The government funding bill worth $1.2 trillion that is currently in Congress includes a rule that would essentially prevent Pride flags from being raised at U.S. embassies.
The rule doesn't directly state this, but it resembles wording from previous attempts to ban Pride flags from government buildings.
As per the rule, the money allocated by this Act cannot be used to fly a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State, except for those in a list of exceptions, which does not include the Pride flag.
The Congressional Equality Caucus described the rule as a limitation on displaying Pride flags at State Department buildings in a statement from Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), Equality Caucus chair. statement The wording in the rule is similar to that used in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which restricted displaying Pride flags in certain areas for military service members and civilian Defense Department employees.
The language in the rule is similar to what was used in a previous Act to control the displaying of Pride flags in certain areas in government buildings. similar The NDAA rule prohibited the display of “any flag other than an approved flag” in those areas, providing a list of 10 approved flags, excluding the Pride flag. Following the bill’s approval in the House, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) mentioned that the bill would prevent a “rainbow flag [from] flying alongside the American Flag at our military bases.”
After Democrats sent a letter urging party leaders and President Biden to reject an earlier version of the bill including at least 40 anti-LGBTQ provisions, the move was made to ban the use of funds for flying Pride flags at certain government facilities, along with restricting gender-affirming health care access.
Despite the remaining provision, the Congressional Equality Caucus ultimately said that Republican lawmakers’ attempts to use the appropriations process for an all-out attack on LGBTQI+ rights have officially failed. November.
Despite the provision that remains, the Congressional Equality Caucus stated that Republican lawmakers’ endeavors to use the appropriations process to launch a full-scale assault on LGBTQI+ rights have ultimately been unsuccessful.
“Democrats successfully removed more than 45 anti-equality riders from the Fiscal Year 2024 funding bills during negotiations,” stated Pocan.
Advocates for LGBTQ rights have also seen it as a victory.
Brandon Wolf, national press secretary and senior director of political communications at the Human Rights Campaign, referred to the provision as a “mean-spirited but limited provision” that “poses absolutely no limits” to the display of Pride flags in almost all other cases in embassies, except for building exteriors.
The government funding bill worth $1.2 trillion that is currently in Congress includes a rule that would essentially prevent Pride flags from being raised at U.S. embassies. The rule doesn't directly state this, but it resembles wording from previous attempts to ban Pride flags from government buildings. As per the rule, the money allocated by this Act cannot be used to fly a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State, except for those in a list of exceptions, which does not include the Pride flag. called the condition a “mean-spirited but limited provision” that “poses absolutely no limits” to the display of Pride flags in almost all other cases in embassies excluding building exteriors.
