Shafaq News/ The British and American embassies in the United Arab Emirates are facing backlash online and among locals for raising the rainbow pride flag, which honors LGBTQ communities, along with their own national flags to celebrate Pride Month.
This is the first time any diplomatic mission has flown a gay pride flag in the religiously conservative Arab Gulf, and it is causing controversy in a country where same-sex relationships are illegal.
“June is Prime Month and around the world we celebrate the equality and visibility of LGBT+ people,” the U.K. mission to the UAE posted on Twitter on Monday. “Today, we are flying the rainbow flag to affirm our pride in the UK’s diversity and our values of equality, inclusion and freedom,” the post added, along with the hashtag “#Pride2021”.
The U.S. embassy posted a photo of its own flagpole flying the American and pride flags, and its Twitter account published a tweet saying, “On the anniversary of Stonewall, a milestone in the American civil rights movement, the U.S. Mission shows its support for the dignity and equality of all people.” The Stonewall riots of 1969 are considered the birth of the gay rights movement.
Negative reactions to the posts were swift.
“Very disrespectful from the British Embassy to the UAE & its people. Looks like someone there is still living the long gone UK imperial days,” Nasser Al-Shaikh, the former director of Dubai’s finance department, wrote in a post on Twitter.
