Michigan, Indiana and Tennessee GOP push ‘Nuclear Family’ proclamations to counter Pride Month

Republican lawmakers are using June to push “Nuclear Family Month” initiatives, explicitly defining household structures to exclude LGBTQ+ and single-parent families.

‘Nuclear Family Month’

Last week, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) proclaimed that June would celebrate “God’s design for the family structure” and families consisting of “one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children.” Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith (R) shared Braun’s proclamation on X, with a banner saying, “Take Back the Rainbow!”

“And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” 🌈
Genesis 9:12-13… pic.twitter.com/qJ3Jo6ayxU

— TheMicahBeckwith (@MicahBeckwith) June 2, 2026

Indiana is following suit with recent action in the Tennessee state legislature. Republicans in the Tennessee government also designated June Nuclear Family Month after the General Assembly approved House Joint Resolution 182, which Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed into law on April 9, 2026. HJR 182 was originally introduced by state Rep. Bud Hulsey (R-Kingsport) last year, who said the idea came from a constituent in his district.

“It just states the importance of the nuclear family and how it was foundational from the very beginning, all the way back to Adam and Eve,” he said while introducing the measure in March 2025.

State Rep. Gabby Salinas (D-Memphis) opposed HJR 182 during a subcommittee hearing, arguing it marginalizes families like hers since she was raised in a single-parent home.

On June 3, Michigan state Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford), who has previously proposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, introduced House Resolution 326, which would also declare June “Nuclear Family Month” in Michigan. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Government Operations in the Republican-controlled Michigan state House of Representatives. Eleven Republican lawmakers co-sponsored Schriver’s legislation.

‘Fidelity Month’

This year, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) declared June as “Fidelity Month.” In a May 29 press release, Sanders’ office said the Declaration of Independence appeals to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” when it established the United States’ identity. (LGBTQ+ have existed throughout human history.)

In an X post, Sanders shared an article published by conservative news outlet The Daily Wire titled, “Another Red State is Counter-Programming Pride Month,” directly saying she was attacking Pride Month.

In Arkansas, June is Fidelity Month: fidelity to family, fidelity to country, fidelity to God. https://t.co/QLrU4jYmGj

— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) May 29, 2026

Katie Blair, vice president of advocacy for the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization PFLAG National, said in a statement to Heartland Signal that GOP lawmakers are attempting to erase LGBTQ+ identities.

“These exclusionary and divisive actions seek to erase LGBTQ+ people and their families and are a slap in the face to single parents, couples without children, children in foster care, and the diversity of families in Indiana,” Blair said. “This is a trend at every level of government: attempts to eradicate LGBTQ+ identities, whether banning books and curriculum, placing warnings before the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters in television, [restricting] trans youth from getting the medical care they need, or [denying] trans people the identification documents they need.”

In its yearly survey, The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention, found that one in 10 LGBTQ+ people between the ages of 13-24 attempted suicide in the last year. Ninety percent of respondents said recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws, policies and debates caused them stress or anxiety. The Trevor Project surveyed 16,667 LGBTQ+ young people between March 4, 2025 and October 15, 2025. The results were published this year on May 6.

“What these governors fail to recognize is that Pride is about inclusion and is a commemoration of American history, marking the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising when LGBTQ+ people rebelled against government oppression,” Blair continued. “Pride is a celebration of people who are brave enough to be themselves authentically. It’s a celebration of the diversity of our LGBTQ+ community and our families and allies. It’s a celebration of love, welcome and affirmation. Happy Pride!”