Conservatives are criticizing NASCAR for its Pride Month post, shared only on LinkedIn, for the second year in a row, sparking debate on social media.
Why is NASCAR under fire for its Pride Month post?
In an opinion piece posted on conservative publication OutKick, a writer flames NASCAR for a recent post on LinkedIn.
They point out that NASCAR only posted the Pride Month post on LinkedIn. This way, it avoids its primary fan base on other social media platforms.
“The fellas over in the NASCAR marketing building have finally found a workaround to celebrating Pride Month, but also catering to a fanbase that’s sick and tired of the virtue-signaling nonsense,” OutKick wrote.
The LinkedIn post reads, “We celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month and beyond.”
This isn’t the first time fans have called out NASCAR for a Pride Month post. Last year, NASCAR celebrated Pride Month on X, which garnered criticism from its primarily conservative fan base.
NASCAR’s ties to conservative politics
Since its founding in 1948, NASCAR has been linked to conservative politics.
Founder Bill France Sr. and his family members have publicly supported conservative politicians, with France himself serving as campaign manager for Alabama governor George Wallace’s segregationist presidential bid in 1972.
However, NASCAR has taken steps to promote diversity and reduce hate within its community. The company banned the use of the Confederate flag in 2020, a move spearheaded by racing driver Bubba Wallace. That same year, it hired industry veteran Brandon Thompson as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.
However, amid the Trump administration’s move to expel diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from the federal government earlier this year, several private companies have followed suit.
Like Target, which has faced boycotts over its termination of DEI efforts, NASCAR quietly changed the name of its Drive for Diversity program, which first launched in 2004. It is now called the Driver Development Program.
Despite the name change, Thompson still appears to hold the title of VP of Diversity and Inclusion, according to LinkedIn.
While NASCAR was only vocal about celebrating Pride Month on LinkedIn, the company does have several items of Pride merchandise available for sale on its website.
What do NASCAR fans think of the post?
X users discussed why NASCAR only celebrates Pride Month on LinkedIn.
“I’d be willing to guess so they don’t upset 90% of their fan base and have to read hateful and disgusting comments,” a commenter wrote.
“Because they get eviscerated on any other platform,” another said, referencing the previous year’s viral X post.
“If someone’s being homophobic in that comment section it’s not anonymous and can be seen by that persons peers and superiors,” a third pointed out.
Some NASCAR fans piped up about the post, too.
“Once you go woke you go broke! WTF NASCAR,” an X user commented.
“Because only liberal scholars hang out on LinkedIn, they’ll get dragged by normal people for posting more woke garbage,” a conservative fan wrote.
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