As Twitchy reported in May, the State Department sent out a memo on the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd encouraging U.S. embassies and other outposts to fly Black Lives Matter banners and use the phrase Black Lives Matter “in messaging content, speeches, and other diplomatic engagements with foreign audiences to advance racial equity and access to justice on May 25 and beyond.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has now reversed a Trump administration policy and says U.S. embassies can display the Pride flag through the end of June. The Defense Department, though, is keeping with its policy on not flying the Pride flag at U.S. military installations for Pride Month.
The Defense Department will not allow the Pride flag to be flown at installations under its purview, unlike the State Department, spokesperson John Kirby said Friday.
“After some careful consideration the department will maintain the existing policy regarding the display” at military bases, Kirby told reporters. “There won’t be an exception made for the Pride flag.
“This in no way reflects any lack of respect or admiration for the LGBTQ+ community,” Kirby continued. “This was really more about the potential … for other challenges that could arise from that exception.”
In other words, if they fly the Pride flag in June, who knows who else will demand their banner be raised.
Perhaps we should only fly the American flag or military flags over American military installations. Just a thought. https://t.co/blTMb5f5aS
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 7, 2021
We moved at light speed from "leave us alone so we can do what we want" to "fly our flag at your government installations."
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 7, 2021
We’re old enough to remember when the only thing the LGBTQ community demanded was same-sex marriage.
Flags are supposed to unify. They are not supposed to serve particular sectarian interests. If, for example, American bases were to fly a flag with a cross on it to honor America's legacy of religious freedom, I have a feeling people on the Left wouldn't be sanguine about it.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 7, 2021
They need to fly my favorite university's flag, otherwise I'm offended.
— Mark Higbee 🇺🇸 (@MarkHigbee) June 7, 2021
I was thinking the POW/MIA flag, but then that's just me. #RememberThemAll
— Paul Brian (@ThePaulBrian) June 7, 2021
This is literally a flag that celebrates a particular manner of deriving sexual pleasure.
— עוד יבוא שלום – Peace will yet come (@danalytix2) June 7, 2021
Agreed. The American flag deserves to remain being the symbol of unity it is especially in the military. Otherwise this just disrespects all the lives lost so far just so folks can be brainwashed into an inclusion war made by politicians for politicians.
— Kelley (@ecosimm3r) June 7, 2021
I mean we are the joke of the world for even considering this let alone doing it in some instances.
— Agent86 (@MAXWELLSMART86D) June 7, 2021
Let's compromise and make this the official flag for the US pic.twitter.com/72V03mvzP0
— Kameryn Williams 🦑🐙🐬 (@KamerynJW) June 7, 2021
Absolutely not, third party flags have zero business being flown on any military installation. If you want to have inclusion then join the military. The American flag includes all of us, there’s no need for any other flag.
— Grimm D. (@TheLogicalGame2) June 7, 2021
Leftists won't be satisfied until it's the American flag that gets put up for special occasions.
— Dave Cooperman (@comicdavecooper) June 7, 2021
How did it go from the ‘love that dare not speak its name’ to the ‘love that will never shut the hell up’?
— Scoop Doggy Dogg (@ScoCJo) June 7, 2021
A lot of people are going after Ben Shapiro, but they really ought to be directing their outrage toward President Biden’s Defense Department, which made the decision.
Related:
Secretary of State Tony Blinken urges US embassies to honor Black Lives Matter movement on anniversary of George Floyd’s death https://t.co/bwmjpJxjui
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 24, 2021
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