As June brings Pride Month celebrations across the United States, President Joe Biden acknowledged the occasion with a display at the White House.
However, this gesture ignited a firestorm on social media, with critics accusing the administration of violating the US Flag Code.
On Saturday, June 10, President Biden hosted the largest Pride celebration in White House history. During the event, he adorned the Truman Balcony with an LGBTQ+ flag, flanked by American flags on either side.
The display triggered outrage online, and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) took to Twitter, posting a photo of the display and claiming that the President had violated the Flag Code.
The controversy surrounding the display was discussed on “Fox & Friends First” by Kaylee McGhee White, the Washington Examiner’s deputy editor. White supported the notion that the President had violated the code, asserting that he was sending a message that LGBTQ+ “ideology runs America [and] it’s the new state religion.”
The crux of the argument rested on US Flag Code Section 7(e), which stipulates that the American flag should always be at the center and elevated above other flags when displayed. Critics argued that since the LGBTQ+ flag was displayed in the middle and at the same level as the American flags, a violation had occurred.
However, upon closer examination, it was revealed that the photos shared on social media and the video clip circulated on Fox News were cropped or taken at an angle that obscured the presence of another American flag on display that day.
Furthermore, this flag was elevated above all others at the highest point. Consequently, the display did not violate the flag code. Twitter even added a clarification under Senator Marshall’s tweet, acknowledging the existence of the additional flag and providing a photo that depicted it.
Forbes further highlighted that section 10 of the code grants the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces the authority to alter, modify, or repeal the code’s rules if deemed appropriate or desirable.
While the controversy surrounding the Pride Month display at the White House drew significant attention, the evidence suggests that it did not breach the US Flag Code.
