Mississippi GOP wants LGBT Pride flag gone from VA cemetery.

“Replacing the United States flag with a flag that promotes a particular sexual or gender identity goes against the very mission of our national cemeteries… Cemeteries should be places for reflection and respect, not public virtue signaling.”

Five Republican lawmakers from Mississippi are demanding that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) remove an LGBT Pride flag that was temporarily placed on Biloxi Veterans Affairs property. The lawmakers argue that the flag’s installment amounts to a “political stunt” and is disrespectful to veterans.

The rainbow flag was added to a display of American flags at the front of the hospital and cemetery campus on June 1 to commemorate Pride Month. However, Mississippi residents learned that the Pride flag would be flown on a pole typically reserved for an American flag on Memorial Day, a day that should have been dedicated to honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom.

The letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough was signed by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Reps. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.). The GOP lawmakers demanded that the VA take immediate action to replace the Pride flags with American flags at all VA facilities across the state.

Disrespectful to U.S. Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families

The lawmakers noted that the decision to fly the Pride flag was disrespectful to U.S. service members, veterans, and their families. They argued that replacing the American flag with a flag that promotes a particular sexual or gender identity goes against the very mission of our national cemeteries.

“These sites were established to be a shrine ‘sacred to the honor and memory of those interred or memorialized there.’ Cemeteries should be places for reflection and respect, not public virtue signaling,” the legislators continued.

The lawmakers concluded that the “political stunt” is another example of the Biden administration’s willingness to promote its political agenda rather than focus on its mission as the executive branch. They emphasized that veterans expect the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide services, not promote controversial ideologies.

VA Secretary McDonough authorized the Pride flag to be flown at VA facilities nationwide for up to 30 days during Pride Month. The flag promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements. It is unclear how many VA facilities and cemeteries across the state of Mississippi are currently flying the Pride flag, however the decision to do so has also prompted demonstrations among local residents who have asked for the flags to be taken down.

One of the flags that hung on the east side of the entrance to the Biloxi VA Medical Center has already been removed twice by an unknown individual before being replaced.