The Trump administration has denied permission to U.S. embassies overseas seeking to fly the rainbow banner on embassy flagpoles during gay pride month.

The State Department issued the denials, in a reversal of policy from the Obama administration.

U.S. embassies in four nations – Israel, Germany, Brazil and Latvia – had sought permission to fly the rainbow flag, which has appeared in shops and homes during gay pride events and parades.

The U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, is the senior-most gay official in the Trump administration, and has pushed efforts to discourage laws that criminalize homosexuality overseas.

The White House and State Department had no immediate comment on the flag decision when asked for comment by DailyMail.com.

The State Department has denied permission for U.S. embassies overseas to fly the rainbow flag in honor of gay pride month

The decision on the flag comes despite the Trump administration issuing a formal statement calling to 'celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made.'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was a conservative House member before Trump nominated him to run the CIA, was behind the move, according to NBC, which broke the story.

The decision came down from the office of undersecretary for management Brian Bulatao at State. He previously worked for Pompeo at Langley.

It applies only to the main flagpole of each embassy – and doesn't prohibit embassies from displaying the rainbow flag in other places.

Colorful balloons and riders waving rainbow flags on the Door float at the 2014 Gay Pride Parade on Fifth Avenue

"Orquestra Voadora" parade at the Rio carnival during the hot summer from Brazil

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, who is gay, announced plans to fly the flag on an exterior flag of the German embassy

NBC reported a an aide close to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had issued the denial

Grenell told NBC: 'The President's recognition of Pride Month and his tweet encouraging our decriminalization 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 recognizing our pride, host multiple events at the Embassy and the residence, and fly the gay pride flag.'

As it turns out, Trump on Friday issued a proclamation for Flag Day, for the American flag.

The move comes even as President Trump blessed a campaign to decriminalize laws against homosexuality

'NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim June 14, 2019, as Flag Day, and the week starting June 9, 2019, as National Flag Week. I direct the appropriate officials to display the flag on all Federal Government buildings during this week, and I urge all Americans to observe Flag Day and National Flag Week by displaying the flag,' Trump wrote.

The Obama administration allowed embassies the option to fly the rainbow flag during June.

The rainbow flags can still be flown both inside and outside the U.S. embassies, just not on the official flagpole stand that marks U.S. sovereignty.

A source told CNN the embassy in Berlin previously flew the flag on a 'routine' basis, and that it was 'always accepted.' Plans were to do so again during Berlin's Pride Week.