Trump administration reportedly rejected embassies' requests to fly the rainbow pride flag

The American flag may be flying on U.S. embassies around the globe, but you won't find a rainbow flag hanging with it.

That's because, as three diplomats tell NBC News, the State Department has rejected their requests to do so. The denial was even reportedly made to Richard Grenell, America's ambassador to Germany, who is the most senior openly gay person in Trump's administration and who is leading a worldwide push to decriminalize homosexuality.

President Trump has claimed to support LGBTQ people from the start of his 2016 campaign, and has tweeted in support of Pride Month and Grennell's campaign. Vice President Mike Pence has a weak record on LGBTQ rights, but had also backed Grennell's movement. Yet when Germany, as well as Israel, Brazil, Latvia, and other countries, asked for permission to fly the pride flag on official flagpoles, they were reportedly denied.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

State Department policy dictates that embassies receive permission to fly other flags on their official flagpoles, and former President Barack Obama granted blanket approval to fly the pride flag during his administration. But the State Department's Undersecretary for Management Brian Bulatao has denied all their requests so far this year, saying they can display the flag in other places inside and outside the embassies instead, NBC News reports. Grennel would not say whether he'd gotten the denial from Bulatao, but told NBC News that "the pride flag will be on as many places as it can at the Embassy."