking about gay men on the day you propose?” one user pointedly asked, capturing the confusion and dissatisfaction felt by many.
Smith’s dismissive stance towards inclusivity was further highlighted in his interactions with commentators, particularly his response to those with pronouns in their bios, which he openly disregarded. “Pronouns in bio comment disregarded,” he wrote in response to a critic.
Smith’s reply to the backlash, “Yawn, come up with something original,” did little to mend fences. Instead, it highlighted a dismissive attitude that seemed to trivialize the valid concerns raised by his post. This response not only aggravated the situation but also underscored the ongoing struggle for recognition and respect within the LGBTQ+ community
The Advocate contacted Smith to ask about his post, but he did not respond.
“You can’t even celebrate what should be the happiest day of your life without indulging your own hatred,” wrote an X user, adding, “Sad.”
His account is now private.
