policy, regardless of who objects to it," one former U.S. pavilion at Dubai's Expo 2020 - the mega-event which was postponed to fall 2021 because of the coronavirus - also published an Instagram post in June to commemorate Stonewall and show "its support for the dignity and equality of all people." The administration still allowed the pride flag to be hung from buildings or projected onto walls. embassies during former President Barack Obama's time in office, they were not allowed to be flown from the missions' flagpoles under Trump, whose administration permitted only the flying of the American flag from at least 2019 onwards. While pride flags were flown at many U.S. The State Department in Washington flew the pride flag for the first time ever this year, and Blinken said in a June 1 statement: "As we celebrate Pride Month this June, let us not only observe how far we have come in the struggle for the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons, but also acknowledge the challenges that remain." The choice was left to the discretion of individual missions, some of whom chose not to fly it out of concern over local reaction. consulates and embassies would be allowed to fly the rainbow flag on the same flagpole as the American flag during June's Pride Month. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced earlier this year that U.S.
diplomatic staff in missions across several different countries told CNBC that the flag move marks a significant reversal from the years of the Donald Trump administration. The flag flying is a mark of the presidency of Joe Biden, who pledged to make human rights a priority for his administration. diplomatic mission in the Vatican, a move that angered some Catholics. The rainbow flag also made its first appearance at a U.S. The embassy did not reply to CNBC's comment requests. embassy in Abu Dhabi when asked for comment. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan for the first time.Ī spokesperson for the State Department referred CNBC to the U.S. The pride flag was not flown at Western embassies in Saudi Arabia or Iraq, for instance, but a Twitter post commemorating Pride Month was posted earlier in June by the U.S. The source questioned why there weren't similar statements made by the embassies in every other Muslim country. Why rub it in our faces? Why choose us to do this to?" the official told CNBC, requesting their name be withheld due to the sensitivity of the matter. One member of the government, a senior Emirati official speaking anonymously, called the act "So strange." "The flag-flying. No comment has been made by the UAE in an official capacity, and the UAE's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a CNBC request for comment. The topic remains highly taboo across the Middle East. And despite the UAE permitting its expat population to engage in many activities forbidden by the religion such as cohabitation, drinking alcohol, and eating pork, it is still a Muslim country whose local population is largely religious. Homosexuality is considered a sin in Islam. The British embassy did not reply to a CNBC request for comment. Looks like someone there is still living the long gone UK imperial days," Nasser Al-Shaikh, the former director of Dubai's finance department, wrote in a post on Twitter. "Very disrespectful from the British Embassy to the UAE & its people. Negative reactions to the posts were swift. Mission shows its support for the dignity and equality of all people." The Stonewall riots of 1969 are considered the birth of the gay rights movement. embassy posted a photo of its own flagpole flying the American and pride flags, and its Twitter account, published a tweet saying, "On the anniversary of Stonewall, a milestone in the American civil rights movement, the U.S.
"Today, we are flying the rainbow flag to affirm our pride in the UK's diversity and our values of equality, inclusion and freedom," the post added, along with the hashtag " #Pride2021." mission to the UAE posted on Twitter on Monday. "June is #PrideMonth and around the world we celebrate the equality and visibility of #LGBT+ people," the U.K.