The move is yet another policy that President Biden is undoing of former President Trump’s administration. The move comes ahead of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17. Instead, chiefs of mission will be given the ability to “determine that such a display is appropriate in light of local conditions,” Blinken said. The nation’s top diplomat said in the cable that the flag, which is flown to symbolize support and pride for the LGBTQ community, will not be required to be added to the flagpole in front of each mission. News of the authorization was first revealed by Foreign Policy magazine, which reported on a confidential cable sent by Blinken to diplomatic posts worldwide authorizing the policy change. Secretary of State Tony Blinken has authorized US diplomatic missions to fly the LGBTQ pride flag on the same pole as the American flag at embassies and consulates, a department official confirmed to The Post Friday. Patient allegedly booted from Christian rehab facility, jailed for kissing another woman Pansexual teacher canned for discussing orientation with middle school kidsĭave Chappelle’s first joke after onstage attack: ‘That was a trans man’ His candidacy is yet to be approved by the US Senate.‘Menstrual Dignity’: Oregon law requires sanitary products in boys’ bathrooms He has previously served at the US embassies in Brunei, Nepal, Italy, Iraq, and Canada. Carwile, a career diplomat, currently serves as the deputy director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the State Department. In May, the White House announced President Trump's intention to nominate John Leslie Carwile to the post. Nancy Bikoff Pettit is approaching the end of her tenure as the US ambassador to Latvia. Many other embassies in Latvia also flew the rainbow flag. The Embassy is proud to support equal human rights for all groups regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation,” the US embassy informed LSM's Russian service. As a matter of policy, we do not discuss matters of internal procedures. Embassy in Riga commemorated International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on May 17 with international partners and friends, NGOs, and other public officials to raise awareness of human rights violations and discrimination directed against members of the LGBT community throughout the world. LSM's Russian service asked the US embassy to Latvia to confirm or deny the press reports, especially the ban on flying the rainbow flag. The ambassador Nancy Bikoff Pettit said this is a symbol of America's promise to protect LGBTI rights as well as human rights in general.” Photos showing the hoisted flag were accompanied by the following message: “On this sunny Friday, we are raising the Pride flag on the mast. The embassy in Latvia also chose to hoist the rainbow flag on the mast. Many other embassies flew the LGBT flag on a separate mast, or even the same mast with the US flag. Embassies in Israel and India were aglow with the colors of the rainbow flag, while the facades of the missions South Korea and Norway rippled with massive rainbow flags.
With the start of “Pride Month”, several embassies either found ways to bypass the regulations or disregarded them. “The Washington Post” reported that whereas last year the US State Department approved all requests, this year it had approved none. Washington had to be informed of any plans the embassy had of showing solidarity, but in 2016, the right to decide on the issue was left to the ambassadors themselves.Īfter Mike Pompeo became secretary of state in 2018, the procedures changed: agencies involved with foreign policy had to gain permission to hoist the flag. One of the guidelines stated that the rainbow flag should be smaller than the US flag and fly beneath it on the same mast.
This was the case in 2011, when the Obama administration ordered agencies involved with foreign policy to start advocating for LGBT rights.
#GAY PRIDE FLAGS AT EMBASSIES HOW TO#
The US State Department would send out instructions on how to celebrate “Pride Month”, which begins in the middle of May. In the past, flying the rainbow flag was common practice. As a result, US embassies in several countries, Latvia among them, took the decision themselves, reported LSM's Russian service on June 16. This year, however, such campaigns had to be coordinated with the Trump administration's stance.