Aaron Warner of Hartford – 2024 candidate for selectman and VDC Regional Reporter – presented the following to the Hartford Selectboard recently.
To the Hartford Select Board:
The American flag literally represents a united people. United as in the entire country. Among the arguments LGBTQ activists make for flying their flag is that it represents diversity and inclusion.
Not as much as that flag does (points to American flag). It is the ultimate in diversity and inclusion. All men and women are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone.
The “pride” flag is by definition exclusive. It excludes anyone who is not LGBTQ, which is in fact most of the country.
There is a growing “pride” fatigue around the country because “pride” doesn’t know when enough is enough. It keeps wanting more as pride often does. The problem I have with it is not a moral one but one of civic interests. Is it in our interest to dedicate a month to a self-proclaimed special group of people? We have twelve months. Who gets the other eleven? Is it first come first serve? Are we going to be like Boston and violate the constitutional rights of Christians if they want to fly a flag next? Can the town afford that? Who else are we going to consider for flag flying? Trekkies? Star Wars fans? Soccer Moms? We have a lot of those.
When does it end? Honestly, if you plan to institute this for another year I think you need to consider when it’s going to stop until the flag flying thing becomes one more divisive issue the town has to deal with rather than infrastructure and public safety – the only two things it should be focused on.
Another objection I have to the pride flag is it’s explicitly sexual nature. It’s a sex flag, let’s be honest. Every designation in LGBTQ is a sexual designation. You’re a lesbian? How do we distinguish that? Oh, you like to have sex with women. Neat. Your gay? So you like to have sex with other men. Cool. You do you bro. Oh your bisexual? So you’ll have sex with just about anybody. When I was growing up bisexual people were just experimenters who were a little slutty. We all let them figure things out on their own. What about the T? It’s Transexual – yet another sexual designation. Why the constant focus on sex here people? And why are we thinking about flying a flag dedicated to people’s sexual proclivities?
Honestly, this whole thing feels very middle school to me. I find myself wondering when the activists are going to grow up and get on with being happy they are equal to everyone else. Not special, equal.
Can you drive a nail? Can you drive a commercial vehicle? Can you type 50 words per minute? Can you code? Do you have leadership skills? These are pertinent questions to a functioning society. Not who do you prefer to have sex with? Would you please grow up. You like to have sex? Neat. Most adults do. Welcome to the human race. It’s kind of how we got here.
As for flag flying I think we all know flags almost uniquely represent nations or national causes. So far I’ve yet to see the LGBTQ nation at the Olympics. POWs and MIAs literally gave their lives for the country. Being LGBTQ is not heroic, though you might think it is. You’re another person, just like everyone else. Sure you may be different, but so are the rest of us. You may be special to your mom or your dad or whoever you like to have sex with, but to the rest of us you’re just another American worthy of the same respect we all enjoy because of that flag.
Enough of the activism. Enough of the seeking special attention please. Grow up and act like self-contained adults and not self-involved teenagers who constantly need to be affirmed.
This is not a civil rights issue. You already have them. This is a civil society issue. We’re all equal, under that flag (re: American flag). That ought to be enough.