Granderson: New ban on Pride flags at U.S. embassies is more than bad optics

[Jessica_Rose]

Granderson: New ban on Pride flags at U.S. embassies is more than bad optics

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/granderson-new-ban-on-pride-flags-at-u-s-embassies-is-more-than-bad-optics/ar-BB1ky3d1?ocid=windirect&cvid=67d094712ecb4455a95973b5c97fac2a&ei=48

Opinion by LZ Granderson (26 March 2024)

A new ban, woven into the spending bill that Biden signed on Saturday, states that "none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended to fly or display a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State." The administration has already said that it will push to repeal this ban.

Who could possibly think that banning Pride flags should be a top priority at this moment?

While Ukraine was running low on ammunition to keep Russia's invasion at bay, and after Russian President Vladimir Putin had casually threatened nuclear war, America's elected officials spent their time this past week trying to figure out how to de-gay the world's fl>-bleeped-<oles during the month of June.

The camera-chasing, no-compromise Freedom Caucus wanted more: Nearly 50 anti-LGBTQ+ proposals ultimately were excluded from the budget deal. Just banning rainbow flags from flying at embassies appeased enough of the GOP members who were trying to avoid a government shutdown ... you know, those patriots who just needed to be sure they were doing some damage to human rights while keeping the federal government open.