TL;DR

• Former FBI specialist David Maltinsky has filed a federal lawsuit claiming he was illegally fired for displaying a Progress Pride flag.
• His termination letter cited “inappropriate political signage,” despite the bureau allowing far-right decals and having previously flown his Pride flag itself.
• Maltinsky was weeks away from graduating the FBI Academy after 16 years of service.
• Advocates say this is part of a broader anti-LGBTQ purge under Director Kash Patel.
• The case has revived comparisons to the historic Lavender Scare, when queer federal employees were systematically pushed out.

Pride Flag Fallout: Gay Ex-FBI Official Takes Patel to Court

The FBI may train its agents to detect threats — but apparently, under Director Kash Patel, a tiny Progress Pride flag counts as one. That’s the core of a bombshell new lawsuit from gay former FBI intelligence specialist David Maltinsky, who says he was illegally fired for displaying the rainbow emblem at his Los Angeles workstation years before attending the FBI Academy.

Now, after serving 16 years in the bureau, Maltinsky is dragging Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI, and the Department of Justice into federal court — and he’s not pulling punches.

Filed Wednesday in Washington, D.C., the suit accuses Patel of violating the Constitution, weaponizing politics, and targeting Maltinsky simply for being “a proud gay man.” And honey, if the details are what they look like, this is one scandal Patel won’t be able to cover with a talking point.

Passed All Tests… Then Fired for a Flag

The timing alone is suspicious: Maltinsky was three weeks from graduating from the FBI Academy’s 19-week training course. He’d cleared every hurdle — physical, legal, tactical — when he was suddenly pulled aside, escorted into an executive suite, and handed a termination letter signed by Patel himself.

The alleged offense? “Inappropriate display of political signage.” But let’s be clear: the only “signage” was a Pride flag.

A Pride flag the FBI had previously flown.
A Pride flag the FBI leadership had specifically given back to him.
A Pride flag used to celebrate diversity under the last administration.

Meanwhile, other agents were permitted to flaunt Blue Line flags, Gadsden “Don’t Tread on Me” flags, and Punisher skull decals — symbols that often signal fringe-right politics. No disciplinary action. No raised eyebrows.

But a rainbow? Suddenly, that’s too far?

A Career Built on Service, Scrapped Overnight

Maltinsky isn’t some newbie whose résumé fits on a Post-it. He joined the bureau at 19. He led cyber cases, supported major corruption investigations, and served on the FBI Equality Committee. He chaired the bureau’s LGBTQ advisory group. He marched in Pride parades wearing the FBI logo.

He earned the FBI Director’s Award for Diversity & Inclusion. Then the Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity. For years, he was the queer liaison helping move the bureau forward.

And then the political winds changed.

Patel banned Pride celebrations, dismantled inclusion efforts, and removed LGBTQ visibility from official operations. Civil rights advocates have been sounding the alarm for months, calling it a “return of the Lavender Scare.”

Now, with Maltinsky’s lawsuit landing like a missile, those warnings look a lot less dramatic.

The Lavender Scare, Revisited

Federal queer purges aren’t new. In the 1950s, thousands of LGBTQ federal employees were forced out under the myth that sexuality equaled security threat. Careers were destroyed. Lives were shattered. The era was named the Lavender Scare — a cousin of the Red Scare, but far less remembered.

Today’s version? It’s quieter. Subtler. But Maltinsky says it’s happening.

His firing triggered panic across field offices. LGBTQ staff stripped Pride stickers from cubicles. Queer employees monitored each other’s workspaces for “political” décor. People became afraid to be identifiable. It spread like wildfire — his words.

This isn’t just about one man’s job. It’s about whether the FBI is becoming hostile turf for LGBTQ public servants.

“This Is About Whether You Can Be Who You Are”

In the lawsuit’s press release, attorney Chris Mattei didn’t hold back:

“This case is about far more than one man’s career — it’s about whether the government can punish Americans simply for saying who they are.”

Luke Schleusener of Out in National Security called the firing “a clear act of bias,” warning that government workers shouldn’t fear retaliation for basic LGBTQ visibility.

The lawsuit seeks reinstatement, back pay, and a ruling affirming that the government cannot punish employees for LGBTQ identity or expression — something most Americans thought had been settled long ago.

This case hits at the heart of queer workplace equality. Visibility isn’t politics — it’s identity. When the Pride flag becomes grounds for termination, LGBTQ workers lose safety, freedom, and the right to exist openly. And if the FBI — an agency with immense power — can do this, other federal agencies may follow.

This is why Maltinsky’s stand matters. He isn’t just fighting for his badge — he’s fighting for every queer person who wants to serve their country without being shoved back into the closet.