A little bit over a yr in the past, whereas attempting to safe votes to cross a $1.2-trillion spending bundle, Home Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly informed the fiscal conservative members of his celebration to vote for the invoice partially as a result of it banned flying Satisfaction flags over U.S. embassies. Johnson’s ways were not a surprise. Earlier than operating for Congress, Johnson labored as an lawyer for an anti-LGBTQ+ group and on multiple event had argued in court docket in opposition to legalizing same-sex marriage. Nonetheless, it was fairly telling that with a authorities shutdown deadline looming, Johnson was not capable of rally his troops across the invoice’s advantage however fairly their dislike of rainbow flags.
When President Biden signed the spending bill with the ban, he promised Individuals that his administration would work across the clock to discover a strategy to raise the ban. 5 months later, Biden dropped out of the race, and immediately the moratorium on Satisfaction flags remains to be in place. Undecided how a lot cash the nation is saving from the coverage, however I do know the message that it sends to the remainder of the world can’t be price it.
The United Nations Refugee Company believes there are greater than 44 million refugees around the globe. That’s triple the variety of folks fleeing battle or persecution from only a decade in the past. The nations contributing essentially the most refugees are Afghanistan and Syria, with 6.4 million every, adopted by Venezuela (6.1 million) and Ukraine (6 million).
In Afghanistan, demise is the utmost sentence for being queer, whereas in Syria it’s punishable by as much as three years in jail. In Venezuela, being LGBTQ+ isn’t a criminal offense, however police nonetheless harass the neighborhood by raiding bars. In Ukraine, members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood can serve within the army to struggle in its battle with Russia, however same-sex relationships should not legally acknowledged. Which means if the love of your life died in battle, the federal government wouldn’t even must notify you. They’re simply gone and it’s as much as the surviving companion to determine if their beloved one is buried and in that case, the place.
The Nineteenth-century American poet Emma Lazarus mentioned she wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus” to lift cash for the development of the Statue of Liberty as a result of she believed the statue would function a welcome signal for brand new immigrants arriving within the New York harbor.
“A mighty girl with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her title Mom of Exiles,” Lazarus wrote shortly after the Civil Battle in 1883. Between 1880 and 1920, greater than 20 million immigrants — principally from Europe — made their strategy to the U.S.
Throughout that four-decade stretch, it wasn’t simply heterosexuals coming to our shores in quest of a greater life. And it’s not solely heterosexuals among the many estimated 44 million refugees around the globe. That is why till final yr, the Satisfaction flag flew over U.S. embassies throughout June, to let the determined souls fleeing persecution know that they might discover consolation within the arms of the Mom of Exiles. Now that’s not true — not due to a strategic international coverage determination however as a result of some members of Congress — like Johnson — merely don’t like queer folks. Unusual conduct from a political celebration that claims it doesn’t like id politics.
Final month, Russian-born tennis participant Daria Kasatkina announced she had defected from her residence nation and change into an Australian citizen as a result of she is brazenly queer. She mentioned that as an out athlete, she “didn’t have much choice.”
Final yr, whereas Republicans had been attempting to de-gay the flagpoles of our embassies, the world additionally discovered that Russia’s Supreme Court docket declared the rainbow flag was forbidden in its nation. If Ukraine falls, what rights its LGBTQ+ residents have will almost certainly fall with it.
Kasatkina’s determination to depart her residence nation made her a political refugee. Now she’s within the land Down Underneath.
The USA was once the sort of nation that welcomed the persecuted, however I assume she didn’t see us as the most suitable choice. Laborious accountable her.
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Concepts expressed within the piece
- The writer argues that the U.S. ban on Satisfaction flags at embassies, negotiated by Home Speaker Mike Johnson, indicators a rejection of LGBTQ+ refugees and undermines America’s historic position as a sanctuary for persecuted teams[1][5]. This coverage is framed as a political maneuver rooted in Johnson’s longstanding opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, together with his authorized work in opposition to same-sex marriage[1][5].
- The article highlights the dire circumstances confronted by LGBTQ+ people in international locations like Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine, the place same-sex relationships are criminalized or unrecognized, and contrasts this with the U.S.’s lowered willingness to visibly help these communities by symbolic gestures like flag shows[1][5].
- Granderson critiques the ban as a part of a broader shift towards id politics by Republicans, regardless of their claims to oppose such ways, and hyperlinks it to Russia’s outright prohibition of rainbow flags as a parallel erosion of LGBTQ+ rights[1][5].
Completely different views on the subject
- Supporters of the ban, together with policymakers like Marco Rubio, argue that the U.S. flag alone ought to signify nationwide unity, citing the 2024 Appropriations Act’s provision that restricts embassy shows to “licensed symbols” to keep away from divisive cultural messaging[1][3]. They body the coverage as reinforcing patriotism and avoiding perceived partisan symbolism in diplomatic areas[1][3].
- Conservative advocates, together with teams behind Mission 2025, contend that LGBTQ+ visibility insurance policies promote “poisonous normalization” and battle with conventional household values. They search to get rid of phrases like “gender id” from federal rules and reverse protections for LGBTQ+ people in workplaces, faculties, and well being care, arguing these measures shield spiritual freedom and organic definitions of intercourse[2][4][6][7][8].
- Opponents of Satisfaction flag shows additionally tie their stance to nationwide safety and diplomatic priorities, asserting that U.S. international coverage ought to keep away from “tradition battle” points and deal with broader strategic pursuits fairly than advocating for LGBTQ+ rights overseas[2][6][9].
