La. councilman wants to ban gay flags on city land

It may be okay to fly Mardi Gras flags on government property in Lafayette, La., but one local Republican politician is drawing the line at rainbow-colored gay pride flags. "City-Parish Councilman Andy Naquin is drafting a proposal that would limit the types of flags that could be flown on government property" after receiving a complaint from a veteran about the recent hoisting of a rainbow flag Jun 30 during a gay pride gathering, Claire Taylor reports for The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette. (Advertiser photo by Leslie Westbrook: The gay pride flag is raised during Pride in the Park in Lafayette)

Naquin told Taylor, "I had to agree with him. Government flag poles really should be meant to fly only government flags." But he said that he "expects the ordinance would allow only the flying of American, Louisiana and Acadian/LCG flags, and possibly Mardi Gras flags, on LCG property," the Advertiser reports.

Amanda Kelley, president of the Acadiana OUTspoken Alliance, a group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people, said the proposal "seems like a violation of freedom of speech.” Part of the veteran's complaint was that the American flag was taken down to make room for the rainbow flag, but Kelley said the American flag was not taken down during the gathering, and that some of their members are veterans. (Read more)