Vice President Mike Pence, who’s widely known for having a notoriously anti-LGBT record, has signaled his support for a State Department policy barring the display of Pride flags on the official flagpoles at U.S. embassies.
In an interview Monday with Kristen Welker and Josh Lederman at NBC News, Pence reportedly said the State Department policy against Pride flags is “the right decision.”
The vice president said he was aware the State Department had said the U.S. flag was the only flag that should fly on the flagpoles, and he added, “I support that,” according to NBC News.
“We both feel that way very passionately, but when it comes to the American flagpole, and American embassies, and capitals around the world, one American flag flies,” Pence is a quoted as saying.
Pence reportedly added that the Trump administration had “put no restrictions” on the Pride flag on display at U.S. embassies in places other than the official flagpole.
Asked what he would say to LGBT people who feel the policy is contrary to President Trump recognizing Pride Month on Twitter, Pence offered a vague commitment.
“As the president said on the night we were elected, we’re proud to be able to serve every American,” Pence said.
Previously, the flying of Pride flags at U.S. embassies has become common as a sign of U.S. solidarity with the LGBT community overseas. Embassies had been free to display the Pride flag on their official flagpoles during the Obama administration and the first two years of the Trump administration.
The State Department defended on Monday its policy of banning the Pride flag at U.S. embassies, asserting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo still “respects the dignity of every individual.”
