But does it matter?

I take exception when:

• It’s a private figure doing something harmless AND
  • It makes them say something degrading (e.g. sexualization) OR
  • Regardless of content, the fact it was changed would not be immediately obvious to nearly everyone who sees it*

OR

• It’s anyone AND
  • It’s actively intended to deceive.

It does matter, because this person had a message they wanted to share, and someone decided to paste over it with their own (frankly bloated) one. I think that’s disrespectful; there are a million ways (including making their own sign) the person who edited this could’ve shared their message that don’t involve erasing someone else’s.

* I noticed immediately, but the fact my comment isn’t downvoted into oblivion with a wave of “yeah, no shit” tells me at least some people didn’t recognize it or think some people might not.

Edit: Just to emphasize: the person in the photo made their own poster speaking with what’s likely their own voice, went out to a pride event, and took a picture to share their message online (itself socially risky). Whoever edited this took that, copied a quote they saw on Instagram or some shit (I’ve seen it several times), either slapped it into Photoshop in three minutes or ran it through a generative AI model, and put it up on the Internet.

I think the effort and risk of the original poster (heh, geddit) is worth respecting enough not to steal it and overwrite it with something you didn’t even write – when you don’t have to use it whatsoever.

I’m pretty sure I saw a social media screenshot with this message so someone just put it on a sign (digitally).