Editing Flag and seal of Virginia (section)

==Flag history==
{{Gallery|align=center|height=180
|Flag of Virginia (1861–1865).svg|The Virginia state flag that was used during the Civil War in the 1860s.<ref name=FOTW/><ref name="NState">{{cite web |author= |date=February 6, 2014 |title=Virginia State Flag |url=http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/va_flag.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230082900/http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/va_flag.htm |archive-date=December 30, 2014 |access-date=December 30, 2014 |work=NetState}}</ref><ref name=FlagOrdinance>{{cite book|title=An ORDINANCE to establish a Flag for this Commonwealth|series=Ordinance No. 33|date=April 30, 1861|location=Virginia|author=Virginia Convention}}</ref>
|Flag of Virginia (1931–1950).png|The Virginia flag from the 1930s before standardization of the seal.
}}

The first state flag was made in 1833 during the [[Nullification crisis|Nullification Crisis]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Humanities |first=National Endowment for the |date=1871-12-29 |title=The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, December 29, 1871, Image 2 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024738/1871-12-29/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1756&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=banner+flag+State&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=15&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=state+flag+banner&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=6 |access-date=2025-05-13 |issn=2157-1260}}</ref> It was raised on February 22 by Governor [[John Floyd (Virginia politician)|John Floyd]] in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], and later displayed at [[Bellona Arsenal]] and other public buildings. John suggested that the flag should fly during special events instead of the American flag. The flag and the idea of flying it in place of the American flag caused great resentment among some members of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]] who threatened to tear the flag down. In defense of the flag, other house members proclaimed that they would die for the flag. John would later raise the American flag alongside the state flag to appease both sides of the house.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Humanities |first=National Endowment for the |date=1833-04-04 |title=Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, April 04, 1833, Image 2 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025006/1833-04-04/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Banner+Flag+State&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=1&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=State+flag+banner&y=13&x=22&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=2025-05-07 |issn=2767-3669}}</ref> This flag was not officially adopted until April 30, 1861, nearly two weeks after the state seceded from the Union.<ref name="NState"/>

The current flag of Virginia was adopted on March 28, 1912. The current flag was designed to be similar to the Civil War state flag.<ref name="auto"/> When the state seal was standardized on February 1, 1950, the flag was also updated to reflect the standardization.<ref name=1-506/>

In 2001, the [[North American Vexillological Association]] surveyed its members on the designs of 72 [[U.S. state]], [[US Territory|U.S. territorial]], [[Canadian province|Canadian provincial and Canadian territorial]] flags. The survey ranked Virginia's flag 54th out of 72.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nava.org/digital-library/design/surveys/2001-State-Provincial-Flag-Survey.pdf|title=2001 State/Provincial Flag Survey - NAVA.org|work=nava.org}}</ref>

{{Gallery|align=center|height=120
|Flag of Virginia (1861).jpg|A surviving copy of the Civil War era state flag
|Flag of Virginia (1879).png|A Virginia state flag from 1879 based on descriptions<ref>{{Cite news |last=Humanities |first=National Endowment for the |date=1879-04-12 |title=Chicago daily tribune. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1872-1963, April 12, 1879, Image 7 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84031492/1879-04-12/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1756&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=banner+flag+States&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=16&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=state+flag+banner&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=34 |access-date=2025-05-23 |pages=7 |issn=2572-9985}}</ref>|
Virginia_State_flag_1904.jpg|A surviving Virginia state flag with the 1904 state seal
|Virginia_State_Flag_1917.jpg|A depiction of the state flag from 1917
}}

===Controversies===
The flag of Virginia has faced occasional controversy for its design. In 2010, then-Attorney General [[Ken Cuccinelli]] gave his staff lapel pins depicting a modified version of the flag that censored the exposed breast of the woman.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Julian |date=2010-05-05 |title=Cuccinelli Covers Up Bosom |url=https://www.styleweekly.com/cuccinelli-covers-up-bosom/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Style Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, in 2025, the school district of [[Lamar County, Texas]] banned students from reading about the state of Virginia due to the exposed female breast depicted on the flag.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=2025-04-18 |title=What a boob: Texas school district bans Virginia state flag and seal over naked breast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/18/texas-bans-virginia-flag-breast |access-date=2025-04-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peifer |first=Karri |date=2025-04-17 |title=Virginia flag banned in Texas district over exposed breast |url=https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2025/04/17/texas-school-district-virginia-flag-ban-nudity |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref>

In 2024, Yugene Vindman, a Democratic politician, posed for a photograph with the Virginia state flag that was used during the American Civil War in the 1860s. After learning of his mistake, Vindman argued that Virginia should redesign its flag, as he believed that the Civil War flag and the current flag were too similar and easily confused.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kiser |first=Uriah |date=2024-04-17 |title=Yugene Vindman calls for review of Virginia's State Flag amid controversy over Confederate symbolism |url=https://www.potomaclocal.com/2024/04/17/yugene-vindman-calls-for-review-of-virginias-state-flag-amid-controversy-over-confederate-symbolism/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Potomac Local News |language=en}}</ref>