Burning the American flag was commonplace during last year’s BLM riots. BLM protesters say it represents ‘ slavery, genocide and war’.
The BLM flag is almost viewed as an antidote to the Stars and Stripes. What’s more, as the woke elites fly the BLM and Pride flags, they have started to look down on the American flag. Imagine the outcry if US missions abroad displayed the flags of other disputed political organisations within the US, like the National Right to Life Committee or the National Rifle Association. There is a good reason why embassies, until now, have avoided taking sides in domestic political controversies. Meanwhile, trans rights are hotly contested at the moment. Same-sex marriage does have majority support, according to a recent poll. Only half of Americans support BLM, according to a recent poll by Civiqs. But this does not explain why Pride and BLM, which are political movements, enjoy such a privileged status.Īlthough the Biden team may imagine these movements to be unquestionably good, they are far from universally endorsed within the US. There are no reports of rainbow flags in Saudi Arabia, however.īlinken and his State Department claim that flying these flags merely signals the US’s support for the rights of ‘people of colour’ and ‘LGBTQI+ persons’. In a move seemingly designed to troll the Vatican, which remains opposed to same-sex marriage, the US embassy to the Holy See tweeted that it was celebrating Pride month by displaying the rainbow flag. It shows that the Biden administration is committed to exporting its woke values around the globe.Įmbassies have flown BLM flags in many countries, including Bosnia, Cambodia and the UK, while Pride flags have been flown by embassies in Russia, Luxembourg and Namibia.
But to fly flags other than the Stars and Stripes from the buildings that represent the US abroad is still extraordinary. Late May marked the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death and June is Pride month. The immediate spur for this decision is clear. Secretary of state Antony Blinken has authorised US embassies to fly the Black Lives Matter and rainbow Pride flags.