this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2024
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A Connecticut town council voted to ban the LGBTQ+ pride flag in government buildings almost immediately after coming under Republican control.

The Enfield Town Council voted in a meeting Monday to ban all flags from flying at government buildings save for the United States, Connecticut state, and military flags. The new policy, which went through with a vote of 6-5, replaces a 2022 policy that allowed the rainbow flag to fly during Pride Month in June.

While some the council members pushing the policy claimed to do so as a way to remain "neutral," Councilor At-Large Gina Cekala, who voted against the measure, accused them of directly targeting the LGBTQ+ community and Pride flag.

“I think the real reason is you don’t want that Pride flag up on this town hall,” she said, “which is absolutely disgusting."

Tom Tyler, the interim town attorney, claimed at one point that if the the Pride flag was allowed to be flown, “ISIS could come in and want to display one, the IRA…basically anybody. You’d have to be content neutral and let everybody." He then went off-topic to accuse schools of trying to indoctrinate students with “transgender ideology.”

The decision came as a betrayal to many of the town's residents, including Brandon Jewell of PFLAG Enfield, who noted that two of the Republicans voting to ban flags previously voted in favor of the 2022 policy that allowed the Pride displays.

read more: https://www.advocate.com/news/connecticut-pride-flag-ban-isis

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[–] rivermonster@lemmy.world 97 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Fox, OAN, NewsMax, etc. Those are gateways to the Christian Taliban... I mean ISIS. Same thing.

[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 41 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Y’all Qaeda is a bigger threat to the world than any Afghanis ever were.

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago

Y'all Qaeda

That got me laughing to the point of having a coughing fit.

[–] butt_mountain_69420@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

retards of a feather flock together

[–] EndOfLine@lemm.ee 57 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The most amazing part is that they've resolved all of the more important issues and have the time to consider what flags should be allowed to fly at government buildings.

Right? I mean how negligent would it be to prioritize passing an approved flags list while issues that affect their constituents still need attention.

[–] Carighan@lemmy.world 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Plus, notice the absolute freedom these people are enforcing. Republicans, truly the people who still take freedom and self-determination serious! Not like those Democrafts who always want to legislate everything and have rules and bans and shit! Just let people do what they personally want, the republican way.

(Can we please just shove them all into the ocean already? Nothing of any value will be lost and we also reduce the carbon footprint a little bit.)

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[–] admiralteal@kbin.social 53 points 10 months ago

"ISIS could come in and want to display one, the IRA…basically anybody. You’d have to be content neutral and let everybody." He then went off-topic to accuse schools of trying to indoctrinate students with 'transgender ideology.'

Yep, that sounds like a typical conservative. Mind is just a jumble of terrified nightmare-fantasies about the big bad de jour that wanders off into total nonsense without any notice.

[–] bedrooms@kbin.social 47 points 10 months ago (2 children)

ISIS could come in and want to display one

I don't think ISIS supports LGBTQ+...

What are we supposed to do with these conservatives? They can't be debated with, they don't have the concept of logic.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Rethink what you mean by "what are we supposed to do?"

You're not going to convince them, you're not going to change their mind, you're not going to find the one flaw that shakes them from their delusion. Because conservativism is not founded on principles. A conservative is a narcissist, and should be treated as such. Ignore their tantrums, protect yourself and your interests, set boundaries and stick to them. Their arguments are flotsam flung from whatever position they think will help them most. Ignore them, it's all bullshit. Their priorities are lines in the sand drawn around where they stand. Ignore them and do what you know to be right. Do not compromise, do not waver, do not negotiate. That's a losing strategy every time, because their appetite for self interest is never sated. Their lust for power will grow with every inch you cede.

They are not an enemy to be vanquished with thoughtful debate, they are an obstacle to be overcome with tireless devotion to doing good.

Also do not seek revenge. Do not say "they have hurt me, I must hurt them." The conservative craves your attention and will feel validated by your wrath. "See?" they will say, "I knew you were as bad as me. You criticize me, but we are the same." Forgive them, and move on with your life. A conservative may learn that being kinder to others benefits themselves. This doesn't mean they are cured of their conservativism, merely that they have adapted to the new normal where you aren't playing their games. They will pretend they were on your side all along. They will claim to have been confused or lost or fooled, but they are merely deflecting blame for their willful ignorance. You can enjoy the time they spend feigning compassion, but be vigilant against the selfish gremlin inside waiting to latch onto any advantage they can find for themselves. If you give a mouse a cookie...

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[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (8 children)

It's not about issis supporting lgbt+ but about having to allow any flag if you allow one.

[–] fidodo@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

What fucking country do they think they're in?

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[–] geekworking@lemmy.world 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It must be great to live in a place that has so few real problems that the town can waste time with bullshit culture war distractions.

[–] danielf@aussie.zone 28 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Oh I'm sure they have plenty of problems, but it's probably only minorities and poor people who experience them so who cares!

