'Posts should support efforts to repeal legislation, while ensuring that 'do no harm' remains our overarching principle so U.S. embassy flying the Pride flag, or discussing legalizing or decriminalizing same-sex relationships, could do more harm than good, causing a backlash, Foreign Policy magazine noted. agencies working abroad to work harder to combat the criminalization of LGBTQ people by foreign governments and ordered the State Department to include anti-LGBTQ violence, discrimination and laws in its annual human rights report.īlinken, however, has yet to name a State Department special envoy for LGBTQ rights, a post that was left vacant for much of the Trump administration.Īt least 69 countries around the world have laws that criminalize same-sex relations, according to Human Rights Watch.īlinken's cable also noted that in some countries, a U.S. In February, Biden issued a presidential memorandum aimed at expanding protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people worldwide. Blinken's cable gives them carte blanche to fly the pride flag.
President Joe Biden has vowed to fight for LGBTQ rights Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sent a cable to diplomatic outposts around the world giving them blanket permission to fly the flagĮmbassies are required to get permission from the State Department when flying anything besides the American flag on their main flagpoles.
