Donald Trump ruffled feathers Friday on America's political left by marking Pride Month with a call to support LGBT people who live in the dozens of countries where being gay is a crime.

It was the first time a Republican president has publicly celebrated the month-long focus on gay rights in the U.S. But LGBT activists and Democratic politicians quickly blasted the president as a hypocrite because his administration has sought to limit transgender rights in the U.S. military and opposes other gay rights proposals that his base sees as too progressive.

'As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,' Trump wrote in a pair of tweets.

'My Administration has launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality and invite all nations to join us in this effort!'

The president tapped U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell in February to lead that effort. Grenell is the administration's most high-profile gay appointee.

Reached in Berlin, Grenell told DailyMail.com that 'President Trump has never wavered in his support for decriminalizing homosexuality. This is a clear message to the 71 countries that would arrest people like me for being gay.'

Donald Trump trumpeted his support for LGBT Pride Month on Friday, the first-ever Republican president to take that step

Trump issued his Pride commemoration in a twet that promoted his initiative targeting laws around the world that criminalize being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell is the Trump administration's most visible openly gay official, and he wants the West to pressure the 71 nations where it's a crime to be homosexual

But Trump's political opponents pounced on Friday, saying the White House has tried to undercut the rights of LGBT Americans at the same time the president has empowered Grenell to crusade for gay rights around the world.

The Human Rights Campaign, a gay lobby group in Washington, tweeted a hard slap at the White House.

'Trump & Pence are no friend to LGBTQ people,' the group wrote. 'They have: Banned trans troops, Nominated anti-LGBTQ extremists, Remained silent on anti-LGBTQ violence abroad, Attempted to allow medical providers to deny LGBTQ people care, Tried to ban "transgender" & "diversity" from CDC reports.'

Conservative writer Chad Felix Greene, who contributes to The Federalist, slapped back.

'Trump did not ban trans troops,' he noted. 'He did not nominate 'anti-LGBT extremists' to the judiciary. He nominated the first gay, Filipino judge, Dems blocked. Trump: initiative to end the criminalization of homosexuality worldwide. No LGBT person is denied care. The CDC line was debunked.'

Jerri Ann Henry, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, says her group will celebrate the 'massive' step of seeing a Republican president issue an unprecedented statement of support for Pride month

Grenell lives at the U.S. embassy in Berlin with his husband Matt Lashey (right), a former Broadway actor

Jerri Ann Henry, a lesbian activist who leads the Log Cabin Republians group, told DailyMail.com on Friday that her organization has pressed the Trump White House to make a public show of support for Pride Month.

'To have any president recognize Pride is important to my community. To have a Republican president recognize that is massive,' she said in a phone interview. 'It's worth noting that hasn't happened before, and not anything close.'

'There will be many other issues we have to go to war over, but I will celebrate this,' Henry said.

'I'm not here to say everything the president does is perfect on every LGBT issue, but I'm happy to compliment and celebrate the good things when I can get them. This is one of those cases and I'm so proud.'

The liberal Human Rights Campaign, a gay lobby group, slapped at the White House with a claim of hypocrisy

Conservatives like columnist Chad Felix Greene pushed back and defended Trump administration policies that affect LGBT Americans

Barely a week before his election victory in 2016, Trump posed on a Greeley, Colorado stage with a rainbow flag decorated with an 'LGBT for Trump' message as he tried to differentiate himself from previous Republican candidates who were seen as broadly anti-gay

Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer tweeted his own list of anti-gay 'Recent Trump Administration acts' on Friday, claiming Trump has: 'Banned transgender Americans from military service, Opposed the Equality Act, Blocked citizenship for children of same-sex couples, Allowed anti-trans discrimination in homeless shelters, Ended healthcare protections for transgender people.'

And Mark Pocan, a gay Democratic congressman from Wisconsin, tweeted a variation on the same list theme.

'Just in the last month, the Trump Administration has fought to: Deny citizenship to some children of same-sex American couples, Strip protections for transgender Americans at homeless shelters, End anti-discrimination protections for transgender Americans in health care,' Pocan wrote.

Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters at the White House on Friday that the president should be celebrated for 'calling on other countries to do something that's very important, which is to join the U.S. in decriminalizing homosexuality.'

'I'm old enough to remember the 2008 campaign where Hillary and Obama were arguing with each other as to who was more for traditional marriage. It wasn't so long ago,' she said, noting that Trump is 'the first president to start as president, approving of gay marriage. That's somehting he should be lauded for.'

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the administration's main focus but 70 other nations also criminalize gay sexual activity; Iran and seven others apply the death penalty for the 'offense'

Saudi Arabia is one nation that has executed man for being gay, applying 'morality' laws; the Trump administration's strategic alliance with the kingdom and its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, could make it difficult to apply pressure

Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, a gay Democrat, was outraged on Friday that Trump would honor LGBT Prime Month

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway noted Friday that Donald Trump is the first U.S. president to openly support gay marriage at the beginning of his first term

It's unclear how the Trump administration's push to decriminalize homosexuality distinguishes between Iran, a country it is trying to isolate, and Saudi Arabia, whose strategic importance to the White House can't be overstated.

Iran's Sharia-law death penalty has become particularly vexing for Grenell.

A British government document released by WikiLeaks indicates that the UK believes Iran has executed 'between 4,000 and 6,000 gays and lesbians' since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Islamist nation publicly hanged a 31-year-old man in January for violating a law against same-sex intercourse.

Saudi Arabia also has 'morality codes,' enforced by Sharia courts, that specifically criminalize homosexual contact.