The right-wing Sweden Democrats, supported by the centre-right Moderates and Christian Democrats, as well a conservative local party, have decided to revise Sölvesborg's flag code, allowing only local and national flags on public buildings.
The idea of flying the Pride colours was first introduced in 2013. The rainbow flag has since appeared during gay parades.
“Tradition is important to us, and I know many of our older residents share this view,” Sweden Democrat Mayor Louise Erixon said, explaining the move to discard the Pride flag to national broadcaster SVT.
The idea was also supported by Bo Broman, a high-profile Sweden Democrat, who is openly gay and has attended Sweden's largest Pride parade in Stockholm. He argued that it was not appropriate for any political symbol to be flown outside a public building.
“I personally don't think that any political symbol or flag representing organisations, companies, football teams and so on belongs on public flagpoles. No matter how important the issue is, public flagpoles should only carry the Swedish flag, the official flag for the municipality, flags from visiting countries and perhaps that of the EU or UN,” he toldThe Local.
The municipality has also rebelled against the country's political trends by de-prioritising “challenging, contemporary art” and opting for “classic, timeless art”, as Mayor Louise Erixon put it.
Sweden Democrat Rolf Hans Berg, the chairman of the recreational and cultural committee, stressed that the municipality will only buy art that “appeals to the broad majority”.
“It's clear that if you want 'menstrual art' at the dining table at home go ahead and buy it, but I don't think citizens appreciate such art in the municipality's ownership,” Berg said, explaining the municipality's stance to national broadcaster SVT, hitting at the current trend of artwork celebrating feminism by glorifying women's periods. The Sweden Democrats previously slammed the artwork of a Stockholm underground station featuring graphic images of menstruating women.
While hailed by many Swedes on social media, Sölvesborg's decisions sparked outrage from the liberal-leaning national mainstream mediaand authorities alike.
Culture and Democracy Minister Amanda Lind of the Green Party strongly slammed the decision as “dangerous posturing” stressing that art must develop freely. She also stressed that today's “ challenging contemporary art” may become tomorrow's “timeless, classic art”.
An advertising company in Sölvesborg is currently showing the Pride flag on its 13 digital screens around the municipality in protest against the decision, according toSwedish Radio. The display will go on for a month.
Furthermore, unknown protesters placed out a doll wearing a folk dress with two gay pride flags and a blood-stained abdomen, provoking strong reactions.
“Swedish LGBT art in Sölvesborg. Nice, isn't it?” a user wrote sarcastically.
The Christian Democrats in Sölvesborg have slammed the graphic protest in a Facebook post.
“Today, the residents of Sölvesborg wake up to this kind of 'art' that our party doesn't support! This kind of 'art' is something we want to protect our children from!”, the party wrote.
Sölvesborg is a locality in Blekinge County, Sweden with slightly over 10,024 inhabitants.