Pride Flag Controversy: POW/MIA Flag Flying Once Again

ROCKVILLE, MD — For the first time in its history, a Pride flag is flying over Montgomery County's government building. That rainbow-colored flag, however, has sparked some controversy — and not in the way you may think.

The flag was raised by local elected officials at a ceremony Monday morning — kicking off a month's-worth of LGBTQ+ pride celebrations. After the ceremony, a Vietnam War veteran from the area noted that the Pride flag, which celebrates and honors the LGBTQ+ community, replaced the black and white POW/MIA flag.

Created in 1971 by the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, the POW/MIA flag is a symbol of national concern over missing and captured service members.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has since issued a statement about the controversy.

"The Pride flag did not replace the POW/MIA flag," Elrich said. "On June 10th, when the Pride flag was raised, there was not a mechanism in place for both flags to be displayed."

According to Elrich, there is now a mechanism in place to allow both flags to fly proudly over the county's government building.

"This has been corrected, and both flags are flying now. The Pride flag was raised to honor Pride Month and will be replaced by the County flag at the end of June," Elrich said.

When Patch asked whether the council raised the Pride-POW/MIA flag issue before Monday's ceremony, a county spokeswoman referred us to Elrich's original statement.