03-04-2025
After AG Todd Rokita's pride flag post on April Fools' Day, LGBTQ+ groups want an apology
An April Fools' Day social media post on the Indiana Republican attorney general's accounts raised eyebrows and drew condemnation from some of his constituents.
The message attributed to Todd Rokita on Tuesday said he was brainwashed and showed him standing next to the pride flag, a universal symbol of hope and visibility for LGBTQ+ people worldwide.
Pride groups across Indiana have since called for Rokita to apologize. Outraged social media users have sharply criticized the attorney general, calling his professional ethics into question.
A request by IndyStar with questions posed to Rokita's office went unanswered before the publication of this article.
Here's what we know.
On Tuesday, Rokita posted the following message both on Facebook and X, which read:
"The Left wins... They have finally brainwashed me," wrote someone on Rokita's official account, coupled with images of the Attorney General standing beside a pride flag. "I am taking down our 'Come And Take It' flag and replacing it with this one. April Fools!"
Rokita's words have rankled some Hoosiers across the state. On Wednesday, Pride Lafayette demanded Rokita issue an apology.
"It is disrespectful, unbecoming, and beneath the office of Attorney General," wrote Derrick Jones, executive director of Pride Lafayette Inc. in a fiery letter. Jones added the pride flag "is not a punchline or a joke" to LGBTQ+ Hoosiers, but a symbol of equality, hope and a remembrance for those who died from the AIDS epidemic.
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"For the state's chief law enforcement officer to use an official communications channel to mock the pride flag and the LGBTQ+ community is as disgraceful as it is insulting," Jones wrote. "Whether he likes it or not, LGBTQ+ Hoosiers live here, pay taxes here, raise families here, and are entitled to the same rights and representation as other Hoosiers.'
Indy Pride, a nonprofit organization for the Indianapolis LGBTQ+ community, joined others Thursday in denouncing Rokita.
"We believe that public officials should uphold the dignity of all communities they serve," a spokesperson for Indy Pride said in a message to IndyStar. "Words and actions that mock or demean the LGBTQ+ community contribute to division rather than unity. We encourage the attorney general to acknowledge the harm caused and to affirm the value and respect of LGBTQ+ Hoosiers."
Indy Pride encourages all public officials, a spokesperson said, to recognize the impact their words have on the diverse communities they serve.
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Rokita appears to have joined a list of public figures and companies whose April Fools' Day antics may have tarnished their own image.
By Thursday on Facebook, Rokita's post had 2.3K "angry" reactions compared to 484 "laughing," 204 "like" and 23 "heart" reactions. While some social media users on X left smiling emoji faces in response to Rokita, most had pointed words for Indiana's attorney general.
Social media users who responded to Rokita's posts pointed out the attorney general represents all Hoosiers and called the message "distasteful," among other comments.
More about Todd Rokita: Indiana Attorney General faces another Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission charge. Here's what it says.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@ Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana AG makes April Fools joke about LGBTQ+ Pride. Not everyone's laughing
