In April, Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized US diplomatic outposts to fly the pride flag on the same flagpole as the American flag, perhaps setting a precedent for the Defense Department to follow suit. However, according to some defense officials, lifting the restriction on the pride flag could open the floodgates for other symbols and flags to be displayed on military facilities. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin briefs the press from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Washington, DC, Feb. The gay pride flag is among those colors that do not fall within the new protocol. Although this new guideline did not explicitly ban Confederate flags, it stated that any flag that does not represent US states and allied countries is forbidden display in public areas at active military bases. Last year, in an attempt to curb the display of Confederate flags on US military bases, then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper issued a memo detailing guidelines on which flags are approved for display on Defense Department installations.
The move comes during June’s Pride Month, a celebration for the LGBTQ community and a reminder of the hardships and injustices individuals within this demographic have faced in the past. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his legal team are investigating whether to allow the gay pride flag to be flown on US military installations.