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This Pride month, the Trump administration has denied requests from its American embassies to fly the rainbow Pride flag on their flagpoles.
This is a shift from the Obama era policy which gave diplomats blanket permission to fly the Pride flag during the month of June.
Donald Trump ’s policy is that for the rainbow flag to be flown, express permission must be granted, and no requests have been approved.
The Israeli, Latvian, and Brazilian US embassies all requested permission to fly the pride flag from the State Department and were denied.
Rather, the embassies were told the rainbow flag can be hung elsewhere inside or on the exterior walls of the embassy .
Richard Grenell , the ambassador to Germany and an openly gay member of the Trump Administration , said in a statement to NBC News : "The President's recognition of Pride month and his tweet encouraging our decriminalisation campaign gives me even more pride to once again march in the Berlin Pride parade, hang a huge banner on the side of the Embassy recognising our pride, host multiple events at the embassy and the residence, and fly the gay pride flag."
Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in TaiwanShow all 35 1 /35Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Participants take part in the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taipei, Taiwan, 27 October 2018.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Thousands of people attended the march in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
REUTERS
Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Participants walk in the parade.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan The march took place ahead of a landmark vote next month on LGBT+ rights in Taiwan.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan On May 24 2017, the Constitutional Court in Taiwan ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in the state.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan After making its ruling on same-sex marriage in May last year, the court stated that its decision must be implemented in two years.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan On November 24, a public vote will be held in Taiwan on same-sex marriage.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A participant of the march poses next to a wedding studio.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A young woman from Chongqing in mainland China holds a fan reading "free writers" before the start of the march.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Participants with Pikachu-styled costumes pose as they gather at the square outside the presidential office for the start of the march.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Thousands took part in the parade in support of same-sex marriage.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Participants in the square outside the presidential office before the start of the parade.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A couple take part in the march with their baby.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Members of Tokyo Rainbow Pride walk in the parade.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan The parade was awash with rainbow-coloured paraphernalia.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A participant of the march poses with a fan.
AP
Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A participant from Japan holds a banner before the start of the march.
AFP/Getty Images
Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Young women display rainbow flags.
EPA
Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A person taking part in the march waves a rainbow flag.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A man, decorated with balloons and a rainbow flag, takes part in the celebrations.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan An American man and his Japanese partner, both wearing headbands saying 'Japan' in Japanese, kiss each other during the march.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Thousands of people attended the annual march.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Taiwan gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei attends the march. Chi became the first person in Taiwan to come out as gay on national television in 1986.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Participants take part in the march, organised by Taiwan LGBT Pride.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Participants hold up a large rainbow flag.
EPA
Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan People walking in the parade.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A person stands in front of a rainbow-coloured flag.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A Japanese couple hold a sign saying 'You Are My Safe Harbour' in Chinese.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A man, decorated with balloons and rainbow flags, takes part in the march.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan The first Taiwan Pride march was held in 2003.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Participants display a huge rainbow flag during the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan Two men take a selfie in front of a rainbow flag.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan A man waves a rainbow flag during the march.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan The annual Taipei Gay Pride March is the largest in East Asia.
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Best pictures from the 2018 Taipei Gay Pride March in Taiwan The Rainbow City Symphonic Band performs during the march.
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When specifically asked if the Pride flag would be flown on the embassies flag pole, embassy spokesperson Joseph Giordono-Scholz said: "The pride flag will be on as many places as it can at the embassy."
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Despite Mr Trump’s claim that he vocally supports for gay rights and the LGBTQ+ community, his administration's policy decisions share a different story as transgender people are barred from military service.
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