The American evangelist, Rev. Franklin Graham, will not keep mum about Blinken's approval of the gay pride flag being flown alongside the American flag in June.
"Just because something is "authorized," that doesn't make it right! Why should a flag representing one group of people and a specific agenda be literally raised up above all others and allowed to fly at our embassies and consulates?"
That's what the Rev. Graham wrote on Facebook in response to a report saying the U.S. State Department has approved flying the flag used by the LGBT on a pole meant for nothing but the United States of America's very own flag.
Graham contended that since embassies embody the U.S. in other nations, they can fly only the American flag. Other flags supporting causes such as gay pride or a Christian movement should not even be flown next to the flag representing a nation.
"Our U.S. flag represents the sacrifice, the honor, the unity, the patriotism-and the blood-that made America great. Pray for our nation and our leaders," said Graham.
Blinken Overrides Another Trump-era Policy
Fox News reports that American embassies and consulates around the world are now allowed to display the rainbow flag alongside the American flag on the same mast.
According to The New York Times, citing a cable and a department spokesman, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken's decision preempts a Trump administration move that rejected requests from embassies to display the pride flag during Pride Month in June.
The flag can be displayed before May 17, the "International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia," and until the end of June with Blinken's permission.
According to the cable, diplomatic outposts are not mandated to fly the flag, and it's the leaders' discretion to determine if "such a display is acceptable in light of local circumstances."
Michael Pompeo, Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, fought to keep LGBTQ Pride flags, like the one at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, from being flown alongside American flags.
Former vice president Mike Pence was also in agreement with Pompeo. He said that he and President Trump are "proud to be able to serve every American, and we both feel that way very passionately."
At least four U.S. embassies - in Israel, Germany, Brazil, and Latvia - were allegedly refused permission to fly the LGBTQ flags.
Notwithstanding, according to the Times, some embassies did it anyway. One outpost in South Korea reportedly hanged it on the building but was soon pulled down.
Netizens Asked Why
Reactions from those who maintain conservative stances were aplenty. Several, like Franklin Graham, made little reference to their moral convictions in their opposition. They simply stated that flags other than those of nations could not be flown above government buildings.
According to one comment, whenever one party is allowed to fly their own flag, that is discriminatory against those other groups that have flags to also show.
"Best to honor America thus representing all Americans and not signaling one group only," said the person who wrote the comment.
Another concurred, arguing that if the current government would play as a patron, the flagpole would then be clogged with flags serving diverse interests.
"Let's just keep it simple. One flag, one America!!" she declared.
One was outraged that the Democrats seemed to be rescinding anything from the prior government only because it was carried out by the then President Trump.
