Are the stars and stripes getting a multicolored makeover?
Some social media users said the classic red, white and blue banner could be on the chopping block: “Democrats are calling to redesign the American Flag to make it more inclusive,” said a May 3 X post that is being screenshotted and reshared on Facebook.
The viral post includes a photo of a massive flag with pale pink stars and rainbow stripes.
(Screenshot of X post)
But the featured image is not part of a “redesign.” The photo was taken in 2015 at a protest. After searching for news reports and reviewing Nexis news archives, PolitiFact found no evidence of such calls for a redesign of the American flag by Democrats.
The Facebook posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Our star-spangled banner has been the same since July 4, 1960, when Hawaii was incorporated as a state. With 50 stars for the 50 states and red and white stripes representing valor and innocence, the flag has become an iconic symbol of patriotism and fodder for misinformation. (We do a lot of flag fact-checks!)
Despite some state flag redesigns and calls from specific individuals such as singer Macy Gray for a more inclusive design, the American flag has not been altered — nor are Democrats calling for it now.
The American flag shown in the viral post blends the structure of the American flag with the colored stripes of the LGBTQ+ pride flag. Protesters carried it outside the U.S. Supreme Court almost a decade ago during the fight to legalize gay marriage.
It is not uncommon for movements to use an altered image of the American flag to make a political statement. For example, black-and-white flags featuring one blue stripe are often used to signal support for law enforcement.
We rate the claim that “Democrats are calling to redesign the American Flag to make it more inclusive” by featuring rainbow colored stripes False.
