Missing stars on the U.S. flag reflect freedoms denied to LGBTQ+ Americans

The United States was founded on the promise of freedom, but centuries later, 29 states don’t protect LGBTQ+ citizens with the same liberties as others. That reality is reflected in “The Reality Flag,” a sobering version of the U.S. flag that displays only stars for states with equal protections for their LGBTQ+ citizens, an abyss of leftover navy underscoring the bleak reality as it waves in the wind.