"His take now is basically, OK, then we'll fly it inside the embassy, we'll fly it from the window, we'll fly it from the balcony, and everywhere else," the person said. When asked if Grenell was annoyed that they had been denied permission to fly the flag from the flagpole, the State Department source replied with an emphatic "yes." In a statement to CNN that reads like a most diplomatic rebuke of what seems to be a new policy, Grenell said, "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 they will "hang a huge banner on the side of the Embassy" and host multiple events during Pride Month. The ambassador at that embassy, Richard Grenell, is gay and an advocate for LBGTQ rights around world. "It's always accepted," the source said, adding that the embassy had asked to fly the flag just during the city's Pride Week, at the end of June.īut this year, "an email was sent back from State's Management office, saying no. Swedish and Finnish embassies in Zambia are facing a backlash in the country after raising the rainbow flag along with their own national. The embassy in Delhi has been covered in rainbow-coloured lights.ĭonald Trump tweeted his support for pride month on 31 May, praising the “outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation”.Multiple US embassies were denied permission by the Trump administration to fly the rainbow pride flagįrom their flagpoles to commemorate LBGTQ Pride Month, two senior State Department officials told CNN Friday.Įmbassies are required to get permission from the State Department when flying anything besides the American flag on their main flagpoles.Īt the US Embassy in Berlin, which was one of the locations denied permission this year, flying the rainbow flag in the month of June had previously been simply "a routine thing that happens every year," one source said. Uproar after embassies fly gay pride flags in Zambia. “The secretary has the position that, as it relates to the flagpole, that only the American flag should be flown there.”ĭespite the ban, some embassies and consulates have managed a workaround, with the US missions in Seoul, South Korea and Chennai in India placing large pride flags on their facades. Pompeo, an evangelical Christian, has said that he defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman but has also said he respects employees regardless of sexual orientation. “Pride Month, that we’re in right now, is celebrated around the world by many state department employees, by many embassies,” Morgan Ortagus, the state department spokeswoman, said on Monday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has barred US embassies from flying the rainbow flag of the gay pride movement on flagpoles, the State Department confirmed Monday after criticism. The policy, announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, repeals his predecessor Mike Pompeo's effective ban on Pride flags or others from flying at U.S. Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, is spearheading an American campaign to decriminalize homosexuality around the world and said he would be “proud” to fly the rainbow flag.īut Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, believes that embassy flagpoles should be reserved for the American flag only, according to a spokeswoman. Pence, who has previously been criticized for warning there would be “societal collapse” if gay people were allowed to marry, said the Trump administration had placed no restrictions on US embassies placing pride flags or other flags elsewhere on their properties.Īt least four US embassies – in Israel, Germany, Brazil and Latvia – were denied permission to fly the pride flag. In an interview with NBC, the vice-president said “we’re proud to be able to serve every American”, but that “when it comes to the American flagpole, and American embassies, and capitals around the world, one American flag flies”. Pence said the ban on flying the flag was “the right decision”.