Monday, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Brookhaven, Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Michael Guest, Rep. Trent Kelly, and Rep. Mike Ezell — all Republicans — sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis R. McDonough calling for the removal of an LGBT “Pride” flag at the Biloxi National Cemetery. The flag is currently flying at the entrance of the cemetery on a pole normally reserved for the U.S. flag.
In the letter, the senators and representatives push back on recent comments from the VA defending the decision.

“Replacing the United States flag with a flag that promotes a particular sexual or gender identity goes against the very mission of our national cemeteries,” the letter reads. “These sites were established to be a shrine ‘sacred to the honor and memory of those interred or memorialized there.’ Cemeteries should be places for reflection and respect, not public virtue signaling.”

The legislators call on McDonough to take immediate action to reinstate the U.S. flag and remember the VA’s core mission.

“This political stunt is yet another example of this Administration’s willingness to promote its political agenda rather than focus on its mission as the executive branch. Our veterans expect the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide services, not promote controversial ideologies,” the letter states.

Read the complete letter here.