Some American embassies chose to decorate their facilities with rainbow-colored items ahead of this weekend, despite the Trump administration’s refusal to allow embassies to hang LGBT flags on official flag poles.
The U.S. embassy in New Delhi changed its cover photo to an image of rainbow lights on the building, though it’s not clear if the picture was taken at the embassy this year or a previous one.
The U.S. Consulate General Chennai in India held a ceremony and flag-raising ceremony May 31.
The U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, posted a large pride flag on the front of the building in late May, ahead of what is known as “Pride Month” in June. The flag was larger and hanging higher than the U.S. flag hanging out front, which would have violated the standards held by former President Barack Obama’s State Department.
The U.S. embassy in Santiago, Chile, raised a flag on May 17 in honor of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.
The American embassy in Austria, Vienna, also raised a flag in mid-May, though it remains unclear if those flags are still up as of June 8.
Representatives from embassies in Brazil, Germany, Israel, and Latvia had requested permission to show support for the LGBT community, but were denied.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has said he believes marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman, was in his post during June last year, though it’s not clear what protocols the administration set into place at the time.
Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his April 2018 hearing he did not support marriage between two people of the same sex.
“When I was a politician, I had a very clear view on whether it was appropriate for two same-sex persons to marry,” Pompeo said at the time. “I stand by that.”
“So do you not believe it is appropriate for two gay people to marry?” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., asked.
“Senator, I continue to hold that view,” Pompeo said.
