Last week I brought you a scoop about the letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), requesting action to work for full recognition of same-sex partners. Over 2,200 GLIFAA members, allies and fellow State Department workers signed the letter. Tonight I have the release and full letter to Clinton from Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who also calls for the elimination of discriminatory practices against partners of foreign service workers, many of whom place themselves in harm's way serving the U.S. abroad, without many of the rights that opposite-sex partners take for granted. From Baldwin's statement:
Baldwin Calls on Clinton to Change State Dept. LGBT PoliciesMore below the fold, including an exclusive -- the entire letter from Rep. Baldwin to Sec. Clinton.
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to address inequities in employment practices concerning gay and lesbian State Department employees and to take remedial action.Former U.S. Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest, a distinguished diplomat, resigned last year from the State Department because of inequitable employment practices. Such disparities "should not be the reason why highly qualified employees leave the State Department at a time when their service is needed more than ever," Baldwin wrote. More than 2,200 government employees, members of the group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), also sent a letter to Clinton expressing their concerns on this issue.
Citing Secretary Clinton's pledge during her confirmation hearing to examine current policies relating to lesbian and gay employees at the State Department, Baldwin and her colleagues wrote: "As you work to advance America's national security and exemplify this great country's values around the world, we hope you will follow through on this pledge and also work to fully support your diverse workforce."
Here is Rep. Baldwin's letter to Secretary Clinton, also signed by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR):
On Friday, the president of Gays & Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies, Michelle Schohn, met with Clinton and the newly sworn-in Secretary of State confirmed receipt of the GLIFAA letter and promised to review the matter.
February 2, 2009
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520Dear Madam Secretary:
Congratulations on your confirmation as our new Secretary of State. We welcome your leadership in promoting America's security and standing in the world and look forward to working in partnership with you. As you begin your work, we hope that you will also focus on equalizing the internal State Department rules and regulations for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Foreign and Civil Service employees.
Recently, you received a letter from the group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), signed by over 2,200 government employees, expressing their concerns on this issue. As in the case of former Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest, the inequitable treatment of LGBT Foreign and Civil Service Officers (FSOs) and their partners should not be the reason why highly qualified employees leave the State Department at a time when their service is needed more than ever. Many of these inequities, however, could be remedied through your leadership as Secretary, without legislative changes.
As you may know, by not including same-sex partners in the definition of an "Eligible Family Member" (EFM), the Department excludes them from many of the State Department benefits, protections, and services afforded to family members of FSOs. These benefits are important to the safety, effectiveness, and morale of our communities abroad.
We are particularly concerned that the Department has not taken enough steps to assure the safety and security of non-EFM partners of FSOs. According to the State Department's own literature, 85% of FSOs are likely to be a victim of crime at some point during their overseas career. While same-sex partners are now allowed to take security classes through the Foreign Service Institute, their access is only on a space-available basis. Moreover, they are still denied access to embassy health services, even in countries where grave health crises exist. They are not included in protocols for the distribution of Tamiflu in the event of an avian flu outbreak, undercutting the most basic preventive step against a potential pandemic outbreak.
Further, if an evacuation is ordered, same-sex partners are financially responsible for their own evacuation - creating a frightening choice between safety and resources.
The lack of equitable treatment could force dedicated, intelligent, and needed FSOs and officials to make an unfortunate choice between serving their country and protecting their families. As you noted during the question and answer session of your Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing, many other nations now extend training, protection, and benefits to the partners of LGBT employees. Further, the State Department's past inattention to these disparities places it below parity with the best employment practices used in the private sector, where the majority of Fortune 500 companies extend employee benefit programs to cover the domestic partners. Without remedying these inequities, the State Department may fail to attract and retain qualified personnel.
Madam Secretary, we urge you to take the initiative in addressing these basic concerns, all of which can be handled through internal regulatory changes and would not require Congressional action. Your leadership in these policy areas would make a difference in the safety and morale of those who support American policy goals overseas:
* Inclusion in travel orders for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs
* Access to training, including all language classes, area studies, and embassy effectiveness classes for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs
* Emergency evacuation and medevac from post when necessary for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs
* Access to post health units for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs
* Visa support for same-sex domestic partners accompanying FSOs to overseas postings, and for same-sex foreign-born domestic partners accompanying FSOs to postings in Washington or elsewhere in the U.S.
