NASCAR has tweeted its support for LGBT “pride month.”
I didn’t think you were surprised.
The venerable traditionally Southern racing organization has been increasingly moving into the world of what is considered acceptable corporatism.
We’re a long way from the names of quaint garages and performance auto parts brands once heralded on NASCAR racers.
Now, mainstream business logos appear on drivers’ uniforms and cars as though we were at a major uptown trade show.
NASCAR has arrived. It’s Big Business.
And because of that, they say they must get with the times, don’t you know.
“We celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during #PrideMonth and beyond,” blares this week’s NASCAR tweet, adding “Happy PRIDE Month,” with the “pride” in mammoth letters.
We celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during #PrideMonth and beyond. pic.twitter.com/cVi0Ieuuyw
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 1, 2023
Somehow, as old photos show, I’d rather see “Blackburn Auto Service,” “Air Lift” or “Fabulous Hudson Hornet” emblazoned on old-time NASCAR racers.
Or in June, maybe there should be a contemporary NASCAR vehicle painted all black with the words “For shame.”
Because that’s what it is.
The slew of marketing aces pushing this stuff don’t realize that as NASCAR crowds get younger, less Southern and less religious, they are not as stupid as a bunch of MBAs think they are.
There are a lot of areas of diversity they’re willing to embrace related to the inclusion of racial minorities and women. Look around — those sorts of things are going on everywhere.
In fact, NASCAR fans might even accept some of us born as Yankees (although that might be a stretch).
But, the behavior most of us know as sinful and destructive to both individuals and society is not on the list of things traditionalists are ready to bow to.
Ask Bud Light.
Actually, NASCAR dipped its toe in this stuff a year ago, according to the Daytona Beach-News Journal.
The racing organization put up a rainbow flag in June, sold gay-oriented merchandise and tweeted an image of Alex Bowman’s car #48 in a pride-oriented paint scheme.
Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Ally / Better Together Chevrolet for Sonoma. #NASCAR #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/yKh2jHWB37
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 8, 2022
“Generally, we as a sport haven’t been as welcoming and inclusive to the LGBTQ community, and we want to be,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said at the time.
“… Whether it’s someone’s sexual orientation or the color of their skin or whatever that might be, it’s immaterial.
“It’s a love for racing that they want to celebrate with each other. That’s really something we’re working really hard at,” Phelps said.
With this year’s LGBT tweet, NASCAR is getting intense negative feedback.
Blocking @NASCAR
— AppPatriotgirl 🇺🇸 (@jsmith4966) June 1, 2023
And you wonder why you are losing your fans. You started downhill about 10 years ago, and the slide down the slippery slope is speeding up.
— John Schafer (@JohnPopPop1) June 2, 2023
Nascar bout to be like @target pic.twitter.com/p8RkrAmTWX
— Aaron (@86ixer) June 2, 2023
So one more aspect of Americana bites the dust.
Should fans boycott NASCAR?
Yes: 97% (100 Votes)
No: 3% (3 Votes)
They’d eventually be doing that anyway, since they want to introduce electric car NASCAR racing, Inside EVs has reported.
But that ignorance of NASCAR’s own fans is different from the June pride nonsense.
It’s just a reflection of incredibly poor judgment, not a combination of poor judgment with rebellion against thousands of years of moral standards.
