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And it’s clear some embassies and missions have continued the trend with displays of some kind in South Korea, India, Israel and Brazil, according to press reports.Īs much progress as the LGBTQ community has made in recent years, there are also worries of a retreat and not just abroad or in countries that recognize sharia law. Under the Obama administration, the State Department would actually encourage embassies to celebrate gay pride in some manner.
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Refusing the rainbow flag is a major departure from the past. The department has already eliminated the position of special envoy for gay rights and is in the process of creating a commission on “unalienable rights” that emphasizes “natural law and natural rights” that may or may not extend to those promoted under the rainbow banner. Nor is this the first time the State Department’s support for gay rights has been called into question.
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at the 39th Annual Toronto Pride Parade on Sunday Jin Toronto, Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began marching with participants on Yonge St. But that ignores the policies of the past that gave ambassadors some leeway on matters of human rights, not to mention the vice president’s own homophobia including his support of allowing businesses and individuals to discriminate against gays and lesbians on religious grounds. flag alone should fly on embassy flagpoles. This week, Vice President Mike Pence defended the State Department’s actions on the grounds of patriotism, suggesting that the U.S. “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.” the president posted on Twitter on May 31. is shrinking from its human rights leadership of the past even as President Donald Trump is giving lip service - or perhaps “tweet” service - to gay rights, suggesting that he fully supports them (although apparently not in public view).Īs 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.- Donald J. It was a request routinely granted when Barack Obama was president. flag on “public-facing flagpoles” to underscore their nation’s commitment to human rights. Their ambassadors made the request to fly the pride flag below the U.S. That’s why it was disappointing that the State Department has chosen to refuse requests to fly rainbow flags by a number of U.S. One small way to achieve that is to fly the rainbow flag, the symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights, and especially to fly it during June, which is Pride Month. That leaves it to the world leaders of freedom, equality and democracy to shine a light on LGBTQ rights and demonstrate to those less enlightened countries still caught in medieval views that times have changed for the better. Only about 27 (all democracies) recognize same-sex marriage. allies Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At least 14 nations impose the death penalty for homosexuality, including U.S. It’s not difficult to find a country that discriminates against gays.