The United States Department of Defense will not allow LGBTQ Pride flags to be flown at military bases, in direct contradiction to policies across the executive branch, from the White House to the U.S. Department of State.
The Pentagon says it will “maintain existing policy for the display of unofficial flags” and “not grant an exception to display the Pride flag,” CNN reports.
That policy is a Trump-era policy. Under his predecessor, President Barack Obama, the LGBTQ Pride flag was allowed.
In 2020 Defense Secretary Mark Esper banned any “unofficial” flags, a reported attempt to ban Confederate flags.
The Confederate flag is the flag of a treasonous and traitorous group of Americans who fought the United States of America. The LGBTQ flag is a non-political, non-partisan flag that represents a segment of the American people and their allies.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin plans on participating in Pride Month events next week, and “encourages all commands to likewise find ways to recognize the service and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in defense of this nation,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby says the decision to not allow the LGBTQ Pride flag to be flown does not “in any way reflect on the respect and admiration we feel for all our LGBTQ+ personnel in and out of uniform.”