American fear of LGBTQIA Pride representation.
In Huntington Beach in California, the rainbow Pride flag and other nongovernmental banners will no longer be allowed to be flown on city properties with over 58% of voters casting ballots in favor of the ban.
The city is conservative-leaning, with nearly 138,000 registered voters (53,894 Republicans; 41,412 Democrats; and 28,000 with no party preference).
Measure B specifically prohibits the display of Pride, breast cancer awareness and religious flags, though it exempts city, county and state flags, as well as the US and armed forces flags from the ban. Commemorative banners, including those for POW-MIAs or the Olympics, will also be allowed to be displayed in places like city hall.
Based on the statement of city’s mayor, Gracey Van Der Mark, a former Democrat who became a right-wing Republican in 2016, the flag ordinance is more about the frustration of extremists about California’s liberal supermajority, with the step seen as a way to counter the governance coming from the state capital.
“A lot of this is taking Huntington Beach back to how it was,” she was quoted as saying. “A lot of cities are afraid to push back because they don’t want to be the target of Sacramento. We’re not afraid.”
