Flags

Last week 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did not stand during the national anthem to protest police shootings of African American people. This upset a lot of people. Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham asked, “What would have happened if Kaepernick disrespected the rainbow flag before the game?”

Of course, Ingraham is to be saluted for making such a subtle, nuanced point and bringing the LGBT community into this debate over a football game. The American flag and the rainbow flag are obviously equivalent in several ways, justifying her comparison. As all sports fans know, after everyone sings “The Star Spangled Banner,” we remain standing while they raise the rainbow flag and we all sing “Easter Parade” by Judy Garland. It’s a well-known tradition, so her question is not just hypothetical.

There are no reports of Kaepernick declining to sing the showtune from Meet Me in St. Louis while they raised the Roy G. Biv flag before the preseason game. I can only imagine what would have happened had the quarterback protested by singing off-key. I imagine there would have been riots in the stands.

Still, it’s a very salient thought experiment from Laura Ingraham. Thanks, Laura, for bringing the gay community into this debate, for whatever reason.