Every year, LGBTQ Pride Month inevitably generates its share of internet discourse. Though sometimes frustrating or downright annoying, this means there is never a shortage of new additions to the ever-growing Pride Month meme pantheon, with many of them resurfacing every June.

Few graphics have inspired as many jokes as the "Pride Month Demon" meme and exploitable image. The design uses a word-art effect that repeatedly narrows the phrase "Pride Month" until it spells out the word "Demon."

While the graphic originally appeared in a controversial context, it later took on a life of its own online. By 2023, internet users were less interested in the image's original message and more interested in joking about the idea of a literal "Pride Month Demon" or making parodies with other words and references.

So, where did the "Pride Month Demon" meme spawn from? Let's find out.

Where Does The 'Pride Month Demon' Meme Come From?

The origins of the Pride Month Demon graphic trace back to 2021, when the since-deleted Facebook page for Sword-In-Hand Publishing posted a design that repeatedly stacked the words "Pride Month" while removing letters until only the word "demon" remained in the middle, clearly expressing an anti-LGBTQ+ message.

The image spread to other platforms shortly afterward, generating discussion and reactions online. Around the same time, Redbubble artist Art by Veya created a parody version using rainbow pride colors and transgender flag colors.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, both versions of the graphic circulated online. Users also began creating edits that transformed other phrases into unrelated words, treating the format as a meme template rather than a political statement.

'Pride Month Demon' Usage In Memes

Though the graphic had circulated online before, it would not go viral until 2023 when American far-right political activist Lauren Witzke shared Art by Veya's rainbow-colored version on Twitter / X.

The post quickly went viral and introduced the image to thousands of users who became fascinated by the phrase "Pride Month Demon."

One of the most common responses involved creating parody versions of the original design using different words and phrases. Users discovered that many words could be transformed into unrelated terms simply by removing letters.

A popular example transformed "Jesus Christ" into "Sus." These edits helped establish the format as a flexible meme template for numerous parodies of the original.

Eventually, phrases became increasingly random, nonsensical and misspelled as the format became the source for ironic memes.

Related Memes

If there is anyone qualified to be the Pride Month Demon, it's arguably The Babadook, the title monster from the 2014 horror film of the same name. Let's explain why.

The Babadook Is A Gay Icon

In late 2016 and early 2017, a joke began spreading on Tumblr after a screenshot appeared to show The Babadook listed in Netflix's LGBT section. The post went viral and inspired an ironic fandom that jokingly embraced the character as a gay icon.

What Are Some 'Pride Month Demon' Example Memes?

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For the full history of the Pride Month Demon meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry.