It should not have happened.
That’s the official response from the Department of Administrative Services in regards to the flying of the transgender flag at the Iowa Capitol.
“After a review of what happened, two Department of Administrative Services (DAS) employees did not follow the process in place,” said Tami Wiencek, DAS public information officer. “We are reminding all our employees about the existing procedure so this will never happen again.”
Iowa Safe Schools made history on Nov. 20 when the transgender pride flag was flown at the Capitol. According to The Iowa Starting Line, Iowa Safe Schools petitioned DAS about a month earlier and showed up at the Capitol with the flag when they were instructed to.
The flag went up and flew for 3-5 minutes, which is standard, according to Nate Monson, the executive director of Iowa Safe Schools.
The group also received a certificate of authenticity.
Iowa became the first state in America to fly the transgender pride flag at its Capitol.
But, according to officials, it violated policy.
“Only three flags are supposed to fly above the Capitol: USA, Iowa and the POW/MIA,” Wiencek said. “Two DAS custodial employees did not follow the process in place for flying flags over the Capitol.”
The DAS website instructs the public to contact DAS customer service to request a flag to be flown over the Capitol Building. When that request is made, attached instructions are sent to them.
The flag flying requirements state the requester must purchase the appropriate flag — state of Iowa flag, US flag or the POW-MIA flag. They are then to deliver or ship the flag to the DAS custodial supervisor. They may pick up the flag after it is flown. DAS will create a certificate of authenticity to verify the flag was flown per the requester’s instructions.
According to DAS, no elected official or elected official’s office was aware of the flying of the flag prior to it being flown.
The Iowa Standard has reached out to Iowa Safe Schools, but no comment has been provided by the group.