* Preferential status for employment at post comparable to that enjoyed by EFMs for same-sex domestic partners of FSOsMany of these changes might be efficiently addressed through the inclusion of same-sex domestic partners under the definition of an EFM in the Foreign Service Standardized Regulation 040(m). None of the changes above are contrary to the letter or spirit of the Defense of Marriage Act.
In addition to these issues, we ask you to consider leading the State Department in recognizing partners of diplomats from other countries while they serve in the United States. This offer of equality and hospitality can restore our nation's leadership role on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights while bolstering our diplomatic efforts.
Also, we similarly hope you will provide guidance to U.S. Missions to the United Nations to enable American employees at the UN to designate their same-sex partners as domestic partners. It is our understanding that the UN will defer to the instructions of the relevant Permanent Mission of the country of origin of the staff member when deciding whether to grant benefits to same-sex partners of UN employees. While they are not FSOs, these individuals lead dedicated lives of service, and deserve the opportunity to provide for their families.
During your confirmation hearing, you pledged to examine current policies relating to lesbian and gay employees at the State Department. As you work to advance America's national security and exemplify this great country's values around the world, we hope you will follow through on this pledge and also work to fully support your diverse workforce. Madam Secretary, we would be pleased to work with you in addressing these matters and look forward to your response. If you have any questions, please contact Amber Shipley of Rep. Baldwin's staff at 202-225-2906.
"It was an overwhelmingly positive meeting," Schohn said. "There wasn't a lot of time to talk with her because she was meeting with all the affinity groups, so we each got a tiny chunk of time to be able to say something to her."As I said in my last post on this, these irrational and illogical institutionalized discriminatory practices do affect the our country's diplomatic effectiveness abroad. Removing these barriers for same-sex couples can be a meaningful, political win for the Obama administration by moving on an important LGBT issue in a proactive manner.Schohn said Clinton seemed "generally interested in what we had to say." No timetables or other details were discussed, Schohn said.
Related:
* Gay/lesbian foreign service org delivers letter to Sec. of State Clinton: provide equal benefits
Eric Holder won Senate confirmation Monday as the nation's first African-American attorney general, after supporters from both parties touted his dream resume and easily overcame Republican concerns over his commitment to fight terrorism and his unwillingness to back the right to keep and bear arms.HRC released a statement on Holder's confirmation:The vote was 75-21, with all the opposition coming from Republicans.
Holder's chief supporter, Sen. Patrick Leahy, said the confirmation was a fulfillment of civil rights leader Martin Luther King's dream that everyone would be judged by the content of their character.
"Come on the right side of history," said Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Holder becomes the only black in the Obama administration in what has traditionally been known as the president's Cabinet. Three other African-Americans have been chosen for top administration positions that hold the same rank.
"Eric Holder has long been a voice for fairness and equality for all Americans, including LGBT citizens. The Department of Justice which will now be led by an Attorney General dedicated to civil rights, protecting communities from hate violence and the fair and equal application of our laws," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "We were proud to join our allies in the civil rights community to support this important confirmation."More below the fold.The Human Rights Campaign joined with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and a broad coalition of civil rights organizations including the NAACP, National Council of La Raza and the National Women's Law Center to support Holder's nomination.
The Department of Justice is the primary law enforcement agency of the United States. As a community that is particularly vulnerable to bias-motivated violence, the LGBT community has a particular interest in appointment of an Attorney General who is committed to combating this national problem.A strong Department of Justice headed by an Attorney General that understands the importance of a strong federal justice system can ensure that the DOJ responds appropriately to the needs of the LGBT community.
These include:
? Returning the DOJ to a position of support for the expansion of federal hate crimes statutes and support the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in any expansion;
? Supporting expansion of federal employment non-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity;
? Prioritizing vigorous enforcement of federal hate crimes statutes;
? Ensuring comprehensive collection of hate crimes statistics;
? Vigorously investigating and prosecuting police misconduct or "color of law" cases;
? Setting policies for federal detention facilities that protect LGBT inmates, and
? Establishing effective asylum precedent for the LGBT community.
King County (WA) Executive Ron Sims has accepted the nomination to become deputy director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Sims has done a great job as county executive, and will bring good stuff to HUD. But why should we Blenders care, you ask? Sims is a true civil rights leader, and has been a steadfast ally to the LGBT community. His pro-equality sensibility infuses everything he does, so I know that he isn't just taking the urban planning part of himself to "the other Washington". We'll have a true ally at HUD.
Best of luck on your confirmation, Exec. Sims!
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