GOP lawmakers want to ban Pride and trans flags on public buildings

Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, licensed via CreativeCommons 2.0

Republican lawmakers in Iowa have introduced legislation to ban public buildings or spaces flying any flags other than patriotic ones.

The legislation, introduced by Sens. Roby Smith (R-Davenport), and Jake Chapman (R-Adel), stipulates the only flags allowed to fly should be the US flag, the State of Iowa flag, the prisoner of war and missing in action (POW/MIA) flag, plus official flags for political subdivisions that own or control the building.

Sioux City Journal says Senate Study Bill 3017 was introduced following a trans flag being flown for a few minutes at the Iowa Capitol building on the annual Trans Day of Remembrance on November, 20, last year.

The flag was flown at the request of the LGBTQ advocacy group Iowa Safe Schools.

The gesture upset some Republican lawmakers at the time, with one, State Rep. Skyler Wheeler telling the Iowa Starting Line it represented “one of the most egregious acts of political aggression I’ve ever seen … It’s another way that the Rainbow Jihad continues to give those of us who don’t agree with them a finger in the eye and push their beliefs on us.”

State officials said that two employees had not followed relevant protocols in agreeing to fly the flag. A spokesperson said all employees had been written to, reminding them of the correct protocol around flag flying.

However, for Chapman, this wasn’t enough, who said it set “a terrible precedent”. Hence the need to introduce legislation….

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