New Policy Bars Pride, BLM Flags From US Embassies

President Donald Trump hasn’t wasted any time implementing his agenda. Since Day One, he’s signed numerous executive orders, and he continues to take action that fulfills promises he made during his campaign. An example of this momentum is the “One Flag Policy,” which has been adopted by the U.S. Department of State. A notable aspect of this new policy is that it effectively bans Pride and Black Lives Matter flags from being flown on any U.S. Embassy or outpost.

According to The Washington Post, the policy, issued by the new Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reads: “Starting immediately, only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad, and featured in U.S. government content. The flag of the United States of America united all Americans under the universal principles of justice, liberty, and democracy. These values, which are the bedrock of our great country, are shared by all American citizens, past and present.”

There are only two exceptions, which are the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) emblem and the Wrongful Detainees Flag. This policy comes after four years of former President Joe Biden’s administration, in which he flew the Progress flag outside of the White House during Pride Month. In 2021, Biden was also blasted for “a leaked State Department memo that encouraged U.S. embassies to display Black Lives Matter flags on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.”

Several other government facilities flew Pride and BLM flags during Biden’s administration. Under Trump, the Post warned that “employees from the State Department who go against the policy ‘face disciplinary action, including termination of employment or contract, or reassignment to their home agency.’” The order also states that the policy is designed to be “respectful” to the U.S. flag.

Many Americans have celebrated this decision. On X, for instance, the popular conservative account Libs of TikTok said the new policy means “the international embarrassment is over.” Another account wrote, “Stars and Stripes, not rainbows.” One user stated, “When [Trump] said he was returning America to common sense, he meant it. Promises made — promises kept.” Journalist Megyn Kelly referred to the policy as “another win,” while a user commented, “I don’t [foresee] getting tired of winning.”

Meanwhile, progressive groups such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation are not pleased with the president’s decision to remove LGBTQ+ activism from government. In addition to the “One Flag Policy,” Trump reportedly erased all “LGBTQ” and “HIV”-related content from federal websites.

According to Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO, these actions pose threats to free speech. As she put it, “President Trump claims to be a strong proponent of freedom of speech, yet he is clearly committed to censorship of any information containing or related to LGBTQ Americans and issues that we face.”

She continued, “This action proves the Trump administration’s goal of making it as difficult as possible for LGBTQ Americans to find federal resources or otherwise see ourselves reflected under his presidency. Sadly for him, our community is more visible than ever; and this pathetic attempt to diminish and remove us will again prove unsuccessful.” However, as Family Research Council’s Joseph Backholm shared with The Washington Stand, “This is not a free speech issue.”

Backholm, a senior fellow for strategic engagement and biblical worldview, explained how these decisions don’t prevent anyone “from saying whatever they want about LGBT issues. Trump has just decided the U.S. government is going to take the equivalent of religious positions about sex and gender. The various flags the LGBT lobby has created in recent years are representative of an ideology that Americans very clearly rejected in the last election, in part, because of that ideology’s hostility to anyone who dares disagree.” He added, “If anything, belief in the freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion mandates exactly what Trump has done, which is the removal of symbols that communicate deep hostility to those who disagree.”

But, as Backholm went on to explain, removing leftist ideologies from government websites doesn’t mean Christians can sit idle. “While voters have rejected progressivism for now, we have a unique opportunity to communicate why it doesn’t work.” According to Backholm, “Progressivism denies the reality of sin and insists the world is perfectible if their people have the political power. It misunderstands human nature and frequently calls evil good and good evil.” Progressivism “places our core identity in our race or gender, instead of the image of God we all carry,” he added. “So, instead of emphasizing what unites us, it demands we focus on the things that divide us.”

Backholm continued, “It gestures towards human equality but undermines the basis of human equality by insisting we don’t need God.” He further argued that this is why, from the Christian worldview, there’s “a better path in all respects. Christianity isn’t true because it works better, it works better because it is true. God actually created us and told us what is good for us, and it is in our best interest to submit to the laws of nature and nature’s God.”

“Personal happiness is not the foundation of a strong civilization,” Backholm contended. “And the belief that personal happiness is the greatest good destroys the family, which is the foundation of a strong civilization.” He concluded that “the Christian worldview explains why progressivism fails to deliver on its promises and can point us to a better path. Hopefully, the church will spend more time explaining this than gloating about what is at least a partial political victory.”

Originally published by The Washington Stand

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