9 Unexpected Places Where Pride Flags Flew During Pride Month

Over U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv

The Pride Flag was flown proudly at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv at the unabashed instruction of the American ambassador to Isreal, Daniel Shapiro, according to the Times of Israel. The embassy also posted a picture of the flags on its Facebook page, where Shapiro commented, "For the first time in history, the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv has raised the Pride flag together with our American flag. We are proud to join with the municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo and its residents in celebrating LGBT Pride Week."


At Moscow City Hall

Protesters in Russia faced arrest and thugs at Moscow LGBT Pride May 31. A Reuters video showed protesters wearing wigs and waving Pride flags high in reference to Eurovision winner and Austrian singer, Conchita Wurst, as they rode in a car bearing large rainbow-striped Pride-Flag placards past the Moscow mayor's offices, according to Pink News. City officials described the protest as part of a small, unsanctioned "Moscow Pride" celebration.


On Utah Eagle Scout's Scarf

The Boy Scouts of America's executive leadership are still resisting the call to allow gay scout masters, especially now that out scouts are welcome. Interestingly, Utah's membership has risen since BSA began allowing gay scouts, a fact that was on display during the Utah Pride Parade June 6, where among these American and Pride Flag-bearing scouts, an Eagle Scout sported a scarf with a custom-embroidered rope-knot insignia fashioned into a Pride Flag theme reports the Associated Press.

In Singapore

LGBT Pride celebrants in Singapore flew the Pride Flag proudly and courageously, despite the looming threat of "Law s377A," which makes gay sex punishable by up to two years in prison.

Atop Starbucks HQ

Starubucks made a bold statement of its support of LGBT people when the company hoisted the Pride Flag high atop its corporate headquarters in Seattle, June 23, as Time magazine reported. "Given our public stance on diversity and inclusion of all people, particularly on this issue, it makes sense to raise the flag in celebration," Executive Vice President Lucy Helm said in a statement that day day.

Over Toronto City Hall

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford previously engaged in a "flag flap" when city officials raised the Pride Flag over Toronto City Hall in support of Russia's beleaguered LGBT community during the Winter Olympics in Sochi last February.

"No, I do not agree with putting up the rainbow flag," Ford told the Toronto Sun in February. "We should put our Canadian flag up. I put my Canadian flag up in the window."

For LGBT pride month, however, he was decidedly less vociferous about the flag being flown at City Hall.

In the American Heartland at Circle City Pride Parade

Though it's no surprise to local residents of Indianapolis, that this midwest city has a vibrant LGBT Pride parade and festival each year. But the scale and energy of pride around this Pride flag in the heart of the heartland of America are enough to impress LGBT and allied folks on both coasts.


By Iranians at Istanbul Pride

These Iranians are safer in Istanbul raising the Pride Flag in Turkey during its annual LGBT Pride festival than they would be in Tehran. Indeed, back home they would be risking their freedom and their lives by this simple act. Turkey wants to be a member of the European Union, which saw many of its member states celebrate Pride Month in big way this year.

In Danvers, Mass.

Then there was this perhaps inadvertanty ignoble incidence of a Pride Flag replacing a POW/MIA flag in Danvers, Mass. As Boston's CBS affiliate reported, the Pride Flag was later moved to another location after public outcry. The POW/MIA flag can only be flown under the flag of the U.S., while the Pride flag has no such restrictions and can fly singularly.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post incorrectly labeled Istanbul as the capital city of Turkey, when Ankara is the nation's capital; Turkey is also not yet a member of the European Union. The Advocate regrets these errors.