Officials from Kuwait have summoned a diplomat over the U.S. Embassy’s decision to post tweets supporting Pride Month.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Charges d’Affaires James Holtsnider on Thursday to hand him a memorandum regarding a series of tweets “supporting homosexuality” and demanded that it not happen again. Kuwait is one of 69 countries where homosexuality is banned.
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“All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love,” the embassy tweeted in reference to a May 17 statement by President Joe Biden, referring to the president as “a champion for the human rights of #LGBTQI persons.”
“All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love.” @POTUS is a champion for the human rights of #LGBTQI persons. #Pride2022 #YouAreIncluded pic.twitter.com/gdPPBDlHZH
— U.S. Embassy Kuwait (@USEmbassyQ8) June 2, 2022
The ministry accused the embassy of violating international conventions that require diplomats to “respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state,” referencing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. It then ordered the U.S. Embassy to respect Kuwait’s laws and “not to publish such tweets,” according to the BBC.
Politicians in Kuwait also condemned the tweet.
“The behavior of the American embassy is unacceptable,” said Parliamentarian Osama al Shaheen, according to a translation. “Foreign embassies must respect the public order of Kuwait and its official religion.”
The State Department said it “proudly” works to defend human rights.
“Human rights are universal,” a State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “Respect for a person’s human rights should never be limited based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics. The United States proudly advances efforts around the globe to protect all individuals, including LGBTQI+ persons, from violence and abuse, criminalization, discrimination, and stigma, and to empower marginalized populations and local civil society, including the LGBTQI+ community. ”
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The spokesperson did not address how the department would respond to the memorandum.
The country has a long-standing history of opposing LGBT rights based on Islamic law. Kuwait criminalizes consensual sex between men, according to Human Dignity Trust.
