Image credit: US Embassy India Twitter (@USAndIndia)
The Trump administration may have prohibited the flying of Pride flags from embassy flagpoles, but a number of embassies are finding ways around this particular order.
As reported by The Washington Post, the rainbow flag continues to be displayed publicly in locations like Nepal, India, and South Korea. While the displays are not in direct violation of the State Department order, the embassies have ensured that the rainbow flags are very prominent, sometimes even more so than the American flag.
For instance, the embassy in Seoul, South Korea has a substantially larger rainbow flag on display at the same height as the American flag. The embassy in Chennai, India also catches attention as it drapes down three stories of the embassy building.
Meanwhile, the embassy in Nepal has the rainbow flag prominently displayed on the outside of the building, as shown in photos and video they have released. The US Embassy in India is lit up with rainbow-colored lights.
American diplomats abroad have also been very vocal about attending Pride events in their specific country of posting. A March for Pride and Tolerance in Jerusalem was attended by American diplomats, while the mission in Nepal had employees holding up letters spelling Pride.
The Trump administration’s refusal to allow the rainbow flag to be raised up platforms is different from the Obama administration’s stance on it. The Obama administration left it up to each ambassador or head of mission to decide on how best to display rainbow flags for Pride.
The decision is also in direct contrast to the Trump administration’s recent push to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Richard Grenell, the US Ambassador to Germany, is the one heading this mission of decriminalization. The US Embassy in Germany was also one of the embassies whose request to raise the rainbow flag on a flagpole was denied.
In a statement to NBC News, Grenell ignored this refusal and focused on the President’s tweet regarding the decriminalization campaign instead. His statement reads: “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.”
When there is resistance to change and tolerance, people sometimes have to stand taller or shout louder. It has been part of the path of gaining civil rights for the marginalized in past history. I think that these embassies are sending a message to this current administration about what they believe now. However, I’m not sure that the pride flag should be bigger than the American flag. The American flag represents a lot of things but should still be respected for the hope and reality of change that has come in America’s history. It is good that diplomats are attending… Read more »
so when Iran will have a Gay pride?
That’s a great stride when.. checks notes.. Iran is reaffirming gays should be killed under Islamic law…. (yawn).
The facts … the Pride flag has not been banned at embassies by the President (see yesterday’s blog and multiple media reports). The flag may be flown anywhere at embassies except on embassies’ official flag pole where the US flag is to be flown alone. According to the Flag Code, Presidents have official discretion with standard Flag protocol. President Obama, as was his discretion, broke with long-standing Flag protocol. President Trump, as is his discretion, returned to the long-standing Flag protocol.
Trump did NOT say they could not display the gay flag. He said it could not be flown on the flag pole. Only the Stars and Stripes are allowed to fly. So this is the FAKE news.
lol, same shit.
I’m not real familiar with this specific area of US law and Executive Orders but your headline does not line up with the facts as I perceive them to be, Dave. In short, your headline is utter bull shit and likely designed to fan the flames of Trump Derangement Syndrome among those so afflicted. Of course, it is click bait as well; you got me on that one. The body of your message attempts to paint the whole shmear as some sort of diplomatic insurgency against Trump, which it isn’t. Your message in this instance is simply false and intentionally… Read more »
How surprising, again, something you’re not familiar with, then shut the fuck-up, man!
My, such an economy of words you have. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say we most eagerly await your next syllable….
yeah but that would disrupt the blogger’s narrative. forget the truth.
Bob, where does it say in this article does it say that Trump said that they could not display the flag? That statement is what you are saying is untrue, yet I don’t see it anywhere in the article. What I see is that he banned it from being flown on the flag pole, which is 100% true and factual. The article further goes on to state that the embassies are still making sure the Pride flag is represented in many other ways. ..I am at a loss as to how your argument pertains to this article because what you… Read more »
Time to fire the people in leadership in those embassies.
It has nothing to do with Trump, he never said anything about the flag. I hated him at first but now after reading his twitter page I realize the news is all lies about him. He is doing a better job than I ever thought he could and loves gay people and human rights, I even heard he went a friend of mines gay wedding a few years back. I used to love Hillary but I do remember when she was against Gay marriage and Trump has always been for our right to marry.
Yet again, Trump is being blamed for this even after he tweeted out a support message for the GLBTQ community. The order was to not let the American flag be replaced by the Rainbow flag and it was Pence who who ordered it not Trump. No matter how much good Trump has done, they will forever try and bring him down.
Trump insults gay people and once again gay people don’t give a damn.
