Speaker Johnson using ban on LGBTQ Pride flags to sell critical funding bill

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s $1 trillion bill, which must pass the House and Senate and be signed into law before 12:01 AM Saturday, includes several provisions Democrats oppose but have little choice to try to remove if they want to avoid a partial shutdown of the federal government.

Among them, a ban on flying LGBTQ+ pride flags at U.S. embassies.

According to The Daily Beast, Johnson “had boasted of the provision in recent days as he’s tried to sell the $1 trillion deal to some of his skeptical colleagues.” Bloomberg News reported Johnson “touted as a conservative win a provision he said the deal includes banning the LGBTQ Pride flag from being flown over US embassies.”

Although Johnson, a Christian nationalist, may have bragged about the LGBTQ pride flag aspect, the ban reportedly encompasses all flags other than the U.S. flag.

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“A Democrat familiar with the text said the flag ban prohibits displaying any flag other than an approved US flag so also would prevent embassies from flying Confederate or Donald Trump-themed ‘Make America Great Again’ flags,” Bloomberg reported. “There is no ban on embassy officials’ personal use of Pride flags, the Democrat added.”

CNN’s Manu Raju reports Johnson has issued a statement on the bill. It cites the flag item as a “policy win.”

Meanwhile, Punchbowl News compared the “wins,” or priorities, of Democrats versus Republicans in the legislation:

“Democrats are touting 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who helped the United States during the long war in that embattled country, as well as more money for childcare. They blocked nearly every Republican ‘poison pill’ across the six bills.”

“Republicans are crowing about saving gas stoves, increasing the number of ICE detention beds, more border patrol agents, cuts to foreign aid and preventing the State Department from flying non-sanctioned flags at U.S. diplomatic compounds.”

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The Daily Beast also pointed out that “Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has a documented history of making anti-LGBTQ+ statements, once opining that same-sex marriage was a ‘dark harbinger of chaos.'”

Johnson has done more than make anti-LGBTQ+ statements.

According to data from VoteSmart, Johnson has a record of voting against pro-LGBTQ+, pro-women, and pro-seniors legislation.

In 2021 as a backbencher, Johnson voted against the LGBTQ Equality Act. He also voted against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, against removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, and against the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. Johnson voted against the Strength in Diversity Act of 2019 and the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019, against the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, and against Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2019. In 2020, Johnson voted against the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.