A bit of over a yr in the past, whereas making an attempt to safe votes to cross a $1.2-trillion spending bundle, Home Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly informed the fiscal conservative members of his get together to vote for the invoice partially as a result of it banned flying Delight flags over U.S. embassies. Johnson’s ways weren’t a shock. Earlier than operating for Congress, Johnson labored as an legal professional for an anti-LGBTQ+ group and on multiple event had argued in court docket in opposition to legalizing same-sex marriage. Nonetheless, it was somewhat telling that with a authorities shutdown deadline looming, Johnson was not capable of rally his troops across the invoice’s benefit however somewhat their dislike of rainbow flags.
When President Biden signed the spending invoice with the ban, he promised Individuals that his administration would work across the clock to discover a approach to carry the ban. 5 months later, Biden dropped out of the race, and in the present day the moratorium on Delight flags remains to be in place. Undecided how a lot cash the nation is saving from the coverage, however I do know the message that it sends to the remainder of the world can’t be price it.
The United Nations Refugee Company believes there are greater than 44 million refugees world wide. That’s triple the variety of individuals fleeing battle or persecution from only a decade in the past. The nations contributing probably the most refugees are Afghanistan and Syria, with 6.4 million every, adopted by Venezuela (6.1 million) and Ukraine (6 million).
In Afghanistan, dying is the utmost sentence for being queer, whereas in Syria it’s punishable by as much as three years in jail. In Venezuela, being LGBTQ+ isn’t against the law, however police nonetheless harass the neighborhood by raiding bars. In Ukraine, members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood can serve within the navy to struggle in its battle with Russia, however same-sex relationships aren’t legally acknowledged. Which means if the love of your life died in battle, the federal government wouldn’t even should notify you. They’re simply gone and it’s as much as the surviving associate to determine if their cherished one is buried and in that case, the place.
The Nineteenth-century American poet Emma Lazarus stated she wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus” to lift cash for the development of the Statue of Liberty as a result of she believed the statue would function a welcome signal for brand spanking new immigrants arriving within the New York harbor.
“A mighty lady with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her title Mom of Exiles,” Lazarus wrote shortly after the Civil Warfare in 1883. Between 1880 and 1920, greater than 20 million immigrants — principally from Europe — made their approach to the U.S.
Throughout that four-decade stretch, it wasn’t simply heterosexuals coming to our shores searching for a greater life. And it’s not solely heterosexuals among the many estimated 44 million refugees world wide. That is why till final yr, the Delight flag flew over U.S. embassies throughout June, to let the determined souls fleeing persecution know that they’d discover consolation within the arms of the Mom of Exiles. Now that’s not true — not due to a strategic international coverage choice however as a result of some members of Congress — like Johnson — merely don’t like queer individuals. Unusual conduct from a political get together that claims it doesn’t like id politics.
Final month, Russian-born tennis participant Daria Kasatkina introduced she had defected from her dwelling nation and turn into an Australian citizen as a result of she is overtly queer. She stated that as an out athlete, she “didn’t have a lot selection.”
Final yr, whereas Republicans have been making an attempt to de-gay the flagpoles of our embassies, the world additionally discovered that Russia’s Supreme Court docket declared the rainbow flag was forbidden in its nation. If Ukraine falls, what rights its LGBTQ+ residents have will more than likely fall with it.
Kasatkina’s choice to go away her dwelling nation made her a political refugee. Now she’s within the land Down Below.
The US was the form of nation that welcomed the persecuted, however I assume she didn’t see us as the most suitable choice. Exhausting in charge her.
Insights
L.A. Instances Insights delivers AI-generated evaluation on Voices content material to supply all factors of view. Insights doesn’t seem on any information articles.
Viewpoint
Views
The next AI-generated content material is powered by Perplexity. The Los Angeles Instances editorial workers doesn’t create or edit the content material.
Concepts expressed within the piece
- The writer argues that the U.S. ban on Delight flags at embassies, negotiated by Home Speaker Mike Johnson, alerts a rejection of LGBTQ+ refugees and undermines America’s historic position as a sanctuary for persecuted teams[1][5]. This coverage is framed as a political maneuver rooted in Johnson’s longstanding opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, together with his authorized work in opposition to same-sex marriage[1][5].
- The article highlights the dire circumstances confronted by LGBTQ+ people in international locations like Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine, the place same-sex relationships are criminalized or unrecognized, and contrasts this with the U.S.’s lowered willingness to visibly help these communities via symbolic gestures like flag shows[1][5].
- Granderson critiques the ban as a part of a broader shift towards id politics by Republicans, regardless of their claims to oppose such ways, and hyperlinks it to Russia’s outright prohibition of rainbow flags as a parallel erosion of LGBTQ+ rights[1][5].
Completely different views on the subject
- Supporters of the ban, together with policymakers like Marco Rubio, argue that the U.S. flag alone ought to signify nationwide unity, citing the 2024 Appropriations Act’s provision that restricts embassy shows to “approved symbols” to keep away from divisive cultural messaging[1][3]. They body the coverage as reinforcing patriotism and avoiding perceived partisan symbolism in diplomatic areas[1][3].
- Conservative advocates, together with teams behind Venture 2025, contend that LGBTQ+ visibility insurance policies promote “poisonous normalization” and battle with conventional household values. They search to eradicate phrases like “gender id” from federal rules and reverse protections for LGBTQ+ people in workplaces, faculties, and well being care, arguing these measures shield spiritual freedom and organic definitions of intercourse[2][4][6][7][8].
- Opponents of Delight flag shows additionally tie their stance to nationwide safety and diplomatic priorities, asserting that U.S. international coverage ought to keep away from “tradition battle” points and give attention to broader strategic pursuits somewhat than advocating for LGBTQ+ rights overseas[2][6][9].