Maybe most gay people are mature enough to understand you don’t always get what you want and don’t have crybaby fits over an un-traditional flying of a flag purely for cheap political gain.
Don’t fly the flag on the pole = insult gay people. Sure. You already hated him this is just an outlet.
Correct Bob. What a fucked up slanted article. Anyway it can be spun. Forget the facts. Trash.
yeah, but that would disrupt the writer’s narrative. forget the truth.
Then mental gymnastics that these self hating Trump supporting gays will go through to deny reality. He is not for our community. Get your head out of your asses please.
One should pull his proverbial head out of his own ass before passing judgement on others who choose to think for themselves with reason and not emotional collectivist mob mentality.
Oh, please. First, I don’t hate myself. Second, I am a member of the gay community & I know others who have a similar or mostly the same political philosophy that I have and they are part of the gay community, too. Ergo, and finally, you don’t speak for the whole gay community. If you could tell me what Trump has done to harm the gay community I’d like to read about it. Please don’t simply parrot some talking point as they do seem to allow links here within reason. I need to see and analyze facts before I change… Read more »
Did you forget about the transgender ban in the military that he just issued early in the month and reaffirmed his decision while in Europe, because transgendered people “take massive amounts of drugs.” He was most likely referring to hormones.
And who pays for those drugs/hormones? The average person in the military gets paid $2k to $4k per month but cost for the hormonal treatments are about $1k per month -forever-, not including specialized medical costs and the nearly $250k for surgery. Should the American taxpayer be dumping this significant amount of money into a small group of people who are really political pawns in a twisted game or should this money go to the huge number of military vets who are not getting the help and support they deserve, including defending one’s right to be trans? The military is… Read more »
No, not at all. The US military has historically rejected or discharged persons with medical or psychological issues that weren’t suitable for service. They did it before queer was cool and will likely continue to do so once queer becomes passe’. Anybody who has been around young teens or menopausal women knows how changing hormones can affect a person’s emotional status. What the military absolutely does not need are personnel who may be prone to bouts of emotional instability. Given the gravity of war and the duties the military services carry out in that sort of endeavor Trump, in the… Read more »
Amen brother. If and ‘adult’ someone wants to whack their willy off, buy a pair of titties, more power to you. I have no issue with this and would defend your right to do it, but do it on your own dime, not ours and don’t add more complications to the military then they already have to deal with.
There’s nothing fake in this, they mentioned it on “The View!” their point, very valid, actually: “welcome, you’re excepted here, safe to be you.” I get that, why don’t some of you? Anything that’s good, that defies trump, is a good thing!
The View!?! LOL, yeah, that’s the unbiased holy bastion honest logic and reason! Talk about thinking with your vagina.
That, is so sexist of women.
You seem to have forgotten, most of gay supporters, happen to be women, for many reasons, they give birth to us, not to mention the artists, that are women…sick fuck!
There’s a few talk-shows reiterating this, guess in your little head, they’re all wrong…
Typical response, resort to an ‘ism’. I constantly hear from women on how men think with their penises, while true in certain instances, women are just as guilty if not even more diabolical when they think with their vaginas. Do no wrong Obammy shows up on the View couch and they can hardly keep from humping the furniture in turpitude, but no, when it comes to icky Trump, they’re suddenly the pillars of moral piety! Spare me, absolute biased rubbish.
Lamar obviously is solely sold to the progressive plantation and will take any propaganda against trump or conservatives (they are not the same thing) as face value. The looking to the view for any insight at all shows the straws being grasped.
!! Isn’t that what you’re doing, resorting to ism’s” It’s true, too men ‘do’ allow themselves to be lead by the smaller head, lol. Do no wrong Obammy? How many of his staff went to prison, brought-up on charges?
Did he erect hate groups? No, he was rather unifying as America recalls, he followed the constitution, the law…At this point, even his foreign policies; while not perfect, a damn sight better than this idiot, snap-out of it! Get over YOUR hate.
The American Embassy represents ALL Americans. The Pride flag represents LBGBTQ members ALL over the world. What in the hell does the Pride flag have to do with a US Embassy?
Democrats want to keep the LGBT community on the plantation, so they lie about Trump and his motivations. Trump has not been hostile towards the community, and the disinformation spewed here and on the mainstream news sites needs to be consumed with more critical thought. Don’t just swallow whole the BS that they are spewing.
Tek, I choose the lesser of the two evils, thanks for your input…I know, the history of both parties. It’s one plantation or the other, actually.