News (USA)

Republicans in Congress want to ban embassies from flying the rainbow flag

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House Republicans led by Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC) have introduced a new bill to ban embassies from flying the rainbow flag.

A bill introduced in the House Foreign Affairs Committee would “prohibit the flying of any flag other than the United States flag over United States diplomatic and consular posts, and for other purposes.”

While the bill bans embassies from flying any flag besides the American flag, embassies have flown the rainbow flag on numerous occasions to support LGBTQ equality, and the bill’s sponsors have not pointed to any other flag that they’re worried about.

“The United States flag is the single greatest symbol of freedom the world has ever known, and there’s no reason for anything but Old Glory to be flying over our embassies and posts around the globe,” Duncan’s office said in a statement.

The bill currently has 30 co-sponsors, all Republican and many with strong anti-LGBTQ records. Duncan, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) – all co-sponsors of the flag bill – co-sponsored a bill in 2015 that would have banned federal courts from ruling in favor of marriage equality.

Conspicuously missing from the bill is any mention of state legislatures. South Carolina, Duncan’s state, flew the Confederate flag above the state capitol several weeks ago. Duncan has not commented on that.

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