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Friday, March 29, 2024 - 10:39 AM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

If Friday was National Vietnam Veterans Day, Democrats had a funny way of celebrating it. While the Defense Department and other agencies stopped to honor the nine million Americans who served, liberal congressmen, apparently, couldn't be bothered. They were too busy pulling the POW/MIA flags out of their stands to make room for the baby blue and pink banner of the transgender movement. It's "Transgender Visibility Week," some tried to explain. But when it comes to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) party, isn't every week?

Thanks to the Washington Free Beacon, who first noticed the swap, Americans got another good look at the Democrats' utter disregard for our troops. When FRC's government affairs team was on the Hill for meetings last week, they were astounded at just how many hallways were littered with the pastel-colored displays. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, the flags were delivered to "EVERY member of the Congress, from every party." Some members, like California's Linda Sanchez (D), tacked them over the doorways, so that visitors almost had to duck to miss them. But now that the media is running with the story, ducking the message liberals are sending will be even harder.

When word leaked out that everyone from Pelosi to Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) were more concerned about showing pride in a radical sexual fringe than our missing men and women, the American Legion didn't pull any punches. In a blistering statement, Commander Brett Reistad had this to say about LGBT fanaticism replacing the sacrifice of our troops.

"According to several media reports, some members of Congress replaced POW/MIA flags that were displayed outside their Capitol Hill offices with Transgender Equality banners. We take no issue with members of Congress honoring additional groups, but it should be in addition to rather than instead of our heroes, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. These servicemen and servicewomen went missing while defending all Americans. Their flags should not go missing as well. The American Legion urges that every member of Congress honor these heroes by ensuring the POW/MIA flag is properly and permanently displayed outside their offices."

The message from the Democratic Party is even more offensive when you consider that taxpayers have already wasted almost $8 million dollars "treating" troops who identify as transgender -- while our veterans die waiting for something as simple as a colonoscopy. While we prioritize the care of the military's tiny LGBT population, America's heroes still face "months-long delays" to see a doctor. If they wanted faster care, I suppose they should have identified as transgender. After all, that demographic has had no trouble getting the government to finance 161 surgical procedures, 9,321 prescriptions for hormones, and 22,992 psychotherapy visits since 2016.

It's a sad commentary on our country when gender confusion entitles you to better care than most of the people who served. But then, that's the preference of most progressives these days. Look at the 2020 Democratic candidates. Four of them lined up to publicly salute "Transgender Visibility Day," proving to everyone where their true allegiance lies. "Being yourself takes bravery," Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) tweeted. Then in a gratuitous swipe at the president's transgender military policy (which the majority of troops happen to support), she went on, "Serving your country takes bravery. Demeaning and discriminating against trans Americans -- including service members and students -- is just cowardice. Trans rights are human rights. We will defend them as such."

Fellow hopefuls Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) laid it on just as thick. Yet not one of them could spare 240 characters on Friday for a tweet about Vietnam Veterans Day. (Although Harris did make time to lobby for a ban on talk therapy for people struggling with their sexuality and Gillibrand found room for a post about the ridiculousness of protecting unborn life.)

If you want a snapshot of the Democrats' priorities, there isn't a better one. By June's LGBT Pride Month, who knows? They might just take down Old Glory altogether.

For more on the rationale behind the president's transgender policy, check out Peter Sprigg's detailed papers: "Should Individuals Who Serve as Transgender Be Permitted to Serve in the Military?" and an in-depth look at the Pentagon's research, "Department of Defense on Why Those with Gender Dysphoria' Are Disqualified from Military Service."


Tony Perkins' Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.

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