On June 26, 2022, One America News journalist Alison Steinberg took to her Instagram account to express anger towards a Pride flag being hoisted in Huntington Beach, California. The news anchor seemingly commented that those belonging to the LGBTQ+ community were not Americans, which left the internet in disbelief, especially considering that June is celebrated as Pride Month.
Alison Steinberg uploaded the video to her Instagram account under the username @alisonwonderlandforever. However, the controversial clip has since been deleted from the platform. Given that she is a public figure, netizens were quick to capture the content and upload it to Twitter, where she was relentlessly attacked for her comments. In the video, Alison Steinberg pointed to a Pride flag and said:
“What the hell is that? Huntington Beach is the town of good, old-fashioned, hard-working American people, much less human.”
Adding that Huntington Beach did not shut down even during the Covid lockdown, Steinberg continued to slam the Pride flag, going on to say:
“And now we’re peddling this garbage? What the hell is this? The only flag that should be up there is that American flag. This is a disgrace to our city and it should be taken down immediately.”
Alison Steinberg also mentioned that the person “running this town needs to be fired.” She ended her video by saying, “Make America great again. Make Huntington Beach great.”
Though the Orange County city has stayed leaning left in the past two presidential elections, the city was conservative for the previous four and has a tendency to be split between Democratic and Republican during elections. Last year, several hundred people attended an anti-mask protest at Huntington beach.
Internet reacts to Allison Steinberg expressing distress over a Pride flag
Netizens were disgruntled to see Steinberg attack the LGBTQ+ community. Her comments did not sit well with the internet, leading to many slamming her online. A few tweets read:
Who is news anchor Alison Steinberg?
Alison Steinberg is a prominent news contributor to One America News (OAN). Along with being a journalist, she is active on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which she uses to express her opinions on current events.
She recently criticized President Joe Biden for soaring prices of gas and groceries. She also ridiculed the LGBTQ+ community’s support for Ukraine. During her appearance on OAN in May, she said:
“If the LGBTQ+ crew is trying to indicate that supporting Ukraine is gay, I might be in agreeance with them there. Just kidding.”
On her Instagram profile, she also shared that she was discriminated against at a Starbucks for refusing to wear a mask in the drive through.
The journalist’s homophobic comments come after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade ruling, which has recently prompted a great deal of discussion about the possible consequences for LGBTQ+ rights, especially after Justice Clarence Thomas commented that Obergefell v Hodges, which affirms same-sex marriage rights, could possibly be overturned as well.
According to Reluctant Habits, Huntington Beach was also ranked the highest in Orange County for LGBTQ+ rights in 2013, thanks to openly gay councilman Joe Shaw creating a safe space for the community. However, he was voted out of office in 2014 which led to him relocating to the Midwest.