‘Reclaim the Flag’ Director Alexis Bittar on Why Some People Were Too ‘Nervous’ to Be in Doc About LGBTQ Community’s Relationship to the American Flag

The American flag has long been a charged symbol, its meaning often dictated by those in power rather than those it purports to represent. Alexis Bittar’s documentary *Reclaim the Flag* enters this fraught space not just as a personal statement but as a cultural corrective—one that forces a reckoning with who has historically claimed ownership of national identity. For LGBTQ+ communities, whose relationship to the flag has often been one of exclusion or outright hostility, reclaiming its imagery is more than symbolic; it’s a political act. Bittar’s insistence on flying the flag at his own home underscores a broader tension: the flag’s presence in progressive, queer spaces challenges the assumption that patriotism is the exclusive domain of conservative or heteronormative America. This isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about dismantling the idea that certain groups can be inherently un-American simply because their identities challenge traditional narratives. The backlash Bittar describes—people hesitant to appear in the film, nervous about association with the flag—reveals how deeply ingrained this association remains. For decades, conservative movements have monopolized the flag’s image, linking it to a narrow vision of national identity. The result is a paradox: a symbol meant to represent unity becomes a tool of division, weaponized against those who don’t fit its prescribed mold. Bittar’s work, then, isn’t just about reclaiming a piece of fabric; it’s about reclaiming the narrative around what America can and should be. What remains to be seen is whether this act of reclamation will resonate beyond the art world and into broader cultural discourse. Will queer and progressive communities increasingly embrace the flag as their own, or will the fear of backlash persist? The documentary’s release could spark a conversation about how symbols evolve—and who gets to decide their meaning. In an era where national identity is increasingly contested, Bittar’s film might just be a microcosm of a larger fight: not just over the flag, but over who gets to call themselves American.