US President Joe Biden’s administration is facing a massive backlash over its decision to fly a rainbow-coloured Pride flag at the White House on Sunday (June 11).
The flag was flanked by two Stars and Stripes flags hanging on the president’s residence facing the South Lawn on Pennsylvania Avenue.
But critics say it violates the US Flag Code that mandates the American flag be in the centre of any display featuring multiple national flags or pennants.
And not only did the positioning of the flag leave people hot under the collar, the actual flag itself did, with many people objecting to the LGBTQ symbol hanging from the building.
One Twitter user who goes by the name of The Godfather wrote: “This is NOT the Biden White House! It’s The Peoples White House. Please don’t desecrate it by displaying a gay pride flag flanked by Old Glory! It’s also a violation of the US Flag Code. Disgraceful! Disrespectful! Diabolic!”
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Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said: “To advance revolutionary transgender agenda targeting children, Biden violates basic tenet of US Flag Code and disrespects every American service member buried under its colours.”
He went on to cite the US Flag Code, part of which reads: “The flag of the United States of America should be at the centre and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.”
Dr Roger Marshall, senator for Kansas, waded into the debate, writing: “This is a disgrace. Not only is it in breach of US Flag Code, but it’s a glaring example of this White House’s incompetence and insistence on putting their social agenda ahead of patriotism.”
Defenders of the flag, though, hit back at the accusations of code violation, with the following message posted in response to an image of the White House, with the ‘offending’ symbol front and centre: “While it cannot be seen in this photo, the American flag is being flown on top of the White House in the centre of the building, and therefore, the flag code is not being violated.”
The display was featured prominently during Mr Biden’s Pride Month celebration at the White House, where the president praised the LGBTQ community as “some of the bravest and most inspiring” people he has ever known.
“You know, we all move forward when we move together with your joy, with your pride lighting the way,” he said. “So today, let us proudly remember who we are – the United States of America.”
But once more, Mr Biden came in for further ridicule during a speech where he talked about the ending of a ban on transgender people serving in the United States military. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite come out like that when he said: “As commander in chief, I was proud to have ended the ban on transjester Americans… transgender Americans, serving in the United States military.”
Naturally, his momentary slip-up was seized upon by his critics, with one writing: “He turned America into a laughing stock.”
Another wag penned on Twitter: “My son told me he wanted to join the military, but he couldn’t because he was a transjester. Last night he said, ‘Mom, thanks to President Biden, I can!’. True story. Happened at 8:06pm.”
