Man behind N.B. village's 'straight pride' flag speaks out

Ryan Flanagan Web Journalist

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The man who petitioned the government of a small village in New Brunswick to raise a ‘straight pride’ flag says he’s disappointed the flag was later taken down.

“Why should I not be allowed to fly my flag?” Glenn Bishop told CTV Atlantic.

“That’s disgraceful. This is discrimination against straight people.”

The flag was raised Sunday, next to a main road in Chipman, N.B. It was lowered Monday following a swift public outcry.

Bishop said he headed for the flagpole as soon as he heard about the lowering. He was confronted by several people who had been hoping the flag would be taken down.

“There’s no such thing as straight pride; we’ve always been accepted,” one woman told him.

“When they flew their flag for six days, there was nothing said about it,” Bishop responded.

Chipman residents say the rainbow Pride flag was flown publicly earlier this year for the first time in the village’s history.

Bishop said he was shocked at the reaction his flag received, adding that he is considering taking legal action against the village.

“There was no animosity against the gay Pride people at all. I know most of them,” he said.

Meanwhile, village leaders appear to be attempting to turn the media attention the flag has received into an economic development opportunity.

The village’s council released a statement Monday noting that Chipman has “many jobs open in the forestry and communications sector, inexpensive housing and a program to welcome newcomers from Canada and abroad.”

The statement then segued into the flag flap, saying the flag was “sponsored by the straight community” and was later lowered because it was “being seen as a flag of privilege and anti-minorities which our community and our council does not support.”

Village officials said some councillors had received “personal attacks and threats … as well as cyberbullying” since the flag went up.

“The Village of Chipman is and remains a welcoming open community with newcomers from other parts of Canada, Ukraine, Latvia, Poland, Scotland and other countries,” the statement reads.

“We are looking for investors and newcomers who wish to join us in celebrating a multi-cultured, open and prosperous tomorrow.”

With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore

Chipman, NB resident Glenn Bishop asked village council to fly a "straight pride" flag and was upset when he learned it had been been taken down. Bishop went to the flag pole this afternoon where he heard from people who don't agree with him. @CTVAtlantic pic.twitter.com/eyCmUUgXm3

— Nick Moore (@NickMooreCTV) October 22, 2018