Trump Won't Let U.S. Embassies Fly Pride Flags

The Trump administration is denying requests from U.S. embassies to fly Pride flags.

Diplomats from embassies in Israel, Brazil, Germany, and Latvia told NBC News that applications to fly the rainbow symbol of the LGBTQ community on their flagpoles had been rejected.

Brian Bulatao, the undersecretary for management at the State Department, issued the denials to the diplomats. Embassies are allowed to display Pride flags inside their buildings or on exterior walls, but they must obtain permission to fly the rainbow banners on official flagpoles.

The denials are in contrast to the policy of the Obama administration, which issued a blanket approval for Pride flags. It also runs counter to the Trump administration's international campaign to decriminalize homosexuality as well as President Trump's recent tweet to "celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation."

Ty Cobb, director of HRC Global at the Human Rights Campaign, slammed the hypocrisy of the Pride flag ban in a Friday statement.

"Trump can't have it both ways. He can't tweet claiming to be an advocate for LGBTQ people and turn around and prohibit U.S. embassies across the world from flying a Pride flag," said Cobb. "The reality is that the Trump-Pence administration continue[s] to take every opportunity to attack LGBTQ people, from stripping access to health care to eliminating transgender people's ability to serve."

The LGBTQ media organization GLAAD also released a critical statement.