“Finally, someone with influence is stepping up to say what we’re all thinking,” tweeted one conservative commentator. “Pride flags belong at parades, not next to the periodic table.”

On the other hand, critics of Musk’s position saw the statement as a thinly veiled attack on the LGBTQ+ community and an attempt to strip away the progress made over the last few decades. Many Twitter users, celebrities, and advocacy groups took to the platform to call out Musk for what they perceived as an “unnecessarily provocative” stance.

“You can send people to Mars, but you can’t tolerate a rainbow flag? Get with the times, Elon,” tweeted one prominent activist. Another user quipped, “I’d rather see a Pride flag in a classroom than one of Elon’s rockets stuck in a student’s science project.”

Within hours of Musk’s tweet, school boards and educators across the country were left scrambling to navigate the unexpected spotlight cast on an issue that many thought had already been resolved. A spokesperson for the National School Boards Association commented, “It’s not every day that the world’s richest man tweets about classroom decor. Needless to say, this isn’t something we were prepared for.”

While some school districts in conservative areas showed early signs of leaning into Musk’s controversial idea, others firmly rejected it. “We believe in fostering an environment of inclusivity and respect for all students,” said a principal at a Los Angeles high school. “If a rainbow flag makes one student feel seen, then it’s worth it.”

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