‘VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY’
Christian advocacy groups welcome US ban on flying gay pride flag at its embassies
Published:Thursday | March 28, 2024 | 12:11 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
TWO CHRISTIAN advocacy groups have welcomed the move by the United States to ban the flying of the Pride flag at its embassies, with one dubbing it a global win for democracy.
Reacting to the development, President of the Love March Movement, Dr Daniel Thomas, said, “The bill that was passed was definitely a victory for democracy in Jamaica, in the Caribbean, and across the world, where, unfortunately, the United States has set themselves up as an ambassador for evil practices and ideas.
“And so we are really happy with their decision to restrain themselves, which allows nation states to determine how they will organise their own culture and laws, and that is something that we pride ourselves on in Jamaica, our sovereignty and democracy,” he added.
“We are happy that the US has decided to respect the position that different countries might have on these and other issues.”
The flying of the Pride flag at the US embassy’s office in Kingston, especially during the island’s Emancipation celebrations, which coincide with the LGBTQ+ pride movement week celebration, has been a constant source of discord for many Jamaicans, including the Church and anti-LGBTQ+ advocates.
For many, the flag symbolises disrespect for the island’s Christian beliefs and laws, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011 and Offences against the Person Act, Section 76 ... unnatural Offences.
Non-supporters of the flying of the gay Pride flag on the island had also accused the US Embassy of showing a lack of respect for the Jamaican Constitution.
The practice was, however, banned by the US last Saturday. It was among several provisions that were included in the Spending Bill approved by US President Joe Biden.
For years, the Democrats and Republicans have debated the issue concerning the flying of the flag at US embassies. The practice started during President Obama’s administration but was banned in 2019 by President Donald Trump.
However, it was reinstated in 2021 by President Biden, who has since vowed to find ways to have the ban repealed.
Based on the bill, no US funding can be used to “fly or display a flag over a facility of the United States Department of State” other than US or other government-related flags or flags supporting prisoners of war, missing-in-action soldiers, hostages, and wrongfully imprisoned Americans.
In welcoming the news, Dr Wayne West, chairman of Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, said: “We are delighted! We think that it should not have been done.”
Citing the Vienna Convention, Dr West said that there was a clause in that convention that expressively states that that sort of thing should not be done.
“We don’t think that LGBTQ+ ideology is either logical or sensible in any way. We understand the predicament that persons in that lifestyle may have, but we don’t see it as something to celebrate but something, rather, we should seek to help people to get out of as best as we can.”
Lauding the American Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, for his advocacy in pushing for the ban, Dr West said that the Americans were insulting Jamaicans and that the ban was a good move in the right direction.
Notwithstanding the indication from President Biden to fight the ban, Thomas said the ban demonstrated that there were persons in the US who were interested in respecting other countries’ cultures and were not into forcing ideas on countries, which the US itself has not completely agreed on.
“So we really appreciate the effort of the House of Representatives to restrict their promotion of things that they know are not widely acceptable but are neo-colonialist and akin to the promotion of sin in a flamboyant way.”
In the meantime, Dr Thomas is encouraging Jamaicans, especially those who are Christians and God-fearing, to continue to be bold in their beliefs and culture, which are grounded in God and at the same time to understand that many nations are losing their biblical foundation and that Jamaica should not allow that to happen.
“So we need to be bold for truth and rightness and maintain what we have and build our nation in a way that will be best for our children and the flourishing of our nation for decades to come,” he said.