Saturday, July 09, 2016

Rainbow Flag at Half-Mast Honoring Slain Dallas Police Officers


Consider this crazy idea, after a week that has convulsed America. Flags lowered out of respect to the two black men killed by cops in Louisiana and Minnesota and the police officers slain in Texas by a lone sniper.

Down in San Diego's Hillcrest gayborhood, their rainbow flag is flying at half-mast after taking to heart and heeding the directive of President Obama that flags on federal govt property should remain in that position until sunset on July 12, but only for the police officers not the black men too.

Here in San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee issued this order:

"In conjunction with President Barack Obama’s call for flags to be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for the victims of the attack on police officers perpetrated in Dallas, all flags at City Hall and upon all public buildings and grounds shall be flown at half-staff until sunset, July 12, 2016."

You know where this is going. The rainbow flag on City grounds at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro District, is flying normally today and even though it assuredly falls under Lee's decree, the Castro Merchants are ignoring the mayor.

There needs to be a full and transparent public debate over the Castro Merchants stewardship of the rainbow flag and how the City has privatized an incredibly valuable piece of queer public grounds.

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