Those planning to attend June's Pride Month celebrations should be on the watch for terrorist threats, according to the FBI and Homeland Security. The security agencies warned of the "potential targeting of LGBTQIA+-related events and venues" by foreign terrorist organizations and their supporters in a news release, which referred to past threats against Pride events in the US and abroad, including the attempted attack on a Pride event in Austria last June, per the AP. It also described recent messaging from the Islamic State terrorist group that railed "against the growth and promotion of the LGBTQIA+ community."
The release doesn't mention specific threats or locations that might be targeted. But it warns people to be on guard as potential attackers might attempt to photograph security equipment or event access points, breach restricted areas, and impersonate law enforcement, the Guardian reports. "We urge the public to stay vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activity to their local law enforcement," a Homeland Security official tells USA Today. The release notes "efforts to commit or inspire violence against holiday celebrations ... are compounded by the current heightened threat environment in the United States and other western countries." (More LGBTQ stories.)
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