What is Gay Wrath Month and what's the best way to celebrate?

KrakenImages.com/Shutterstock

Every June, queer people celebrate who they are as we side-eye all of the people and companies who pretend to support us more than they do at other times during the year.

There are some true allies out there, of course, but Pride Month has started to have a similar feeling to things like Christmas, Black Friday, or other holidays that focus more on money than anything else.

Enter Gay Wrath Month, a recent phenomenon gaining traction that allows people within the LGBTQ+ community to really air out all of their grievances.

Keep reading to find out what it is, how it started, and what you should and shouldn’t do to celebrate.

What is Gay Wrath Month?

Kathy images/Shutterstock

Gay Wrath Month comes on the heels of Pride Month, because Pride is our time to commemorate the famous Stonewall Uprising and all the progress we’ve made since. Wrath, on the other hand, is again our time to air out all of our grievances, mistreatments, and inequalities that get brushed under the rug throughout the rest of the year.

Plus, as Pride events become more family-friendly, they’ve also become a little more tame. While this is great when you’re trying to get your grandma to support the gays, Wrath Month is slowly starting to become the go-to month for addressing the real issues.

When did Gay Wrath Month start?

KrakenImages.com/Shutterstock

LGBT Wrath Month, which has since become Gay Wrath Month, started with a tweet back in 2018 from the Southern Homo account on X, formerly Twitter. At the end of Pride Month, he tweeted out that “Pride month may be over” but to “fear not,” for he had detailed all the other deadly sins and the month they most aligned with.

This, of course, is rooted in the Christian mythology that revolves around the seven deadly sins, with many of them warning that “Pride goeth before the fall.”

Southern Homo took that as a launching point to start off June as LGBT Pride month, then followed it with July for LGBT Wrath, August for LGBT Lust, September for LGBT Greed, October for LGBT Envy, November for LGBT Gluttony, and LGBT Sloth for December until Pride starts again.

What do gay people have to be so mad about?

JOSE_ESCUDERO/Shutterstock

I hope you snickered at the question because it might be better phrased as what do gay people not have to be mad about?

In case you do need any reminders on what grinds gay people's gears, here are some ideas:

• Project 2025 that would essentially take away our rights — though recent updates suggest the Republican party may or may not go lighter on their same-sex marriage stance.
• Anti-trans bans and treatment of trans people from celebrities like J.K. Rowling who had once touted allyship.
• Anti-drag bans that try to remove drag as an art form.
• Countries still opposing same-sex marriage or murdering people who still identify as queer.
• Rampant homophobia that exists with or without protection.
• Straight people encroaching on gay bars. Oftentimes, it seems like straight women can’t hold their liquor and straight men get mad when they’re hit on.
• Companies feigning support for 30 days when it’s all a facade.
• People still pretending we don't exist, that we're in a phase, or that our overall identities aren't valid.

How should you celebrate Gay Wrath Month?

Ryan Rahman/Shuterstock

As with Pride Month, there isn’t any one thing you should or shouldn’t do during your Wrath Month celebrations.

That said, we still have a couple of recommendations if you’re on the hunt for some ideas:

• Be vocal about your opinion. Go to a protest, turn to your Twitter feed, blast your thoughts on social media. Let people know what pisses you off. This is your time to shine, baby.
• Register to vote. So, here’s the thing, the only way any real changes will happen is if you get out and vote. If you think there’s no reason to vote, then vote for the simple reason of voting just to earn yourself the right to complain. If you don’t vote and you complain about how things are, you’re the problem. Hi, it’s you.
• Bring a gaggle of gays to the straight bars. Show them how it feels. Or, rather, remind them. Go to straight bars and act the way straight people do in gay bars. It could still get people miffed at you and rambling on about gay stereotypes or whatnot, but it’ll still be a lot of fun.
• Don’t take down your Pride flag. Wave it all month. Wave it all year, really. If Project 2025 comes through, you might not be able to wave it for much longer, so display it while you have the chance.
• Share relevant news. We live in a fake news world. It’s unfortunately true on either side. That said, there are still a lot of genuine reporters out there that give us the facts. Share these articles when you can.

What should you avoid doing during Gay Wrath Month?

Ivan Moreno sl/Shutterstock

Yes, Wrath Month is a time for you to let out your rage and go off on all the people who pretend to support the LGBTQ+ community when they really don’t.

Like ways you should celebrate, there aren’t any hard or fast rules when it comes to things you should avoid. That said, here are a few things you should consider avoiding:

• Bashing or marginalizing fellow queer people. This is always something that the queer community faces, especially among gay men. Queer people need to stick together and have each other’s backs, not take time to bring each other down.
• Supporting anti-LGBTQ+ businesses. We spend all of June complaining about people like Target who feign support of the queer community and either dim down their support or forget about it altogether once Pride Month is over. Support queer businesses instead, not just through Wrath Month, but always.
• Getting too crazy. Look, we have a lot of things to be angry about. It’s true. And yes, it’s much easier to scream, shout, punch, and kick our way through to the finish line, but that’s not always effective. Sometimes shouting gets you nowhere. It’s okay to be passionate and feel your feelings, but do your best to keep it in check so you don’t make the problem any worse.
• Getting too calm. On the flip side, don’t become too complacent either. We face a very real threat moving forward, especially if Project 2025 becomes true in full. Sure, it’s about finding a balance to make sure your voice is heard, but don’t avoid conflict to the point where you live in silence and let the problems persist. Find an issue you’re passionate about, and do something to make it better.

Any tips to celebrate the other months?

VladOrlov/Shutterstock

We shouldn’t always be so angry. It’s easy, and sometimes it feels good, but it isn’t healthy to stick around in an angry state of mind for too long. Gay Wrath Month gives you a full 31 days to really feel your feelings and really let it out like you’re in a modified version of The Purge, but come August, it’s time to tune back into your lusty side and let the anger go.

While you wait for your next Pride month, here are some ways you can enjoy the rest of the seven deadly sins throughout the year:

• Gay Lust Month. Pick a kink, fetish, or fantasy, and try it out at least three times during the month.
• Gay Greed Month. Explore the idea of a sugar daddy, whether as the baby or the dad.
• Gay Envy Month. Approach somebody you find intimidating and strike up a conversation at least twice.
• Gay Gluttony Month. Eat whatever you want. Stay mindful or don’t. Carbs, carbs, carbs my dears.
• Gay Sloth Month. Hi-bear-nate. Take a few months off. Do whatever you need or want before you lather, rinse, and repeat starting in June.