White House Pride Flag Display Enrages Right-Wingers

American conservatives have found the next thing to flame up about: flags. Specifically, the American political right wing is upset about Saturday’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month celebration on the South Lawn of the White House.

They say that the prominent placement of the LGBTQ+ Progress Pride Flag as a banner centered along the exterior of the White House Truman Balcony, flanked by two U.S. flags, was a violation of the U.S. Flag Code and a “disgraceful” display by President Joe Biden.

At the White House, over a thousand people enjoyed a bright, warm, and overwhelmingly positive afternoon of ice cream, pizza, and refreshments. Outside the gates, a few religious zealots screamed about Jesus saving homosexuals from their sins. However, aside for tourists who passed along the north side of the building, their noise was inaudible to attendees.

Inside the White House complex, with the Progress Pride Flag towering over the crowd, families with children, drag queens, transgender couples, and a who’s who of LGBTQ+ activists and administration officials listened to Biden and the First Lady speak. They cheered on Betty Who as the pop star performed for the enthusiastic crowd. The afternoon was beautiful, by all accounts.

But conservatives have been seething online since because of the Biden-Harris administration’s embrace of queer joy.

Some Twitter users condemned the placement of the Pride flag.

“This is a disgrace. Not only is it in breach of the U.S. Flag Code, but it’s a glaring example of this White Houses’ incompetence and insistence on putting their social agenda ahead of patriotism,” wrote U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, a medical doctor representing Kansas.

The Republican senator’s examination didn’t include the White House flag atop the building, nor did he cite any particular area of the flag code.

Individuals viewing Marshall’s post on Twitter delivered a barrage of responses, including LGBTQ+ program director at Media Matters Ari Drennen, who attended the event at the White House.

She tweeted, “Quick question for the flag code enthusiasts demanding that the President resign over this ‘scandal’: which flag is at the center and the highest point in this photo from the event?”

Beneath the text of her tweet, she included:

• A photo of herself standing in front of the White House.
• The U.S. flags to the left and right of the Progress Pride Flag.
• A U.S. flag on top of the flagpole on the roof of the building.

Beneath the U.S. flag flew a POW-MIA flag.

Marshall’s Twitter post sparked a flurry of responses claiming Biden and the White House flag didn’t break flag rules since the flag was flying atop the White House. In groups of flags of states and localities displayed by staff, the national flag should be at the center and highest point.

Flag Rule No. 10 states that the commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces may alter, modify, repeal, or add to U.S. flag display rules whenever appropriate.

Marshal served in the Army Reserve and attained the rank of captain. He was elected to the U.S. House in 2016 and the U.S. Senate in 2020.