Conflict over flag Rheinbach raises rainbow flag at city hall

Rheinbach · There had been discussions about the rainbow flag at St. Martin's Church in Rheinbach. Several parishioners had criticised it until it was removed again. Now the town is sending out a signal.

The rainbow flag is a symbol of acceptance, respect, openness and diversity - and will soon be displayed at Rheinbach's town hall.

The rainbow flag is a symbol of acceptance, respect, openness and diversity - and will soon be displayed at Rheinbach's town hall.

Foto: dpa/Wolfgang Kumm

A so-called rainbow flag will be hoisted in front of Rheinbach's town hall as a symbol of acceptance, respect, openness and diversity. This proposal of the city administration was followed by the Main and Finance Committee. If technically possible, the four words "acceptance, respect, openness, diversity" should also be printed on it.

As an "ideologically neutral institution, we should set an example", said Raffael Knauber, First Assistant Alderman. The city of Rheinbach had followed the public discussion about the use of the rainbow flag. In the meeting document, the administration refers to an article in the General-Anzeiger, which is also attached to the documents. The content of the report was that by decision of the pastoral team of the Catholic parish of St. Martin Rheinbach, the rainbow flag, which had been hoisted in May on the initiative of the kfd, was removed again. As Bernhard Dobelke, the parish priest in charge, told the GA when asked, there had indeed been resistance to the flag from the ranks of the parishioners. The flag was certainly a symbol of tolerance, but various parishioners had interpreted it as pointing in a political direction, Dobelke explained. For this reason, there was a danger that the flag in front of the church would divide the congregation. So the decision was made to take it down. "We in the pastoral team decided this with a heavy heart," Dobelke had told the GA at the time.

The city administration is now of the opinion that in times of increasing intolerance, agitation and discrimination, this decision also has a negative effect on the reputation of the city of Rheinbach, it says in the document for the meeting of the Finance and Main Committee. "As an open city in which social diversity, acceptance and respect are a matter of course, the city should send a clear signal here by raising the rainbow flag for its part as a symbol of these values in a central location in front of the town hall." Martin Koch (SPD) found "the idea very good" to set a sign and thus oppose "when the flag is taken down elsewhere". The majority did not follow the suggestion of Markus Pütz (CDU) to raise the eleven-coloured "Progress Pride" flag as an alternative.

Original text: Gerda Saxler-Schmidt

Translation: Mareike Graepel

Meistgelesen
Neueste Artikel
Zum Thema
Aus dem Ressort