Kuwait summons US diplomat over controversial tweet

ISTANBUL (AA) – Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry late Thursday summoned the top US diplomat in the country over a tweet advocating equal rights for LGBTQ people, the official Kuwait News Agency reported on Friday.

It said: "Acting Assistant Minister of the Americas Nawaf al-Ahmad handed (Acting Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy James) Holtsnider a memo enclosed with the State of Kuwait’s rejection of the post, as well as the stressing necessity for the (US) embassy to respect country’s regulations as stipulated in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.”

The embassy's Twitter account posted messages related to Pride Month, which is celebrated by LGBTQ communities in the US and some other parts of the world in June.

“All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love. @POTUS is a champion for the human rights of #LGBTQI persons. #Pride2022 #YouAreIncluded," the tweet read.

*Writing by Bassel Barakat