WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending package over the weekend that includes a provision banning the flying of rainbow “pride” flags at U.S. embassies, despite the Biden administration’s normally uncompromising pursuit of the LGBT agenda.
Fox Business reports that the 1,012-page agreement contains language added by Republican lawmakers stipulating that “[n]one of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended to fly or display a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State.” It does not prevent State Department employees from displaying “pride” flags at their own desks or cubicles.
“The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open, invests in the American people, and strengthens our economy and national security,” Biden said on Saturday. “This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted.”
When Republicans originally proposed the language, the White House denounced it as “targeting LGBTQI+ Americans” and said “we will continue to work with members of Congress to find an opportunity to repeal it.” If the November elections go Democrats’ way, they could do so via standalone legislation; otherwise it will likely be a bone of contention in future budget negotiations.
In recent years, American bureaucrats throughout federal and state government have used their official positions to promote LGBT “pride” and other leftist causes through flags, public declarations, and government social media accounts to the greatest extent allowed under the rules governing them. The Trump administration instituted a rule change requiring diplomats to seek permission to fly any banner other than the American flag at U.S. embassies and denied requests for rainbow flags.
Biden allowed pride flags to be flown again upon taking office as part of its uncompromising support to all aspects of the LGBT agenda, including signing legislation to federally codify homosexual “marriage,” reopening the military to recruits afflicted with gender dysphoria, promoting gender ideology within the military (including “diversity” and drag events on military bases), holding White House events to “affirm transgender kids,” condemning state laws against underage “transitions” as “close to sinful,” proposing to remove the sex-specific terms “mother” and “father” from federal childcare laws, promoting underage “transitions” (potentially at taxpayer expense) as a “best practice,” trying to force federally funded schools to let males into female athletic competitions and restrooms, and proposing requiring adoption and foster agencies to affirm children’s gender confusion.