[–] XTL@sopuli.xyz 14 points 10 months ago

Noisy "news" like this are actually really good at hiding a lot of real problems. Especially chronic ones that are "old news".

[–] fidodo@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They're just stringing together words at random at this point.

[–] gapbetweenus@feddit.de 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)
[–] arin@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'd take hallucinating ai over conservative official any day. At least the AI isn't trying to fuck the children

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[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I hope no one emails or calls him about this issue by going to this link

https://www.enfield-ct.gov/directory.aspx?EID=699

Please please no one use *67 before dialing. Please no one go to the million or so temporary email boxes and email him. Please please don't make your voice heard and stand up for a minority being attacked in our midst. Remember to say nothing about the oppression of x unless you are a member of x. Please do not set an alarm on your phone as a reminder to call once a day. Please go gently into that good night and let the fascists win by a million cuts.

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

Thank you for that. It is so important that small evil people are allowed to quitely harm the world without being called out on it.

Also no one go to his person website and do it

https://tylerandtyler.com/contact-us/

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 23 points 10 months ago

"ISIS is gay."

Proceeds to hoist a military flag

Is this town a modern warfare 2 lobby?

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.world 20 points 10 months ago

Religious Fascists claiming non-Fascist symbols are a gateway for other Religious Fascists.

Satire is dead!

[–] sirdorius@programming.dev 19 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

ban all flags from flying at government buildings save for the United States, Connecticut state, and military flags

Ah yes, military flags, very neutral. It's great that conservatives are super neutral and yet they shit on people's desire to not promote war, imperialism and genocide.

[–] ComradePorkRoll@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

But people died for those flags! /s

Pretty silly to die for a piece of cloth.

[–] snooggums@kbin.social 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The party of freedom to take away everyone else's freedom!

[–] admiralteal@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

The word for people who care about individual liberties is "liberal".

The right tells us they are not liberal. Believe them.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 15 points 10 months ago

Tom Tyler, the interim town attorney, claimed at one point that if the the Pride flag was allowed to be flown, “ISIS could come in and want to display one, the IRA…basically anybody. You’d have to be content neutral and let everybody." He then went off-topic to accuse schools of trying to indoctrinate students with “transgender ideology.”

"This has nothing to do with it being a Pride flag! Now I'm going to go on a transphobic rant which, as I just said, has nothing to do with this!"

[–] carl_dungeon@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Anyone that goes through that much effort to ban something that doesn’t harm them is hiding something.

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[–] Thcdenton@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago

Lets all just settle on the satan flag 😁

[–] hpca01@programming.dev 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Probably should sue the town for violating 1A rights.

Right wingers love to pull that one out of their arse, would be funny to see them trying to cope with that.

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[–] TheDoozer@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Ugggh, so I really don't want to be on their side with this, but... I kind of agree that the only flags that should fly in government buildings is US, state, and military flags. There also shouldn't be religious wall decorations like the Ten Commandments or crosses. There shouldn't be Confederate flags. There shouldn't be state university flags. It's a government building, and it should represent everyone equally, and not promote any cause, group, or religion except explicitly what is part of the government.

I reeeeeeally don't like the reason they want to ban it, but I think it would be great for every government building to adopt those standards.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

I think the government has an obligation to represent oppressed minorities, including their symbology when appropriate.There is no such thing as neutrality, and even if it wasn't for regressive reasons it would still be a regressive policy.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 6 points 10 months ago

IMHO, the crucial difference is that the LGBTQ pride flag isn't saying the gays are the best. It's merely asking for equal treatment, for human rights. A government which does not agree with those goals, which does not work for the equal treatment and human rights of all its citizen, is being partial in precisely the way you describe.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

..ISIS, which I'm not sure even exists anymore, a terrorist organization infamous for among other things murdering gay people.... Is Pro-Pride Flags?

Son, what kind of shit are you on?

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Not sure how you came to this, unless you only read the title. According to the actual post content, the argument is, that if you allow one you can't discriminate and will have to allow any.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 5 points 10 months ago

Immediately followed by a transphobic rant that I'm sure was completely unrelated.

[–] Gabu@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (18 children)

The braindead, completely deranged "argument".

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[–] kemsat@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

The irony is thick.

[–] AshMan85@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So that is a violation of the first amendment

[–] mrcleanup@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago

Not necessarily, since this is a government building it would be the government's speech, and they clearly don't want to fly it. They aren't preventing people from flying it on their personal property.

That said, there's a clear likelihood that this is purely anti-lgbtq sentiment in action.

[–] moitoi@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 10 months ago (6 children)

I'm figuring out how you come with these words together. I don't know. It's a new level of intellectual gymnastics.

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[–] PlasterAnalyst@kbin.social 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm surprised that he hasn't updated his talking point to Hamas. Just shows just how out of touch this guy is.

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[–] bedrooms@kbin.social 4 points 10 months ago

If they believe they are doing the correct thing, why do they not write their intent in official announcements?

[–] rabiddolphin@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Does ISIS raise property value?

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