FBI Tells Employees No ‘Pride’ Activities On Company Time

Pride month celebrations at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will not be permitted this June, leadership told agents and directors Thursday. 

“I’ve received several questions about the FBI’s stance on Pride Month and what related activities FBI divisions and employees should or should not participate in,” FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson said in an email to assistant directors in charge and special agents in charge on Thursday morning. “So, I want to take the opportunity to make FBI leadership’s expectations clear: There should be no official FBI actions, events, or messaging regarding Pride Month.”

The email told employees that while they are not to engage in any celebration in the office, they are “free to do as you like” in their “personal capacity” or “on your own time,” according to a Fox News report. 

“But on FBI time, using FBI resources and your Bureau affiliation, you and your divisions are expected to take no official actions or issue any specific messaging,” Williamson said.

The announcement is a shift from the FBI’s stance on Pride Month under the Biden administration, which openly promoted Pride Month, including decorating the White House with rainbow pillars and hosting Pride celebrations on the South Lawn. (RELATED: Corporate America Retreats From Gay Pride Events Across US Amid Trump DEI Crackdown)

The FBI previously supported Pride Month festivities under both Trump’s first administration and the Biden administration. 

Today, the #FBI raised the #pride flag at our headquarters in support of our #LGBTQ colleagues. We thank them for their contributions to the FBI and the country. #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/g3ggL6GqSd

— FBI (@FBI) June 25, 2021

The FBI’s decision comes after FBI Director Kash Patel said in February his goal is to “rebuild trust in the FBI.”

Williamson said the bureau’s stance “in no way lessens the FBI’s commitment to serve and protect every American in our country or welcoming colleagues from all walks of life.”

Instead, Williamson said, “What it does mean is ensuring that the American people see we are focused only on our core mission.”