Updated Jun 8, 2019

U.S. embassies find loopholes to celebrate Pride Month

American flag and Pride flag

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Though the State Department has rejected requests from American embassies around the world to fly the rainbow pride flag for the month of June, officially recognized as LGBT Pride Month, a few embassies have found loopholes, reports the Washington Post.

Details: American embassies are still permitted to have rainbow flags on the premises, but not on the flagpole alongside the American flag, per NBC. The embassies in Israel, Germany, Brazil and Latvia are among those that have made the ask and been denied.

The state of play: Some embassies are still recognizing Pride Month by working around the policy:

  • The U.S. missions in Seoul, South Korea, and Chennai, India, have hung large pride flags on the sides of their buildings.
  • The embassy in New Delhi, India, hung rainbow-colored lights.
  • The U.S. Embassy in Chile's website has photos of a pride flag on its flagpole last month.
  • U.S. diplomats in Jerusalem joined marches for Pride and tolerance.

The big picture: President Trump has multiple policies that infringe on the rights of LGBTQ Americans, including banning transgender Americans from serving in the U.S. military. He also has plans to make it easier for adoption agencies to reject same-sex parents.

But, but, but: Trump, in a recent tweet, wrote: "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...."

Go deeper: Trump targets LGBTQ protections

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