The Human Rights Campaign has released a new campaign highlighting anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the United States, using the image of an American flag with only 21 stars to symbolize the 29 states where queer people can be legally discriminated against in credit, housing, government services and public accommodations.
The “Reality Flag” campaign hopes to build support for the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes against discrimination nationally.
“Seven years after marriage equality became a reality nationwide, over half of U.S. states could still deny LGBTQ+ Americans basic freedoms like the right to rent a home or the ability to receive public goods and services simply because of who they love or who they are. The Equality Act will change that, ensuring basic freedoms and protections for every American in every state,” reads the campaign website.
The Equality Act passed in the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives in 2019, only to die in the Republican-led Senate. During his presidential campaign in 2020, Joe Biden pledged to make it a “legislative priority during my first 100 days.”
It was reintroduced to the House in 2021, where it passed again. It currently awaits debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Joey Soloway, the Emmy Award-winning director, producer and creator of Amazon’s Transparent, created a series of spots for the campaign, which shine a spotlight on LGBTQ Americans who have experienced legal discrimination.
Watch below, and head here for more info:
Cam
Countdown to the right wing troll account coming and and pretending to be outraged that the flag was changed, or trying to change the topic by mentioning AOC or Hillary.
Glad HRC did this.
ProfessorDave
Better late than never, I suppose, but excellent that HRC gave expression to what we’ve known for, well, years.
MarcyMayer
Members of the LGBTQ community should have the same rights in all states as all other citizens. Period.
willcutabitch
Unfortunately that is hampered by morons like you voting Republican.
zephyr69
I would buy one of those flags and fly it in my front yard.
kevininbuffalo
They’ll be offering it for sale soon.
inbama
It’s almost as attractive as that wedge attacking the rainbow in the “Progress Flag.”
JustMuscles1
I like the direction this is going, but… I think it would be more revealing to have the 29 stars shaded, meaning that we are hopeful that we’ll get them back and fully integrated to be the UNITED States of America!
shimmymonster
I like this idea
1898
HRC should explain why they endorsed Susan Collins. and they should f*cking apologize for doing so.
wikidBSTN
Hmmmmmmm. I wonder if they know that each specific star represents a specific state – starting from the upper left corner proceeding left to right, they are in sequence in the order they came into the union – so they could have left and removed the corresponding states.
superhq
HRC needs to answer for ousting Alphonso David without due process and stop using black people in there ads to placate to a community they don’t care anything about. Never giving another dime to this agency.
wikidBSTN
Due process? That is only owed to you by the government – not private actors. LOL.