President Donald Trump has angered the LGBT community by declaring that United States embassies around the world are not allowed to fly the rainbow flag on a flag pole with the American flag.
During the Obama administration some American embassies chose to fly the rainbow flag during Pride Month in June, NBC News reported.
Although the pride flag can and is being flown elsewhere on embassy grounds, including inside embassies and on exterior walls, the decision not to allow it on the official flagpole stands in contrast to President Donald Trump’s claim to be a leader in supporting LGBT rights overseas. Trump’s administration has announced a campaign to decriminalize homosexuality overseas and this month issued a tweet and formal statement to “celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made.”
The denials to U.S. embassies have come from the office of the State Department’s under secretary for management, Brian Bulatao, a longtime associate of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who also worked for him at the CIA. Under State Department policy, embassies that want to fly the flag on their flagpoles are expected to obtain permission from Washington.
During the Obama administration, the government granted blanket permission to embassies overseas to fly the pride flag during June. This year, U.S. diplomats said, embassies were told they can display the pride flag other places, including inside embassies, but that requests to fly it on the flagpole must be specifically approved. No approvals have been granted.
But President Trump has taken a stand against it which has made some, like Rev. Franklin Graham, celebrated the decision.
“I want to thank President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making the decision not to fly the gay flag over our embassies during June in recognition of gay pride month.
“That is the right decision. The only flag that should fly over our embassies is the flag of the United States of America.
Do you support Trump’s decision?
“The gay pride flag is offensive to Christians and millions of people of other faiths, not only in this country but around the world.
“The U.S. flag represents our nation—everyone—regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation,” he said on Facebook.
But Ambassador Richard Grenel, who heads the embassy in Berlin, Germany, welcomed the president’s support for the LGBT community.
“The President’s recognition of Pride Month and his tweet encouraging our decriminalization campaign gives me even more pride to once again march in the Berlin Pride parade, hang a huge banner on the side of the Embassy recognizing our pride, host multiple events at the Embassy and the residence, and fly the gay pride flag,” he said to NBC News.
It says a lot that the face of the Trump administration’s supposed LGBTQ decriminalization push around the world, @RichardGrenell, was forbidden by his own administration from flying the rainbow flag on his Embassy’s flag pole. https://t.co/6HZfCWYRqP
— Ned Price (@nedprice) June 7, 2019
The United States should be a force for equality in the world and if that’s something as simple as flying a rainbow flag at our embassies it’s still an important gesture.
— Chris “Subpoena Cannon” in California (@CoastalElite28) June 8, 2019
US embassies denied permission to fly rainbow pride flags https://t.co/WAeCbKLoIm
— WPTV (@WPTV) June 8, 2019
A first reported by @JoshNBCNews , the State Department is now denying US embassies’ requests to fly the rainbow flag for Pride Month. Source says this had been “a routine thing, that happens every year.” Until now…….
— Michelle Kosinski (@MichLKosinski) June 7, 2019
I’m screwed because they aren’t flying the rainbow flag at foreign embassies? That’s a pretty low bar for “being screwed”.
Interesting how you talk about Trump’s merit based immigration system like it’s a bad thing.
Biden’s comments were exactly what I said the left says.
— Brandon Straka (@usminority) June 8, 2019
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