Pride Flag at Richmond Bank Causes Anti-Gay Flap
A virulently anti-gay GOP lawmaker in Virginia decried the display of a Pride flag at a bank in Richmond, sending the president of the bank a letter stuffed with homophobic myths and demanding that the flag be taken down, On Top Magazine reported on June 3.
The lawmaker in question, State Del. Bob Marshall, is the same one who backed a bill that would have banned openly gay and lesbian patriots from serving in the Virginia National Guard once the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is complete. The bill failed to pass.
Marshall sent a letter to the head of the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, Jeff Lacke calling for the flag's removal and reciting an array of dubious claims about GLBTs. Marshall also suggested that gays should not be "celebrated" because they do not produce enough children who will then grow up to become workers whose taxes help offset federal entitlement programs.
Marshall told Lacke that flying the Pride flag along with the American flag outside the bank represented "a serious deficiency of judgment by your organization," and demanded, "What does flying the Homosexual Flag, or any other similar display, have to do with your central banking mission under the Federal Reserve Act passed by Congress?
"Moreover, the homosexual behavior 'celebrated' by your Richmond's Federal Reserve Bank spokeswoman undermines the American economy, is a class six felony in Virginia, shortens lives, adds significantly to illness, increases health costs, promotes venereal disease, and worsens the population imbalance relating to the number of workers supporting the beneficiaries of America's Social Security and Medicare Programs," Marshall added.
Though the state of Virginia may have anti-gay laws on the books against same-sex consensual encounters between adults of the same gender, enforcement of such law is a violation of the U.S, Constitution, according to "Lawrence v. Texas," a Supreme Court case from 2003 that struck down so-called "sodomy laws" across the nation.
"The Richmond Fed's endorsement of costly, anti-social, immoral behavior is rejected by 6,000 years of Western Religious and moral teaching," Marshall's letter went on. "You want the American people to trust your judgement [sic] in economic matters when your spokesperson celebrates an attack on public morals?"
The letter concluded with the command, "Mr. Lacke, take down that flag!"
The Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond is a private financial institution, not a government institution, multiple media sources noted.
Fellow state delegates condemned Marshall's remarks in a June 3 statement.
"Sadly, it's no shock to learn that Bob Marshall has once again attacked the dignity of Virginia's LGBT population," Del. Adam Ebbin said in a statement, according to a posting at ManassassParkPatch.com.
"That he would attack the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for flying a flag that promotes equality, tolerance and acceptance tells us all we need to know about Delegate Marshall's priorities," added Ebbin. "Across the Commonwealth, LGBT Virginians, their friends and their families are celebrating this week as the start of a month where we express pride in who we are and what we have accomplished as a community."
State Del. David Englin "highlighted Marshall's remarks with a call for supporters to donate money to Englin's campaign to fight anti-gay sentiments," the posting said.
But GLBT-unfriendly groups and individuals took stances more closely aligned with that of State Del. Marshall.
Anti-gay religious site OneNewsNow reported on June 2 that anti-gay organization The Family Foundation, the headquarters for which is situated near the bank, had issued disapproving remarks on the Pride flag.
"We think the Federal Reserve ought to be focused on the economy rather than focusing on special rights," Victoria Cobb, the head of The Family Foundation, declared.
"In Virginia, this is not a stand that should be taken," Cobb added. "We've as a state said we are not going to support gay marriage, for example, in our constitution, and we've been very clear on issues of gay rights. So it's disappointing to see such a large flag flying, as if it's something this commonwealth supports."
The article claimed that anti-gay group The American Family Association had been contacted by an employee of the bank. The employee allegedly wrote, "For the past five or six years, the homosexual agenda has been pushed down our throats." Added the purported email, "This offends me as a Christian."
Local news source Richmond.com reported on the Pride flag's presence at the bank, noting that the flag was hoisted at the request of a group of GLBT employees.
"The rainbow splash nicely accessorizes the red, white and blue, adding more color to the massive concrete structure in the backdrop," quipped the Richmond.com posting.
But a more serious message was offered by the bank's COO, Sally Green, who told Richmond.com, "We strongly support a diverse and inclusive culture at the Richmond Fed and have learned that it is important to value and embrace differences, both seen and unseen."
Green went on to say, "We are flying the 'Pride' flag as an example of our commitment to the values of acceptance and inclusion."
On May 31, the day before the Pride flag went aloft outside the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, President Obama declared June, the traditional time for Pride parades and related activities, to be LGBT Month.
"The flag will fly all month. It seems that not only have they raised the flag, but many might also say that they have raised the bar for inclusivity in the city of Richmond," the Richmond.com article said.
Others might say things that are considerably less kind.
Commentators at right-wing chat site FreeRepublic.com, where gay news is a fixture, weighed in on the matter.
"An evil government honors evil!" exclaimed one chat participant, before going on to offer what seemed to be a description of gay sex.
"Before the disgusting act is completed ingestation [sic] of fecal matter occurs then both sodomites ingest as the kiss concludes this beautiful expression of love," the speculative paragraph concluded.
"Dude, that was disgusting," a respondent to that comment replied. "We shouldn't tiptoe around what they are and what they do, but that is just disgusting. Not your fault or anything, but that is just disgusting..."
Remarked a third, "Considering the reported initiation rites of the top levels of the ruling elites . . . it's entirely "appropriate" . . . using "appropriate" very uhhhh . . . loosely."
Another wrote, "Just look around now. God's grace is leaving America. America is going into the toilet of history. It is a self inflicted wound by a nation of people who have got so puffed up in their self importance that they think they do not need the grace of God and do not believe in the Creator and that He is who He says He is. America is paying now. It is going to pay its just debt in total sum very soon. The signs are there."
The comment was dated June 5, two weeks and one day after the Rapture failed to take place.