Florida bill banning Pride flag would make showing support for LGBTQ people a 'political viewpoint'

A Florida Republican lawmaker’s bill declares showing support for LGBTQ people is a “political viewpoint,” despite the existence of LGBTQ Democrats, Republicans, independents, and entirely unaffiliated and non-political LGBTQ people.

The goal of GOP State Rep. David Borrero’s legislation is to ban all versions of the LGBTQ pride flag from any and all local government buildings, including schools and universities.

“A governmental entity may not erect or display a flag that represent [sic] a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint. The governmental entity must remain neutral when representing political viewpoints in displaying or erecting a flag,” HB 901 reads.

The bill makes no mention of religious flags.

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This is the second time Rep. Borrero has tried to get LGBTQ pride flags banned from government buildings.

“Borrero’s bill is similar to legislation he and Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins filed in February (SB 668),” Florida Politics reports. “Collins later filed an amendment with a list of allowable flags, including the Confederate flag, but quickly withdrew it and his original bill from consideration.”

It is possible this legislation could gain more traction now.

“Last year, a parent sued the Palm Beach County school district over a pair of pride flags hung in his seventh-grade child’s classroom. He echoed DeSantis’ repeated assertion that the flag represents a concerted effort to ‘indoctrinate‘ kids,” Florida Politics adds.

On his campaign website, Rep. Borrero talks about “moral values” and “conservative principles,” and says, “Religious freedom is under assault and gravely at-risk in our state and nation. While freedom of speech and religious freedom are being attacked by the liberal media and liberal special interests, additional protections need to be established to ensure churches, synagogues and religious organizations do not lose their tax-exempt status and are able to practice their faiths and express their values without intervention from the government.”

Last month, Borrero announced, “I’m proud to stand with and endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States.”

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Benjamin J. Kirby, who appears to have been the communications director for the mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, responded to the news, writing: “Creating the tradition of raising the #pride flag over #StPete City Hall was a wonderful legacy of the Kriseman Administration. I hope all my #LGBTQ friends in Florida recognize the danger of the Republican Legislature and vote accordingly in November.”

Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBTQ nonprofit advocacy organization, responded by warning: “If conservative lawmakers won’t stop trying to erase us, we won’t stop showing up to oppose them.”

from Alternet.org https://ift.tt/0aUDxnG
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