Conservatives call on Federal Reserve to take down gay pride flag

[zsdersw]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-gay-pride-flag/2011/06/03/AGTpz7HH_blog.html

Conservatives are calling on the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank to remove the rainbow flag flying outside its building representing gay rights in conjunction with Gay Pride month.

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), one of the most conservative members of the General Assembly, wrote a letter to Jeffrey M. Lacker, president of the Richmond Federal Reserve, urging him to take down the flag.

He wrote that homosexuality “adds significantly to illness, increases health costs, promotes venereal diseases, and worsens the population imbalance relating to the number of workers supporting the beneficiaries of America’s Social Security and Medicare programs.”

“I do not believe that a celebration of ‘gay pride’ has anything to do with the mission of the Federal Reserve under the Federal Reserve Act passed by Congress,” Marshall said. “This is a celebration of a behavior that is still a class six felony in Virginia. How can the American people trust the judgement of the Federal Reserve as an institution when its spokesperson celebrates an attack on public morals?”

The flag, which is next to an American flag, is being flown at the request of PRISM, one of the Federal Reserve’s employee groups representing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

“The flag is an example of our bank’s commitment to diversity,’’ Federal Reserve spokesman Jim Strader said.

Strader said the bank has received comments from people both for and against the flag, and from those who mistakenly think the Federal Reserve is a government entity. Del. Riley E. Ingram (R-Hopewell) also contacted the bank in opposition, Strader said.

Victoria Cobb, president of the conservative Family Foundation, mentioned the flag in an an e-mail earlier this week.

“At the Family Foundation, we will simply choose to use this flag, like the view of Mr. Jefferson’s Capitol, as motivation for the work that lies ahead.”

James Parrish, executive director of the gay rights group Equality Virginia, released a statement Friday congratulating the bank.

“The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond should receive accolades for its decision to recognize and celebrate its GLBT employees, customers and vendors during pride month,’’ he said. “It’s a private business and should be able to make its own personnel and corporate policy decisions without Bob Marshall’s guidance or the Family Foundation’s approval.”

It's laughable that VA's law regards homosexual acts as a felony. I wonder how many people have been arrested and convicted of this felony in VA (or any other state that has similar laws). Why do they have a law on the books that's not being enforced? As a libertarian, I believe laws that are not enforced should be eliminated. I also highly doubt that a sodomy law would be upheld if put to the people by referendum.

As for the flag, I think it's great that idiotic conservatives make their idiocy more well-known than it perhaps would have otherwise been.

 

[ProfJohn]

Did they fly a confederate flag during confederate heritage month?

 

[JockoJohnson]

As a libertarian, I believe laws that are not enforced should be eliminated.

Yes, they should also get rid of the immigration laws since they aren't enforced.

Now, back on track with the thread. I agree that it is stupid to have such a law. They should try and repeal it. I would love to see who opposes repealing it.

 

[fskimospy]

Did they fly a confederate flag during confederate heritage month?

Clearly a treasonous rebellion to enforce a race based slave state and gay rights are the same thing.

 

[Unheard]

What does gay pride have to do with the Fed. reserve?

 

[ProfJohn]

Clearly a treasonous rebellion to enforce a race based slave state and gay rights are the same thing.

Have you ever lived in the south?

The confederate flag has a lot more to it than slavery.

And more to the point:
gay pride is a contentious issue just as confederate heritage is a contentious issue so why is right to fly one flag but not the other?

The Fed probably shouldn't be flying any flags other than the national and state flags.

 

[Scotteq]

At the risk of getting flamed: If a government agency cannot display things such as a Cross, or a Star of David, or a Confederate Flag, then it also stands to reason they equally should not display emblems associated with however many other secular and non~secular groups.

Basically: US Flag/Emblem, State Flag/Emblem, Local Flag/Emblem, Agency Emblem and nothing else.


The rationale is simple: Since there is no way to satisfy all groups, then there should be no overt support/advertising for any.

 

[Atreus21]

Conservatives would better use their time by decrying things slightly more important than every interest group with which they happen to disagree.

 

[HAL9000]

nm

 

[davmat787]

At the risk of getting flamed: If a government agency cannot display things such as a Cross, or a Star of David, or a Confederate Flag, then it also stands to reason they equally should not display emblems associated with however many other secular and non~secular groups.

Basically: US Flag/Emblem, State Flag/Emblem, Local Flag/Emblem, Agency Emblem and nothing else.


The rationale is simple: Since there is no way to satisfy all groups, then there should be no overt support/advertising for any.

Agreed. The .gov should not take it up on itself to show support/preference for a single group.

 

[Linflas]

At the risk of getting flamed: If a government agency cannot display things such as a Cross, or a Star of David, or a Confederate Flag, then it also stands to reason they equally should not display emblems associated with however many other secular and non~secular groups.

Basically: US Flag/Emblem, State Flag/Emblem, Local Flag/Emblem, Agency Emblem and nothing else.


The rationale is simple: Since there is no way to satisfy all groups, then there should be no overt support/advertising for any.

This.

 

[mchammer187]

Did they fly a confederate flag during confederate heritage month?

Why is that question relevant?

Strader said the bank has received comments from people both for and against the flag, and from those who mistakenly think the Federal Reserve is a government entity. Del. Riley E. Ingram (R-Hopewell) also contacted the bank in opposition, Strader said.

