Kuwait Asks Public for Help Identifying Pride Flag Displays

Kuwait is calling on the public to help it crack down on the public display of the Pride flag and other LGBTQ+ symbols. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is asking the Kuwaiti public to inform the government if they see “the flag which violates public morals” or phrases which include such “immorality,” The New Arab is reporting. As part of the ministry’s efforts, it posted on Twitter and other social media platforms a poster that teaches people how to recognize the difference between a “normal” rainbow and a Pride rainbow. The poster says in Arabic that “the flag which violates public morals includes only six colors” – displaying an image of the pride flag, and, underneath the image of a rainbow, reads “the normal rainbow includes seven colors.” Some Kuwaitis on social media poked fun at the campaign, posting photos of products ranging from laundry detergent to foodstuffs that feature rainbows in their packaging, calling for them to be banned. Officials in Saudi capital, Riyadh, reportedly recently began seizing rainbow-colored toys and clothes in a crackdown on the symbol.