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Loading ...Clinton wins praise from State Dept. gays
01.14.2009 9:14am EST
(Washington) A group that represents LGBT workers in the federal government is welcoming a commitment by Hillary Clinton that if confirmed as Secretary of State she would review policies to see what could be changed to assist gay personnel at the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and other foreign affairs agencies.
During questioning at her confirmation hearing, Clinton was asked by Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) about regulations that deny the same-sex partners of LGBT personnel the same rights as heterosexual spouses.In saying she would review existing policies, Clinton noted that many foreign countries have already changed the policies to provide equal treatment for gay and lesbian staff of foreign affairs agencies.
The employee affinity group for the State Department, Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies, said in a statement that it plans to present the incoming Secretary of State with a letter signed by over 2,000 current and former employees of the Department of State and other foreign affairs agencies requesting fairness for LBGT employees.
GLIFAA board members also met with members of President-elect Obama’s transition team at the Department of State in December.
GLIFAA President Michelle Schohn noted that gay U.S. diplomats and aid workers serve overseas “in some of the most dangerous locations, but continue to be denied equal treatment for their families.”
U.S. Foreign Service personnel – as well as civil service and contract employees – are required to serve a large portion of their careers at U.S. embassies and missions overseas. However, the partners of gay personnel receive no assistance while accompanying employees on these mandatory assignments.
Among many other obstacles, gay partners lack access to affordable health insurance coverage and resources for moving abroad.
During overseas tours, employees’ partners do not receive assistance in obtaining a visa and lack access to employment opportunities, emergency evacuation, and embassy medical units, all afforded to married, heterosexual couples.
Former U.S. Ambassador Michael Guest, who resigned in protest in 2007, was the highest profile Foreign Service Officer to leave the State Department due to its failure to redress inequalities in the treatment between heterosexual spouses and same-sex partners.
Guest became the first openly gay ambassador confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2001 and earned a number of awards and accolades during his 26 years in the Foreign Service.
Clinton gave a polished performance Tuesday, offering well-prepared answers to questions on crises and trouble spots including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran, Cuba and Afghanistan. She offered few details about how she and Obama would handle those problems, except to say that in many cases they would offer a fresh approach after eight years of President George W. Bush.
She also deflected controversy as she dealt with uncomfortable questions about the international fundraising of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Her confirmation as secretary of state is not in doubt, and she could be on the job as soon as President-elect Barack Obama’s first full day in office.
Hurray for Hillary! Makes me wonder why she didn’t win the Democratic Nomination! Hillary should hav been President!!
Being sympathetic to gays is no way to win the presidency in this country.
Best of luck, Hillary! YOU’RE TERRIFIC!
If only she had won. There would have been real change, not just words.
Hmm. Last I checked, Hillary will be working for Obama and will be implementing policies that reflect his views. How about giving Obama some credit for picking Hillary and using her to support GLBT issues?
Obama will get credit when it’s due him. 18 million people voted for Hillary in the primaries, so it’s Obama showing his common sense is still intact in offering her a high level position. It’s also the position where Obama himself is weakest, foreign policy. I can imagine him saying, “Hillary, what do you think?” more than anything during the next 4 years. As for the rest, the jury is still out on how active PEBO plans to become in changing laws that directly effect the LGBT community. Lip service is all I have seen so far.
Hillary has a lot of latitude here, since this is not an elected post she doesn’t have to play games of public opinion. Things would be very different if she were president.
She’s taking this opportunity to address a very blatant piece of discrimination against gay SD employees in a matter we’ve always known she supports us on. Condi Rice could have easily resolved this issue, but chose not to, probably because Bush didn’t want it fixed. Obama is clear about supporting civil partnerships (if not same-sex marriage) and so it’s almost a no-brainer that he would see these benefits as a basic part of supporting loyal federal employees doing often dangerous work for our country.
What nonsense is JayC talking? Does he really believe that a US President supposed to represent everyone in his/her country should be able to get into office using gays as fodder for campaign rhetoric to boost his image amongst only the far radical right fringe? What a JayC really want, a leader of a first-class 21st century Western democracy or does he want some theocrat who goes not by the country’s laws but by the judgements and statutes of the Bible? I am a gay Christian, but I absolutely believe in separation of church and state for the good of this country and see faith, etc as a strictly private and personal matter.
So what does JayC want a leader of most all of the people or a leader of just far right religious fanatics?
Just when I was starting to not totally-dislike PEBO – *sigh* – Mrs. Clinton should have won.
-btw, I think PEBO would’ve made one helluva great Sec. State;
1/ There are still States in this world that do not treat woman as equal to men … *sigh again*
and;
2/ There are also many, many countries where white folk aren’t in charge of everthing. White people are not necessarily liked by citizens in developing countries, let alone the more relevant (economically speaking) “emergent nations” [e.g. India].
Why did she win praise? She didn’t say a damn thing. Not a damn thing worth listening to except the same old clinton dodge.
Though I believe Hillary would have made a far superior President than Saint Obama, she really did say nothing.
She’s going to review the policies!
And the check is in the mail? I’ll respect you in the morning? etc…
Do people realize that her husband is the one that signed the Federal DOMA that is the excuse for the State Dept for not providing benefits to same-sex partners? And, if you read her words, she doesn’t say she will change anything. Considering DOMA, I never understood the almost fanatical support of the gay community for the Clintons. I’m not sure that this leopard has changed her spots when it comes time to actually do anything risky for the community.
I don’t think Hillary can even be Secretary of State. Article 1 Section 6 plainly states that any senator or representative that is in office when an increase in salary is made for a post that they (they members of congress) are ineligible to hold said post. The constitution makes no allowance for the salary to be raised then lowed. So if our government is to be a legitimate government is has to follow the constitution.
We complained when Bush tossed the Constitution so should we complain when anyone else in government disregards the Constitution.
Article 1 Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.
No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time: and no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office.
I don’t know about you all, but I actually watched Clinton’s confirmation hearing live on C-Span and found myself slightly disappointed in how she answered the question about gay members (and their partners) working in the Foreign Service and getting equal treatment (incidentally, Sen. Feingold posed the question to her). All Clinton said was that she was made aware of this issue while being briefed during the transition (meaning she didn’t know of the issue prior to being offered the sec. of state post, I suppose) and that she had asked for more information on the matter and would take a look at the current policy. She did not actually say that it SHOULD be changed, just that it ought to be looked into further….
Thank you 365 for giving some coverage to GLIFAA! As a long time member, I am glad to see that members of our community will be aware of the challenges that gay diplomats face beyond those of our heterosexual colleagues. No matter whether someone supported Clinton or Obama, with them together, I am sure that gay civil and foreign service officers will receive much better treatment than under any previous president.