PREZ FLAG FLAP
Won’t let rainbow fly over U.S. embassies
Despite touting strong support for gay rights, the Trump administration has slapped down U.S. embassies across the globe requesting to fly rainbow flags in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month, according to a report Friday.
Embassies in Israel, Germany, Brazil and Latvia are among the U.S. diplomatic outposts that have gotten their rainbow requests rejected by President Trump’s State Department, three sources told NBC News.
The denials reportedly came directly from the office of Brian Bulatao, the department’s undersecretary for management and a longtime aide for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
State Department representatives did not return requests for comment.
The embassies are reportedly still allowed to fly rainbow colors on embassy grounds, but Bulatao’s directive bars them from hoisting the multicolor banner on main flagpoles.
The new directive marks a departure from an Obama-era policy giving blanket permission to all U.S. embassies to fly rainbow flags for the duration of June, which is celebrated as Pride Month around the world.
The rainbow-bashing policy also flies in the face of a tweet thumbed out by Trump last month.
“As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,” the president posted May 31. “My administration has launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality and invite all nations to join us in this effort.”
Richard Grenell, Trump’s openly gay U.S. ambassador to Germany, will not be able to fly the rainbow flag at his embassy in Berlin due to the new policy.
Gov. Cuomo ripped the administration’s rainbow restrictions as “outrageous.”
“New York was honored to raise the LGBTQ flag over the State Capitol earlier this week for the first time in history,” Cuomo said. “We proudly stand with the LGBTQ community, during Pride Month and always, even if the Trump administration does not.”
Trump’s support for the LGBTQ community has been two-faced.
He has effectively banned transgender people from serving in the U.S. military because he falsely claims service members aren’t allowed to take hormones or other drugs.
His administration has also enacted and supported various policies allowing health care providers and business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ people on religious grounds.