Victoria Cobb, president of the conservative Family Foundation, mentioned the flag in an an e-mail earlier this week.

“At the Family Foundation, we will simply choose to use this flag, like the view of Mr. Jefferson’s Capitol, as motivation for the work that lies ahead.”

James Parrish, executive director of the gay rights group Equality Virginia, released a statement Friday congratulating the bank.

“The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond should receive accolades for its decision to recognize and celebrate its GLBT employees, customers and vendors during pride month,’’ he said. “It’s a private business and should be able to make its own personnel and corporate policy decisions without Bob Marshall’s guidance or the Family Foundation’s approval.”

 

[fskimospy]

Have you ever lived in the south?

The confederate flag has a lot more to it than slavery.

And more to the point:
gay pride is a contentious issue just as confederate heritage is a contentious issue so why is right to fly one flag but not the other?

The Fed probably shouldn't be flying any flags other than the national and state flags.

So what if the Confederate flag has more to do with it than slavery? It is the symbol of the Confederacy, a nation that owed its existence primarily to the desire to perpetuate a race based slave state, an abomination. The Confederacy is a contentious issue because, other than its hideous policies, it involved a war that killed more than a half million Americans. Now you think the US federal reserve should fly the flag of the US's enemies because of gay rights. Think about how dumb that is.

 

[fskimospy]

At the risk of getting flamed: If a government agency cannot display things such as a Cross, or a Star of David, or a Confederate Flag, then it also stands to reason they equally should not display emblems associated with however many other secular and non~secular groups.

Basically: US Flag/Emblem, State Flag/Emblem, Local Flag/Emblem, Agency Emblem and nothing else.


The rationale is simple: Since there is no way to satisfy all groups, then there should be no overt support/advertising for any.

The fed is not a government agency.

 

[GoPackGo]

The fed is not a government agency.

Oh?

http://www.federalreserve.gov/

 

[boomerang]

I want the flag of Mexico flown in support of our Hispanic brothers and sisters in this country. I want the POW/MIA flag flown. I want the LGBT flag flown. I want the Black Panther flag flown. I want that fucking flagpole filled from top to bottom. Everyone must be pleased. This is America goddammit!

 

[fskimospy]

Oh?

http://www.federalreserve.gov/

Yeap. You are linking to the federal reserve board, but the federal reserve system itself is made up of 12 regional private banks, such as the one being listed in this article.

To be fair they have some public elements to them and are not 100% private, but for the purposes of this article they are absolutely private entities.

 

[zsdersw]

At the risk of getting flamed: If a government agency cannot display things such as a Cross, or a Star of David, or a Confederate Flag, then it also stands to reason they equally should not display emblems associated with however many other secular and non~secular groups.

Basically: US Flag/Emblem, State Flag/Emblem, Local Flag/Emblem, Agency Emblem and nothing else.


The rationale is simple: Since there is no way to satisfy all groups, then there should be no overt support/advertising for any.

Even though the Federal Reserve banks are not government buildings/entities in the same ways city, state, and county buildings/entities are, I don't think displaying religious symbols is a problem... as long as there are no religions that are prevented from being displayed.

 

[GoPackGo]

Yeap. You are linking to the federal reserve board, but the federal reserve system itself is made up of 12 regional private banks, such as the one being listed in this article.

To be fair they have some public elements to them and are not 100% private, but for the purposes of this article they are absolutely private entities.

They may be private, but they are still held by the government...they deposit their profits into the US Treasury:

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/other/other20100110a1.pdf

http://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/about_12799.htm

 

[First]

The more conservatives shout anti-gay rhetoric, the more quickly LGBT rights are likely to recognized. So I say, good.

 

[zsdersw]

They may be private, but they are still held by the government...they deposit their profits into the US Treasury:

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/other/other20100110a1.pdf

http://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/about_12799.htm

And of what relevance is that to the issue at hand?

 

[Jaskalas]

I question the conservative's authority on the matter.

 

[zsdersw]

Yes, they should also get rid of the immigration laws since they aren't enforced.

Not even remotely the same kind of thing. Attempts are made all the time to enforce immigration laws (even though they're less than successful). There is no such effort made for sodomy laws.

 

[Linflas]

Even though the Federal Reserve banks are not government buildings/entities in the same ways city, state, and county buildings/entities are, I don't think displaying religious symbols is a problem... as long as there are no religions that are prevented from being displayed.

Their web address is federalreserve.gov so while they are not a full fledged government agency neither are they a private corporation. They have no more business taking political stances with a flag than would the USPS which is another quasi government operation.

 

[ProfJohn]

So what if the Confederate flag has more to do with it than slavery? It is the symbol of the Confederacy, a nation that owed its existence primarily to the desire to perpetuate a race based slave state, an abomination. The Confederacy is a contentious issue because, other than its hideous policies, it involved a war that killed more than a half million Americans. Now you think the US federal reserve should fly the flag of the US's enemies because of gay rights. Think about how dumb that is.

You have a northern view of the civil war and should spend some time in the south and learn the southern view of the war.

They actually do believe that the war was about states rights and the right of them to determine their own course etc etc.

I went to school up north and then spent a couple years of the south and the way they look at the war IS very different than what you were taught. We even had to do profiles on each confederate state. Not because we were a bunch of racists who wanted to return to slavery, but because that is part of the history of the south.


BTW do they fly the Cuban flag during Latin American history month?