Republican city councilman Andy Naquin of Lafayette, Louisiana, is drafting legislation to ban the rainbow flag from government flagpoles.
Naquin was contacted by 79-year-old Korean War veteran Ray Green, who said he was offended that the flag was raised in the city’s Girard Park during this year’s gay pride.
Green recently went on his local news station to say: “If you allow the gay pride flag to be flown, then you got to by all rights allow the KKK, the Muslims, and anybody else.”
“I had to agree with him,” Naquin told The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette’s local newspaper.
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Naquin then went on to say he is against any flag unrelated to government flying on a public flagpole, and denied implications that he is homophobic.
Naquin is now working with City-Parish Attorney Mike Hebert on drafting the ordinance, but has not yet discussed the matter with other councilmen. He expects the ordinance will only allow the American, Louisiana, and Acadian/LCG flags, and possibly Mardi Gras flags, to be flown on Lafayette Consolidated Government property.
We reached out to Naquin asking for clarification as to how a rainbow flag differs from a Mardi Gras flag, but he did not respond to our request for a comment.
In other news: Crime in Lafayette continues to rise. The Lafayette crime index is 30% higher than the Louisiana average, which is 46% higher than the National average.
Banning the rainbow flag. Now that’s Naquin’s top priority.
Harley
Except, of course the slave owners own banner, the confederate flag, I’m sure. What a backward hick.
Dakotahgeo
course, that this is a Confederate step-child of our dear country. Room temperature Celsius has a lot to do with the IQs of the Southern plantation folk… they’re both low!
Dakotahgeo
Correction:
You realize, of course, that this is a Confederate step-child of our dear country. Room temperature Celsius has a lot to do with the IQs of the Southern plantation folk… they’re both low!
Fidelio
I kinda agree only American flags, or internationally sanctioned flags, like the UN or Red Cross (I know, I know, they can be assholes, too) should fly on government flag poles. I mean, we love poles and all, but let’s try to keep this respectful.
balehead
So he’s going to treat the gays equally….interesting…
Cam
Excellent point Queerty about the crime rate.
as for his comment “Naquin then went on to say he is against any flag unrelated to government flying on a public flagpole, and denied implications that he is homophobic.”
Just curious, will he also be banning the POW flag or the Confederate Flag?
the other Greg
@Cam: Thanks for bringing up the POW flag (which Naquin may have forgot about). Maybe I’m just in a bad mood today but I’ll say the POW flag has always annoyed me. Its historical origins are based in the rac*st assumption that the North Vietnamese, for some mysterious and inscrutable reason, kept American POWs captive for decades after the war ended. There has never been a shred of factual evidence for this claim. Of course there are still MIAs (missing in action) in Vietnam, as with every war the US was ever in, but no, there are no remaining POWs. That’s an offensive, rac*st myth. OK, they might say NOW that it’s merely meant to honor past POWs. But that’s not its historical origin.
And besides that – the POW flag is fucking ugly. It definitely was not designed by a gay person, that’s for sure!
hyhybt
A strange inconsistency in how this story is reported: I’ve seen it variously as just public buildings, as public flagpoles, and as covering all public property. Any of them would be wrong, of course, but the difference is significant.
hyhybt
@the other Greg: the rest I agree with already, but what makes it specifically a “rac*st” idea? Just that the Vietnamese happen to be a different race wouldn’t make it one by itself.
2eo
@the other Greg: Of course keeping hundreds of people in horrible conditions for years and years without charge is an absolute American trope.
Find it quite funny when American politicians lampoon other nations when they [along with China ans islamic countries] are complicit to the vast majority of all violations.
MK Ultra
Nothing more ‘Murrican than banning all the things you “disagree” with!
Oh whats, next? Is Naquin going to demand crosses be put up everywhere and bible verses written on every street corner?
I also love how he is the typical ignorant backwards trash: “der gunna be muzlims errwhere”!
the other Greg
@hyhybt: hmm, I see your point. No similar hysteria arose with, for instance, North Korea, which after all was torturing captives from the (perfectly legal) USS Pueblo as late as 1968-69 (at the peak of the Vietnam war). Maybe the difference is just that the Korean War was a stalemate, while as the definite losers in Vietnam we sought psychological scapegoats – something like that.
Mofdgheb
What’s the Muslim flag?
marco43
I am 100% Gay and I am 100% behind the ban on the Gay Flag…….there needs to be only ONE flag on that pole…the flag of the United States of America.
blech
Wait…is True Blood following Louisiana or is Louisiana following True Blood?
Charles175
If 79-year-old Korean war veteran Ray Green wants the rainbow flag removed, then let’s remove his POW flag and lets see how he likes that. As the saying goes, two can play at this game.
Christylcsw
Best post award goes tooooo…..
And besides that – the POW flag is fucking ugly. It definitely was not designed by a gay person, that’s for sure!
lol!
Dakotahgeo
And my only uncle, who served and died in the Battle of the Bulge during WWII, didn’t sacrifice HIS life so some arrogant Korean War asshole (who probably used one of his buddies as a shield so he wouldn’t get killed!)could stand up and sound like a bleating elephant in heat! (Don’t these fu**in’ Southern Republicans ever wipe their a**es before they speak??!?
fredhotman
One should tell Naquin that the “Rainbow “flag is a FLAG OF LOVE not a flag of hatred’The guy is dense if he cant see the difference. What a comparison what hypocrite. He is climbing to notoriety on the back of a flag. Poor choice for electors.
Saralikesyarr
“Louisiana Lawmaker Seeks To Ban Rainbow Flag ”
Uh huh.
Yeah good luck with that, Naquin.
Will somebody please give these people a copy of the U.S. Constitution…
Stache1
” “If you allow the gay pride flag to be flown, then you got to by all rights allow the KKK, the Muslims, and anybody else.”
What BS. Just a red Herring. Of coarse the duchbags a Republican. After i read that i figured some bigoted excuse would be trotted out.