Pride

Did Reba McEntire say "drag queens shouldn't be around kids"? No, that's not true: Lead Stories could not locate any evidence of the country music singer having said that. In fact, McEntire has been quoted as saying she was disappointed in an effort in Tennessee to restrict drag performances in public spaces. The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…

Did the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs say they are boycotting Pride Nights? No, that's not true: Neither the Steelers nor the Chiefs have publicly stated they were boycotting Pride Nights. The post saying so did not offer any evidence to back up its claim but it seems to have originated on a website with a satire disclaimer. The…

Did Major League Soccer or FIFA publicly announce that LGBTQ+ flags will be prohibited at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from websites with satire labels. As of November 20, 2024, Lead Stories found no confirmation that either of the two sports organizations had issued such a statement. The claim appeared in a…

Did Elon Musk permanently ban LGBTQ+ Pride content from X because "protecting kids comes first"? No, that's not true: The account that posted this incorrect information is from a self-described satirical Facebook page that explains, "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The word "SATIRE" is at the end of the post's caption. Lead Stories could not find…

Did Donald Trump call British protesters to join a march on the U.K. parliament in October 2024? No, that's not true: A video that purported to have narration by Trump showed signs that it was not authentic, according to several AI detectors. Lead Stories found no credible sources confirming that Trump ever said the words attributed to him. The claim…

Does the "fine print" on Kamala Harris' plan of $25,000 for first-time homeowners say a person is not eligible if they have a relative who has ever owned a home? No, that's not true: There is no proof that the plan has restrictions on people whose mother, father, brother or sister have ever owned a home. Her campaign website states…

Did Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sign into law a new definition of "sexual orientation" to protect adults who are physically and sexually attracted to children? No, that's not true: Pedophilia is not considered a legally protected sexual orientation in Minnesota. Changes to the law removed some language specifically excluding pedophilia from the definition of protected sexual orientations. But, that does…

Did the U.S. Treasury building fly a Palestinian flag on June 16, 2024? No, that's not true: A representative for the U.S. Treasury responded to claims on X, saying it was "a pride flag." A search on Google News did not yield any evidence that would corroborate the claims. And one prominent person who posted one of the claims --…

Did a "MAGA fan" from Iowa accidentally burn down their house while trying to burn a gay pride flag? No, that's not true: This is a fictional story that originated on "The Halfway Post," a satire website with a clear disclaimer included in the masthead. The claim is spreading as a screenshot of a social media post that does not…

Under U.K. law, can people be fined £1,000 specifically for flying the flag of England, also known as St. George's Cross, on a vehicle? No, that's not true: The law only imposes fines for flags that violate specific regulations regarding size, location or how they are mounted. There is no law prohibiting the act of flying the English flag itself.…