House Republicans (R) have introduced legislation prohibiting rainbow Pride flags from being flown outside U.S. embassies in other countries.
Republicans in Congress introduced the so-called “Old Glory Only Act” in response to a State Department official putting a rainbow flag up over a South American embassy, according to Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-Sout Caroline), one of the act’s co-sponsors.
The proposed law would only allow U.S. and military flags flown at embassies and diplomatic facilities. The law follows embassies flying the Black Lives Matter (BLM) banner and Pride flags in previous years.
The bill is supported by anti-LGBTQ+ Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), and other Republican Congress members. Duncan did not comment on his home state’s capitol flying the Confederate flag, a racist emblem, at its Capitol.
Trump's State Department forbade at least four requests from U.S. embassies worldwide seeking to fly the rainbow flag during Pride month. But embassies defied Trump and flew Pride flags without permission anyway.
President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s ban on rainbow flags at embassies. Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken told American embassies and diplomatic missions that they can fly the Pride flag again as well as “other symbols connoting support for LGBTQ rights based on what is appropriate in light of local conditions.”
Republicans does not like the rainbow flag as Russian President Putin
The House Republicans do not have the votes. Even if it were to pass the House, which it probably would not, it would never come up for a vote in the Senate (the Democrats control that chamber). And if it were to pass the House and Senate, President Biden would not sign it into law. All this is is anit-LGBT virtue signaling.
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