White House looking for ‘opportunity to repeal’ funding bill provision preventing US embassies from flying pride flags

In a bill to fund the government, the White House said it is considering working with Congress to lift the de facto ban on flying LGBTQ pride flags in U.S. embassies through September.

President Biden signed the $1.2 trillion spending package on Saturday, praising the deal as a compromise that “doesn’t get both sides everything they want.”

LGBTQ advocates criticized a provision in the bill that would ban the display of any flag other than the U.S. flag on State Department facilities, arguing that the restriction was drafted to remove Pride flags from certain government buildings.

A nearly identical amendment was removed from the National Defense Authorization Act in December. In July, Rep. Ralph Norman (RS.C.), who introduced the amendment, said the amendment was needed to prevent the display of the rainbow flag on U.S. military bases.

The restrictions included in the bill signed Saturday do not apply to POW/MIA flags, flags of states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, among other exceptions.

The White House said in a statement Friday that Biden does not support the provision and that his administration is exploring opportunities to repeal it.

In a statement to The Hill, a White House spokesperson said: “President Biden believes it is inappropriate to abuse a process that is essential to keeping government open by including policies targeting LGBTQI+ Americans. I think it was,” he said.

“Although it does not affect the ability of members of the LGBTQI+ community to serve openly or celebrate pride at our embassies, the administration opposes the inclusion of this policy and we are working with members of Congress to identify opportunities.” “We will continue to work together to abolish it,” the spokesperson said.

He added that the White House had succeeded in “defeating over 50 other policy riders attacking the LGBTQI+ community that Congressional Republicans had tried to include in the bill.”

Previous annual spending packages included provisions that limited access to gender-affirming health care and prevented the federal government from adequately responding to some cases of gender discrimination.

In October, the White House vetoed two House spending bills, citing threats to the “health and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) Americans.” made a threat.

The Congressional Equality Caucus, which advocates for LGBTQ rights in Congress, declined to comment on the Biden administration’s interest in repealing the Pride flag provision. House Republicans did not respond to requests for comment.