Washington D.C., Jun 1, 2021 / 09:15 am
The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See announced on Tuesday, June 1, that it was displaying the rainbow LGBT “Pride” flag for the month of June, which is celebrated as LGBT “Pride” month.
“The United States respects the dignity and equality of LGBTQI+ people. LGBTQI+ rights are human rights,” the embassy stated on Twitter.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this year announced that U.S. embassies and consulates around the world could fly the “Pride” flag on the same flagpole as the American flag, during “Pride season.”
The authorization to fly the flag – which was not a mandate – was given ahead of May 17, observed as the international day against homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia. June, during which embassies can also fly the “Pride” flag on the external flagpole, is celebrated as “Pride” month by people identifying as LGBT.
Under the Trump administration, U.S. diplomatic outposts were reportedly prohibited from flying the rainbow flag from embassy flagpoles, and had to obtain special permission to do so. They were allowed to display the flag inside buildings.
Antony Blinken’s cable on “Pride” flags, first reported by Foreign Policy magazine in April, advised that diplomatic posts in certain countries should avoid flying the rainbow flag if doing so would create a backlash.
Also on Tuesday, President Joe Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history, issued a statement on June 1 for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, 2021.”
“Pride is both a jubilant communal celebration of visibility and a personal celebration of self-worth and dignity,” Biden stated.
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