The White House criticized congressional Republicans for including a provision in the government funding bill that limits which flags can be flown above US embassies, effectively banning LGBTQ flags. President Biden believes it was inappropriate to target LGBTQ+ Americans in this way and fought against the inclusion of the policy. The administration will continue to work with Congress to repeal it, although it will not impact LGBTQ+ individuals’ ability to serve openly in embassies or celebrate Pride.
The provision in the bill permits only certain flags to be flown over US embassies, including the US flag, US Foreign Service flag, POW/MIA flag, and others. It does not restrict what flags can be flown elsewhere on embassy grounds or in offices. While the measure sparked controversy, it does not prohibit pride flags from being present at embassies, with the exception of being flown over the exterior of the building. A Human Rights Campaign spokesperson criticized the provision as an attempt by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to appease a base with a harmful agenda.
Despite the controversy, the White House spokesperson emphasized that the administration was successful in preventing over 50 other policy provisions targeting the LGBTQ community that Republicans had sought to include in the legislation. President Biden remains committed to fighting for LGBTQ+ equality both domestically and internationally. Under the administration of Donald Trump, embassies were denied permission to raise the Pride flag, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized US diplomatic missions to do so in 2021. Many embassies fly the Pride flag during Pride Month in June.
The White House’s criticism of congressional Republicans was reported by Bloomberg and emphasized the administration’s opposition to including a policy that targets LGBTQ+ Americans in the government funding bill. The White House spokesperson stated that while the provision does not impact LGBTQ+ individuals’ ability to serve openly in embassies or celebrate Pride, it was inappropriate to include this policy in a bill meant to keep the government operational. The administration will continue to work with Congress to repeal the provision.
The measure in the government funding bill permits only certain flags to be flown over US embassies, such as the US flag, US Foreign Service flag, and others, but does not restrict what flags can be flown elsewhere on embassy grounds. While the provision sparked controversy, it does not prevent pride flags from being present at embassies, with the exception of being flown over the exterior of the building. The White House spokesperson noted that the administration successfully opposed over 50 other policy provisions targeting the LGBTQ community that Republicans had sought to include in the legislation.
Under the administration of Donald Trump, embassies were not allowed to raise the Pride flag, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized US diplomatic missions to do so in 2021. Many embassies fly the Pride flag during Pride Month in June. The controversial provision in the funding bill has drawn criticism from LGBTQ advocates, who argue that it is an attempt to appease a base with harmful intentions. The White House remains committed to fighting for LGBTQ+ equality both domestically and internationally, and will continue to oppose policies that discriminate against the community.
