Michigan State University Spartan—identified as student activist and Army veteran Jake Harlan—publicly demanded the replacement of June’s Pride Month with a dedicated “Veterans Honor Month.” Harlan, a 28-year-old senior majoring in political science and a decorated combat veteran from Afghanistan, made the announcement during a heated campus rally on November 11, 2025, coinciding with Veterans Day. “We’ve given an entire month to parades and rainbows, but our heroes who bled for this country get one day? It’s time to honor the real warriors,” Harlan declared to a crowd of over 500 supporters waving American flags and Spartan banners. The call, amplified by viral X posts and conservative influencers, has already garnered over 2 million views, thrusting East Lansing into the heart of a renewed culture war.
Harlan’s proposal stems from a longstanding frustration among some veterans’ groups that national recognition for military service feels overshadowed by other observances. Drawing on his experiences with post-traumatic stress and reintegration challenges, he argued that June—historically tied to the 1969 Stonewall riots that sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement—could be repurposed without erasing history. “Pride can still shine on its day, but let’s dedicate a full month to job fairs, mental health resources, and parades for those who served,” Harlan told reporters, citing statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs showing over 18 million U.S. veterans facing high suicide rates and employment barriers. His petition, launched on Change.org shortly after the rally, has surged past 100,000 signatures in under 24 hours, echoing similar online campaigns that have circulated since 2020 but gaining unprecedented traction amid post-election tensions.
The backlash has been swift and ferocious, with LGBTQ+ advocates and MSU’s student government condemning the idea as an erasure of hard-won visibility. “This isn’t about honoring veterans; it’s about pitting communities against each other to stoke division,” said Alex Rivera, president of MSU’s Queer Alliance, in a statement read at a counter-protest attended by hundreds. Social media erupted with counter-petitions and memes, highlighting that May is already designated as National Military Appreciation Month by Congress since 1999, complete with events like Armed Forces Day, while November serves as Veterans and Military Families Month—a proclamation renewed annually by governors like Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer. Critics, including veterans’ organizations such as the American Legion, pointed out the irony: “We don’t need to steal from one group to uplift another. Our service is honored year-round, not just in borrowed months,” tweeted VFW National Commander Dawn Riley. Hashtags like #PrideNotPrejudice and #VeteransDeserveBetter trended nationwide, underscoring the raw nerve Harlan’s words have struck.
As the dust settles on this explosive proposal, political analysts see ripples extending far beyond Michigan’s borders. Harlan’s stunt has drawn endorsements from high-profile conservatives, including Fox News commentators who framed it as a “common-sense correction” to “woke overreach,” while drawing rebukes from Democrats who accused it of weaponizing patriotism. At MSU, where Harlan’s Spartan Code of Honor—emphasizing integrity and community—now feels ironically invoked, university administrators have scheduled emergency forums to mediate the divide. With midterms looming and national debates on equity raging, this “stunning move” may catalyze legislative pushes in statehouses, forcing a reckoning on how America allocates its calendar of gratitude. Whether it fades as fleeting outrage or forges lasting change remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Harlan’s voice has amplified a chorus long simmering in the shadows of national discourse.
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