This week, Donald Trump released yet another executive order, this time aimed at prosecuting the burning of the American flag. The Republicans want to play this off as a patriotic act, and the order claims it preserves our rights, liberty, and security. But this is all about limiting ways to express discontent with this administration.This is the latest move in a two-pronged strategy against symbols and symbolic speech. While the flag-burning executive order works to criminalize a symbol of discontent with those in power, the federal government is also attacking street art symbolism that helps to show support for marginalized groups that the administration wishes to target. Related Texas Republicans perfectly represent the death of the Republican Party It is important to note that the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that burning the flag is a protected form of free speech. While many hold the flag as a near-sacred symbol, the ability to protest through its visible destruction is a powerful statement that is built into one of the most basic tenets of this country.Trump and his team are well aware of this and they want to dissemble around that point in the executive order, suggesting that flag burning is used to incite lawlessness, an idea hoping to bundle it in with shouting fire in a crowded theater. They clearly know that this argument has no teeth, as the order doesnt ask the Department of Justice to arrest people for flag burning, but rather to see what local laws might be used to target them instead, such as violating burning restrictions. This is all a weak attempt to hide behind patriotism while criminalizing an aspect of protest that the Founding Fathers would support. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today All of that is well illustrated in the actions of the combat veteran who burned a flag outside the White House the day after the order was released. As he pointed out, he fought for every one of your rights but was protesting the impingement of the First Amendment. If anyone has more right than someone else to burn a flag, it is likely to be the person who was willing to give their life for what it represents. He was arrested (and later released) for igniting a fire.People can get very sensitive about the flag, and it is crucial to understand that the flag really isnt the point here. If Trump and his team were worried about the sacred defense of the flag, then they would be looking at any number of commercial violations of the Flag Code, such as it being printed on paper napkins and bikinis and flown in disrepair. Were at a point where Vermin Supreme is making more sense than the president. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vermin Supreme (@verminsupremeofficial) This order will be used as a way to attack and incarcerate protestors who are exercising their First Amendment rights to voice displeasure with the government. When an administration has to resort to attacking protestors and refusing to let people speak, rather than seeking to address problems and listening to the will of the people, it is fair to say that they have failed in their duties.But the thought policing by Republicans goes further than trying to prevent people from speaking against them. They also want to stop people from supporting those whom they wish to attack. At the start of July, the Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told governors of all 50 states that they had to remove from crosswalks political messages of any nature, artwork, or anything else that detracts from the core mission of driver and pedestrian safety.Increasing road safety is a laudable goal, but Duffys order had nothing to do with that (his own tweets make that plain). In fact, data from multiple studies suggests that unusual crosswalks that are themed, contain messaging, or include artwork may well reduce accident rates. Its theorized that, as drivers notice the crosswalks for being different, they are paying more attention to other cars and pedestrians in the area rather than being zoned out and thinking about their day.This is all to do with that political messages part of the order, and its pretty clear which political messages theyre targeting. If you think about road artwork you may have seen in your neighborhoods, its probably mostly Pride flags, rainbows, and BLM messages, and not so much in the way of Confederate flags and white supremacist messages. As we approach the deadline for governors to comply with the order, most states have refused to comply. But, of course, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been happy to step up and perform his role as Trumps loyal toady in the most abhorrent way possible. Last week, during the night, the rainbow crosswalk outside the site of the Pulse nightclub mass shooting was painted over.In response to the detestable act of painting over a memorial like this one, the local community came out in protest and re-chalked the rainbow on the crosswalk. That could have been the end of it, but instead, police were deployed to stare at the patch of road that had once been a memorial to victims of a mass shooting to ensure that no one dared to restore that memorial again.If your administration has to deploy armed guards to prevent peaceful support for victims from a marginalized community, they have failed in their duties. How is any of this in line with the basic concepts of free speech? We can hope that the backlash will prevent further actions or compliance from other state governors, but if not, we can safely assume that Black Lives Matter street art will be next on the chopping block. Trump has been pulling moves from the authoritarian playbook for a long time now, whether thats plastering his face on a building, demanding a sad military parade for his birthday, or deploying the national guard in an unnecessary show of force. Its exhausting to keep track of all of the steps towards fascism that we are taking as a country, but every one of them needs to be remembered and fought back against.This isnt about road safety or respect for the flag or the country. Its about attacking symbolic speech so that there is less space for dissent from what Trump and his cronies would like people to believe. Like so much of the anti-DEI push and the censorship of books and schools, this is another nail in the coffin of the ability for people to speak their minds.The message is clear. Dont protest the government. Dont support the queers. Just bow to the supreme leader.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.