Lower Saxony & Bremen AfD against rainbow flag in front of public buildings: criticism
February 8, 2024, 5:48 p.m
Rainbow flags are sometimes flown in front of public buildings. The AfD rejects this and submitted a corresponding proposal to the state parliament. Other groups clearly disagreed.
Hanover (dpa/lni) – According to the AfD parliamentary group in Lower Saxony, rainbow flags should not be hoisted in front of public buildings in the state. These flags would convey political messages and this would be inadmissible, according to a proposal from the parliamentary group that was voted on in the state parliament on Thursday. Politicians from the other three state parliamentary groups of the SPD, the Greens and the CDU voted against the motion and clearly criticized the AfD.
AfD domestic politician Stephan Bothe said: “The rainbow flag and its offshoots have degenerated into the symbol of a sect and with which they, many gays and lesbians, can no longer identify.”
Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) emphasized that the rainbow flag would not discriminate against or exclude anyone. Michael Lühmann (Greens) criticized the AfD proposal as an attack on human dignity.
Uwe Schünemann (CDU) said: “The rainbow flag stands for tolerance and acceptance of sexual and gender diversity. The AfD’s proposal, on the other hand, stands for intolerance and a reactionary view of people and families.”
A government spokeswoman said that the State Chancellery had not ordered a nationwide display of rainbow flags. Until 2022, the use of so-called logo flags alongside sovereign flags was unusual, although not expressly prohibited.
The federal government then allowed its departments to include the rainbow flag in the sovereign flag as appropriate. Lower Saxony has joined this. It was said that authorities would decide independently about flags if the occasion was local.
In an answer to a small question from Bothe, the state government announced a few months ago that, in its opinion, the hoisting of logo flags in front of public buildings does not violate the principle of neutrality. The use of rainbow flags rather expresses universal values of the Basic Law such as human dignity, tolerance, equality and the protection of personal freedom and integrity.
2024-02-08 20:39:32
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