Germany, rainbow flags removed from Bundestag offices

(Adnkronos) – The administrative heads of the German parliament have ordered lawmakers to remove the rainbow flags displayed in their offices, citing internal regulations. The display of flags is “fundamentally prohibited, regardless of their specific symbolism,” said a spokesman for the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament. The order, he specified, therefore does not specifically concern rainbow flags. The lawmakers received the order to remove the flags at the beginning of this week, a measure described by the spokesman as a routine measure. In the Bundestag, he then observed, there is a general ban on displays including German and European flags. Several lawmakers recently informed the administration that rainbow flags were being displayed on the windows of some legislative offices so as to be visible from the outside, according to the spokesman. The controversy arises in the context of a broader debate, triggered by the decision of the new president of the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner, not to fly a rainbow flag on the occasion of this month’s Pride, known as Christopher Street Day, as has been done in recent years. The flag – Kloeckner decided – will only be displayed on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, May 17.