A Republican U.S. Congressman from South Carolina wants to make sure America’s embassies around the world don’t promote equality or recognize Pride month. Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina has filed a bill that would ban U.S. embassies from flying the LGBT pride flag.
During the Obama administration many U.S. embassies around the world opted to fly the rainbow flag during June, the official month of LGBT Pride. President Donald Trump for two years in a row has refused to issue any declarations honoring Pride month.
“The United States flag is the single greatest symbol of freedom the world has ever known, and there’s no reason for anything but Old Glory to be flying over our embassies and posts around the globe,” Duncan said in a statement, the Washington Examiner reports.
Some U.S. embassies have continued the tradition of honoring LGBT Pride even during the Trump years, prompting Rep. Duncan, an ardent anti-gay activist, to file his bill.
Rep. Duncan has ties to the far right wing of the Republican party, and even accepted an award from an anti-gay hate group, the Family Research Council.
Duncan is on record as opposing same-sex marriage and even claims that state laws supersede federal laws on marriage, which is false. He also believes those who hold anti-gay positions should be federally protected.
The South Carolina Republican Congressman was roundly mocked earlier this year when he falsely claimed the First Amendment applied to Facebook, and demanded conservatives’ free-speech rights be “restored.”