A number of news outlets screamed a provocative headline on Tuesday, claiming the Trump Administration would now prevent non-married same-sex partners of foreign diplomats from obtaining visas to stay in the U.S.

“U.S Bans Diplomatic Visas for Foreign Same-Sex Domestic Partners” (NY Times), or some version of this, came across the wires of USA Today, Time, Huffington Post, Fortune.com, Vogue, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Fox, Slate, and others.

The headlines make it appear that the Trump Administration is engaging in anti-LGBT policy moves, yet the headlines leave out the rest of the story.

The policy change came from the State Department, not the President, and is being done to conform the rules for same-sex couples to those of heterosexual couples.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which the U.N. and U.S. Mission to the U.N. abide by, permits certain diplomatic immunities and privileges be extended to “members of [diplomat] families forming part of their households”.

Prior to the recognition of gay marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court, same-sex domestic partners were granted visa privileges as they were considered a “family member”. A diplomatic note from the US to the UN on November 24, 2009, stated in part, “The drafters of the Convention recognized that the concept of “family” differs among the societies of the world and left the matter to be resolved according to the standards of the respective receiving States.” Consequently, same-sex domestic partners were part of this classification, provided they “not be a member of some other household, must reside regularly in the household of the principal, and must be recognized by the United Nations as a family member forming part of the household of the principal.”

After the Supreme Court made it unlawful to not recognize same-sex marriage, the U.S. altered its policy so that, while same-sex spouses were officially still classified as “family members”, they nevertheless received all the same rights and benefits as opposite sex couples.

The State Department policy change, which was delivered to the UN on July 12, requires that same-sex spouses must be “accredited and registered as members of the family of U.N. officials….and partners accompanying United Nations officials or seeking to join the same must be married in order to be eligible for the derivative G-4 nonimmigrant visa”.

Same-sex couples who are not legally married must now be married in order to be eligible for the G-4. If they don’t, they must “obtain separate authorization to remain in the United States through a change of nonimmigrant status” – i.e. they can still stay under some other immigration rule, but not enjoy the same status as other G-4 visa holders.

One criticism leveled at this policy is that, because some other nations do not permit gay marriage, the policy makes it harder on same-sex partners who will no longer have G-4 status. However, the policy also states that, should other nations provide visas to same-sex partners for American embassy staff, then the U.S. would reciprocate – thus encouraging other countries to recognize gay marriage.

In addition, the New York Times reported that, “If necessary, the State Department officials said, legal workarounds could be discussed on a case-by-case basis for couples who are barred from marrying in their home countries.”

Since 2010, the State Department issued guidance about how to request visa status in other countries for same-sex partners of U.S. staff.

The president of U.N. Globe, Alfonso Nam, a gay rights advocacy organization for U.N. employees, told The New York Times, “For same-sex couples serving the U.N., the U.S. is usually a desired destination for work. It’s a place where you are able to bring your legal partner and get a visa. Whether that will continue to remain the same is to be seen,”