“To have any president recognize Pride is important to my community,” Log Cabin President Jerri Ann Henry told the “Daily Mail” in a recent interview, “To have a Republican president recognize that is massive.”īut another recognized leader in the Republican gay community voiced its growing disappointment over the “flag flap” with Newsmax. Ironically, the present controversy flared up just as the Log Cabin Republicans, the 30-year group representing LGBT Republicans, hailed Trump for becoming “the first Republican President to promote LGBT Pride Month as he touts campaign to decriminalize homosexuality in 71 countries.” Bulatao was unavailable for comment over the weekend. Like Pompeo, Bulatao is a West Point graduate and formerly served as chief operating officer of the Central Intelligence Agency while Pompeo was its director. A source familiar with the controversy said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not make the decision, which was made by Bulatao. This apparent contradiction between policy and the President’s words calling on Americans to “celebrate LGBT Pride Month” has been laid at the feet of Brian Bulatao, under secretary of state for management who made the key decision to keep the pride flag from flying with the U. “It 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 to NBC News Friday evening, Grenell praised the President’s support of decriminalization and his recognition of Pride Month.
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ambassador to Germany and the highest-ranked openly gay appointee of President Trump, is considered the leader of the movement to decriminalize homosexuality in 71 countries.Īlong with the President, this movement has the support of Vice President Mike Pence. diplomats in four countries-Brazil, Germany, Israel and Latvia-told reporters last week that their requests to fly the pride banner on the flagpoles of their embassies was turned down. Although the flag was flown during the Obama years, the State Department under Secretary Mike Pompeo has declined to permit its raise on embassy flag poles. The flag, a symbol of gay people worldwide, is permitted to be displayed on the grounds and exterior walls of embassies. One of the most prominent gay members of President Donald Trump’s administration is Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany.Ī former commentator on Fox News, Grenell said he enjoyed the support of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, another evangelical, for a US-led campaign to end persecution of gay people - an initiative that notably criticizes US arch-rival Iran.Five days after President Trump issued a statement hailing Gay Pride Month and calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality abroad, the Administration found itself embroiled in a controversy over its refusal to permit the “rainbow pride flag” to be flown over U.S. The US embassy in New Delhi was lit up in the rainbow colors as a sign of solidarity in a country where the Supreme Court last year overturned a colonial-era ban on gay sex. I am demanding the Trump admin explain this hate,” he tweeted.Ĭhad Griffin, head of the Human Rights Campaign, the lead US gay rights group, said that the flag order “sends a chilling message not only to LGBTQ people in this country, but around the globe.”Ī number of US embassies have already highlighted their celebrations of Pride Month. “As we celebrate Pride Month, this decision must be reversed. “At a time when LGBTQ+ communities around the world face persecution, this Trump decision is a blatant attack on LGBTI rights,” said Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts.
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News of Pompeo’s orders, first reported last week by NBC News, provoked outrage among advocates of gay rights. The previous administration of president Barack Obama, an advocate of gay rights equality, let US embassies fly the pride flag without no questions asked and even lit up the White House in the rainbow colors when the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.