Parasitic public memory: #ReclaimTheRainbow and the symbology of conservative victimhood.

This article examines the concept of "parasitic public memory," whereby dominant cultural groups, specifically Christian conservatives, appropriate rhetorics of victimhood to recast marginalized queer communities as oppressors. Using the #ReclaimTheRainbow movement as a case study, it analyzes how Christian conservatives claim authoritative ownership of the rainbow symbol—originally associated with queer pride—by invoking its biblical significance in the Noahic covenant, thereby framing themselves as victims of cultural appropriation. The movement’s rhetoric advances co-constitutive ideologies linking Christian conservatism with nationalism and White supremacy, while calling for militant resistance against queer communities. The article argues that parasitic public memory functions to undermine liberative counterpublic memories and maintain dominant social imaginaries by retrofitting narratives of oppression and victimhood.