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USPS Yanks Gay Pride Display Because It Wasn’t Dedicated to Generating Cash

[flv:http://witi.vid.trb.com/witi/video/2009/7/15/GAYPRIDE1/gaypride1.flv https://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/2009/07/milwapridebug.jpg 600 320]

The United States Postal Service gets a bad rap. Always the butt of “walked into work and shot everyone” jokes, plus they’re always hiking their fees while seemingly scraping on service, just breeding resentment from the country at large. But maybe one particular USPS branch deserves your bad energy? That would be the giant Main Milwaukee Post Office downtown, which yanked a gay pride display.

Milwaukee’s USPS spokeswoman Marge Oehlke says she removed the display because it wasn’t approved by the postmaster general, nor was it revenue-related; both criteria must be met for in-store displays, she claims. The GLBT pride display did feature an AIDS stamp, but it is no longer for sale.

Interestingly, Oehlke service on the post office’s diversity team. The USPS office contacted the Milwaukee Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center to set up the display, but only four hours later on June 1 — when President Obama declared June gay pride month — took it down. And it’s not like there was anything controversial: Just a few quick pride tidbits, about gay tennis and baseball players, the rainbow flag, and some history briefs.

But while the USPS location won’t house it, the display did find a home: in city hall.

Isn’t that just like the federal government: Eschewing the gays from their territory and having local communities deal with ’em.

[Video via Fox 6]

(Thanks, Dale!)

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