Gay Rights on Fast Track at State Dept.

[Beacool]

Days after pledging to review policies that discriminate against LGBT employees at the State Department, Secretary Clinton said her staff is reviewing inequities and preparing to make appropriate changes "expeditiously."

By Kerry Eleveld
An Advocate.com exclusive posted February 5, 2009



Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told participants at a town hall meeting in Washington, D.C., Wednesday that equalizing treatment of the State Department’s LGBT employees and their partners is being reviewed and “is on a fast timeline” to be remedied.

“We are reviewing what would need to be changed, what we can legally change,” Secretary Clinton said. “A lot of things we cannot legally change by a decision in the State Department. But let’s see what we can determine is within our realm of responsibility, and we are moving on that expeditiously.”

Clinton’s remarks came in response to a question posed by Ralan Hill, a Foreign Service officer with a same-sex partner, who noted that in an emergency situation abroad, the State Department would be responsible for evacuating him but would have no such obligation to his partner. The department does, however, provide evacuation assistance to heterosexual spouses of officers stationed overseas.

“This is an issue of real concern to me,” Clinton responded. “And even though, as you pointed out, all of our personnel share the same service requirements, the partners in same-sex relationships are not offered the same training, the same benefits, and the same protections that other family members receive when you serve abroad. So I view this as an issue of workplace fairness, employee retention, and the safety and effectiveness of our embassy communities worldwide.”

Clinton signaled that she would review the inequities faced by LGBT employees during her confirmation hearings, and momentum has been growing ever since. Earlier this week U.S. representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), along with U.S. senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), sent a letter to Secretary Clinton asking her to change the discriminatory policies.

http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid72490.asp

[defendandprotect]

1. Good for HRC . . !!!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. That shrew, Ros-Lehtinen,

did that?

Now I'm gonna have to rethink my opinion of that shrew.

I hate when they go all human on me.

[Beacool]

3. Too funny!!!

:7

[Idealism]

4. Just remember her campaign ad lies if you are feeling sympathetic

To hear that woman tell it, she built the Florida Pre-Paid college program from scratch with no government support, and people slamming doors on her face for even asking about it :eyes:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. Thank you

I can go back to despising her now.

Whew. That was close.

Thank you so much.............

[Idealism]

7. Just doing what I can

:D

[bluestateguy]

5. Castro is a big homophobe

Many of his US apologists tend to overlook that.

[DURHAM D]

8. Does he hate his own brother? eom

[Eryemil]

19. The guy's 83yo, while some of his ideals (ie race, women's rights) were ahead of his time...

...some weren't. The Cuban revolution was in 1959, the Stonewall riots in 1969. To give you a little perspective.

His daughter, Mariela Castro, on the other hand is a fierce advocate for queer rights.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

27. If he is, he stopped acting like one decades ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Cuba

[RandySF]

9. Miami has a thriving LGBT community

She's paying attention to voters.

[Beacool]

10. Who, Raul?

:wow:

[Beacool]

23. Oops, I meant that for post #5.

:eyes:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. Yes, she has a pretty good record on

LGBT issues.

For that, she's all right.

But in every other way, she sucks.

[ColbertWatcher]

13. She's just adapting to her surroundings.

It helps her species with their camouflage.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

14. She's a species?

I just think of her as an unpleasant abstraction that periodically vocalizes and annoys the hell out of me.

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Excuse me, I beg your pardon. n/t

[JohnnyBoots]

25. Haha. I was just thinking the same thing, Wait till she is on Mahr again. Will go back to

hating her quickly.

[Fleshdancer]

12. great news! K & R

:applause:

[inna]

15. wow

i admit, i'm somewhat shocked by all the hatred towards Clinton exhibited by several people in this thread.

mindblowing, really.

[Cornus]

17. Not toward Clinton

I think that hatred is NOT being directed toward Clinton but to Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).

[Beacool]

20. Yeah, they are not talking about Hillary.

If they had, I would have already been whooping some butt!!! LOL!!

:7

[dsc]

18. Gee she has been SOS less time than Obama has been President

and seems to have found time to address gay issues, fancy that.

[Beacool]

21. Oh come on, he DID address them..........

Remember Rick Warren?

:7

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Self ass-whooping......

:spank:

[Odin2005]

22. Bravo, Hillary!!! n/t,

[Strathos]

24. Words, words, and more words

When are we gonna see some action? I'm tired of the bullshit. You can promise anything, but until it's delivered, words aren't worth much.

[Ioo]

26. SHE CAN CONGRESS JUST REPEAL DOMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beacool]

28. Translation?

:o