But we’re diverse! NSA roasted over appropriating Pride Month, reminded of mass surveillance sins

Efforts by the National Security Agency (NSA) to pose as diverse during Pride Month have attracted scorn and outrage on social media, where people have not forgotten about bulk spying on Americans and the world.

The NSA posted a photo on Twitter of its secretive Maryland headquarters in rainbow colors, praising its employees as “talented individuals of all backgrounds.” June is celebrated in much of the US as LGBTQ “Pride Month.”

“This is repulsive: a blatant, sleazy exploitation of socially progressive values to prettify & ennoble imperialism, spying, war-making & security state abuses,” was the reaction of journalist Glenn Greenwald, a publisher of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations, whose husband is a Brazilian lawmaker.

Greenwald likewise slammed the GCHQ, Britain’s NSA counterpart.

His colleague at the Intercept, Lee Fang, ironically thanked NSA for “helping show the banality of performative diversity politics.”

Most of the reactions to the agency’s tweet were in a similar vein, with some bringing up the NSA history of mass surveillance of Americans.

“They may spy on you, read every word you write, record every word you speak within 15 feet of your phone or Amazon Wiretap, but hey, at least they're INCLUSIVE,” one Twitter user wrote.

“LGBT people can spy on their fellow citizens just like anyone else and don't you forget it,” said another.

“Nothing says #PrideMonth like warrantless bulk-surveillance,” added another.

Back in 2013, Snowden revealed that the NSA was collecting domestic telephone metadata in bulk, spying on millions of Americans despite technically not being allowed to do so. In addition, the agency has collected both content and metadata stored by several major internet companies related to specific criteria, such as an email address.

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