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Yesterday, conservative commentator Star Parker made a guest appearance on “Fox & Friends.” What followed was an egregious comparison between the Confederate flag and the LGBT flag.
“The same people that are demanding that the Confederate flag comes down are the same people that are insisting that the rainbow flag goes up,” Parker stated. “These two flags represent the exact same thing: that certain people groups are not welcome here.”
No, Star Parker, they don’t even come close to representing the same thing. Put simply, the Confederate flag represents the Confederacy during the Civil War. And what did the Confederacy stand for? History.com put it best:
“Formed in February 1861, the Confederate States of America was a republic composed of eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union in order to preserve slavery, states’ rights, and political liberty for whites.”
What does the LGBT flag stand for? Again, history.com offers a great explanation:
“The different colors within the flag were meant to represent togetherness, since LGBT people come in all races, ages and genders, and rainbows are both natural and beautiful. The original flag featured eight colors, each having a different meaning. At the top was hot pink, which represented sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow signifying sunlight, green for nature, turquoise to represent art, indigo for harmony, and finally violet at the bottom for spirit.”
How does one compare a flag that represents unity with a flag that represents “slavery, states’ rights, and political liberty for whites”? The two are polar opposites—apples to oranges.
Furthermore, the LGBT flag is a symbol of empowerment, while the Confederate flag is a symbol of oppression. And for the record, the LGBT flag does not represent “that certain groups are not welcome here.” In fact, it’s quite the contrary; it’s meant to represent inclusion.