Washington (CNN)The US Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, has removed a large banner for the Black Lives
Matter movement after a request from State Department leadership and taken down a rainbow flag that
celebrates LGBTQ pride.
Senior State Department leadership asked the embassy in Seoul to take down the Black Lives Matter
sign that Ambassador Harry Harris had hung from the building's façade Saturday, according to a source
familiar with the issue. A spokesman for the embassy confirmed to CNN that the large Pride flag has also
come down.
The request from the department's 7th floor -- where Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
A challenge
The banners stood as a challenge to President Donald Trump and his administration at a time when they
have been harshly criticized for their stand on racism and LGBTQ issues. The Pride flag was removed
Monday night in Seoul, just hours before the Supreme Court rulederased protections
Harris posted the BLM sign as the administration has been under fire for its response to nationwide
protests after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed in police custody. Trump has
compounded anger about racial injustice with his decision to oppose a Pentagon proposal
The administration's decision to disperse peaceful protesters outside the White House with tear gas,
rubber bullets and violence so the President could stage a photo-op with a Bible outside a nearby church
has raised questions about its commitment to freedom of assembly.
On Saturday, the US Embassy in Seoul tweeted
Harris, a retired four-star admiral who previously served as the commander of US military forces in the
Pacific theater before he retired from the Navy, made clear the decision to post the sign was his.
Quoting President John F. Kennedy's speech in June 1963, Harris tweeted, "I believe in what President JFK
said on June 10, 1963 at American University: 'If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can
help make the world safe for diversity.' USA is a free & diverse nation...from that diversity we gain our
strength."
CNN has reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment.
The Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, tweeted
his appreciation to Harris on Monday. "Thank you @USEmbassySeoul for your principled stand against
racism & support for LGBTQ+ community. I know the US lacks ethical leadership from the WH, but there
are millions of Americans who appreciate you demonstrating American values to the world.
#BlackLivesMatter #Pride," Engel wrote.
A spokesman for the embassy said in a statement that "the Ambassador decided to put the Black Lives
Banner up to communicate a message of solidarity with Americans concerned with racism, especially
racial violence against African Americans."
"He wanted to highlight the enduring American values of racial equality, freedom of speech, and the right
to peacefully protest. However, the Ambassador's intent was not to support or encourage donations to
any specific organization. To avoid the misperception that American taxpayer dollars were spent to benefit
such organizations, he directed that the banner be removed," the statement continued.
"This in no way lessens the principles and ideals expressed by raising the banner, and the Embassy
will look for other ways to convey fundamental American values in these times of difficulty at home.
The statement went on to quote Pompeo, noting that he recently said, "America is rightly outraged at the
brutal killing of George Floyd and our country will prosecute his killers and respect the right to protest
peacefully."
A gay marriage critic
The question of flying the Pride flag during June -- recognized as LGBTQ Pride Month -- has been
an issue in the past.
Last year, certain embassies were denied permission to fly the flag on their flagpoles, though State
Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said at the time the State Department and Pompeo had
no issue with it being flown elsewhere at the embassies.
In a briefing last June, Ortagus said that Pompeo "respects the dignity of every individual," but "Secretary
has the position that, as it relates to the flagpole, that only the American flag should be flown there
" when asked about embassies not being permitted to fly the rainbow flag.
"Pride Month that we're in right now is celebrated around the world by many State Department employees,
by many embassies. The Secretary has the position that, as it relates to the flagpole, that only the
American flag should be flown there. But he, of course, as he said in his congressional testimony,
respects the dignity of every individual and I think all of you can do a simple easy google or twitter
search and see the pictures of members, embassies, ambassadors, people of the foreign service
celebrating pride throughout the world," she said.
The Pride banner removed from US Embassy Seoul was not flying from the flagpole.
Pompeo has come under criticism for his views on the LGBTQ community and same-sex marriage,
with several groups opposing his nomination to become secretary of state on those grounds.
While a congressman from Kansas, Pompeo co-sponsored bills that would keep the definition of marriage
as between a man and a woman and he was harshly critical when same-sex marriage was legalized,
vowing to fight "to protect our most sacred institutions."
As of 11 a.m. ET Monday, the embassy website
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