Biden is being criticized on social media for violating the US Flag Code

President Joe Biden and his administration are being criticized online for violating the US Flag Code after displaying a rainbow-colored Pride flag on the White House.

The president celebrated Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community by unveiling the Pride flag between two American flags.

But Twitter users were quick to criticize Biden, arguing that the US flag should be at the center of any display with multiple national flags or pennants, according to the US Flag Code.

A Saturday event, described by the government as the largest Pride event hosted at the White House, was initially scheduled for Thursday but was postponed due to poor air quality from dangerous air pouring in from Canadian wildfires.

The president celebrated Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community with an unveiling of the exhibit

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, accused Biden of violating the basic principle of the US Flag Code

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, tweeted, “To advance the revolutionary transgender agenda aimed at children, Biden violates the basic principle of the US Flag Code and disrespects any US service member buried under his colors.”

He mentioned the US Flag Code §7. (e) which reads: ‘The flag of the United States of America shall be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states or localities or pennants of associations are grouped and displayed from staves. ‘

Dr. Roger Marshall tweeted that the display is “a disgrace.”

‘This is a disgrace. Not only does it violate the American Flag Code, but it is a glaring example of the White House’s incompetence and insistence on putting their social agenda above patriotism,” he wrote.

The Saturday Pride Month event featured artists and speakers representing LGBT causes, calling the community “the bravest and most inspiring of people” and setting an example for the US and the world.

A Twitter user quoted the US Flag Code §7. (e) which reads: ‘The flag of the United States of America shall be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states or localities or pennants of associations are grouped and displayed from staves’

So today I want to send a message to the whole community – especially transgender children: you are loved. You are heard. You are understood. And you belong,” Biden said.

Pride Month is being celebrated this year as state lawmakers have introduced at least 525 bills and passed 78 bills that take away LGBTQ+ rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and queer.

That figure includes a recent spate of bills affecting transgender people, including legislation recently passed by Republican governors vying for the 2024 presidential nomination.

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed into law a bill banning gender-affirming medical care such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy for transgender youth.

Earlier this week, a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of a law DeSantis signed into law shortly before announcing he was running for president.

Florida Governor DeSantis shows the parental rights in education signed, the Don’t Say Gay Act. More than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced and more than 70 signed in 2023 so far – more than double the number from last year

Earlier this week, a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of a law DeSantis signed into law shortly before announcing he was running for president.

In North Dakota, Governor Doug Burgum signed a bill last month that would prohibit public schools and government agencies from requiring teachers and employees to refer to transgender people by the pronouns they use. Burgum, who like DeSantis has made culture issues a central part of his tenure as governor, entered the White House primary field.

Josh Helfgott, a New York City-based LGBTQ+ activist and social media influencer, said marking Pride Month at the White House felt like one of the most important moments in his life. But he said the tide of legislation has added another layer to this year’s celebrations.

“Pride is so important this year because we can’t keep silent when we face hatred and bigotry,” Helfgott said. “The other side is so loud, unbelievably loud. ‘

A participant uses a rainbow flag to keep cool at a Saturday Pride Month event at the White House in Washington, D.C.

San Francisco’s Anjali Rimi attended the White House event with her mother, who recently emigrated from India.

Rimi came to the United States more than 20 years ago because, she said, she was shunned as transgender by her family and society.

Times were also tough in the United States, she said. She was pushed out of her job after coming out, was homeless for a time, and applied for asylum in Canada for about ten years before returning to the United States.

“It’s a moment we’ll cherish for a lifetime,” said Rimi, an activist in San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community. “This is a joyful moment, but it also reminds us that we have so much work to do.”