The image that accompanies the publication is real: the prime minister raises the rainbow flag in the São Bento palace. The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia took place, as in other public buildings. The publication under review states that this was imposed by the Government.

With the hashtag #vergüenza in red and under the image of António Costa raising the aforementioned flag together with a PSP agent, the author of the publication states: “The Government forces police and city councils to raise the LGBT flag.” Along with the “list of socialist priorities”, which includes phrases such as “fuck the increase in general and maternal and infant mortality” or “fuck the chaos in the emergency room and the SNS” or even “fuck the chaos at airports”, to conclude: “The important thing is to increase the electoral base, in this case the LGBTI+ community…”

On May 17, as he had done on previous occasions, the Prime Minister signaled with this initiative the fight “against prejudice” and against discrimination. He said the same thing on Twitter, with the publication of the same photograph that appears in the publication under analysis.

On the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia I raised the rainbow flag reaffirming our commitment against prejudice. We will continue to develop public policies to combat discrimination. For a more egalitarian, free and inclusive country.#IDAHOT2022 pic.twitter.com/g8eYbRumI6

– Antonio Costa (@antoniocostapm) May 17, 2022

Contacted by the Observer, the Prime Minister’s office stated that “there was no government guidance regarding the raising of the LGBT flag.” The issue was dealt with in the governing bodies of some chambers, at the initiative of the parties, and not all of them took root, which shows how the chambers had—as they do—autonomy to decide on matters of this nature.

In fact, that same May 17, a similar initiative was reported in the Lisbon City Council, registered in the official Twitter account of the municipality. In the images, on the balcony of the Paços do Concelho building, President Carlos Moedas and the other elected members of the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, in addition to the councilors of the other political forces that make up the executive, such as the PS, Livre, PCP, BE and independents from the Cidadão por Lisboa movement (elected by the PS/Livre coalition), as Lusa recorded at the time.

On this International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, #Lisbon raised the rainbow flag again at City Hall.????️‍????
A symbol of freedom, of “being who we are”, of the fight for that freedom and of democracy. @Coins #IDAHOBIT2022 pic.twitter.com/jk65RcQm4R

– Lisbon (@CamaraLisboa) May 17, 2022

The same did not happen, for example, in the Chamber of Porto, where the executive unanimously approved a vote in greeting to the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, presented by the Left Bloc, recommending the official raising of the flag by part of the municipality. . But that ended up not happening, with President Rui Moreira arguing that “the municipality does not promote initiatives”, despite supporting them. The rainbow flag was hoisted in front of the Chamber, with the presence of Rui Moreira, but not in the building.

conclusion

The Government did not force the municipalities or the police to raise the rainbow flag, as stated in the publication. The claim is denied by the prime minister’s office. In addition, there are municipalities that made different decisions, in their governing bodies, when voting for initiatives that went in the same direction on the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. The chambers have autonomy to decide on these matters.

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