State Department rejects US embassy requests to fly LGBTQ pride flags on flagpoles – Washington Examiner

The State Department has rejected at least four requests from different U.S. embassies to fly LGBTQ pride flags during the month of June.

U.S. embassies in Israel, Germany, Brazil, and Latvia have each made requests to fly rainbow flags on the embassy’s flag pole, and the Trump administration has rejected each request, according to NBC News. Pride flags are still allowed to be displayed elsewhere in each facility.

Under President Barack Obama, embassies were given blanket permission to fly LGBTQ pride flags throughout the month of June. The Trump administration altered that policy and now requires each embassy to get special permission to display the flag on the embassy flag pole.

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, who is openly gay, is leading the Trump administration’s campaign to decriminalize homosexuality in the roughly 70 countries around the world where it is illegal.

“The pride flag will be on as many places as it can at the embassy,” embassy spokesman Joseph Giordono-Scholz 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,” Grenell said in a statement.