John Kerry’s landmark initiative: Why the State Department’s new LGBT post is a big dealFor the firs

John Kerry’s landmark initiative: Why the State Department’s new LGBT post is a big dealFor the first time ever, the U.S. will have an envoy devoted to LGBT issues. The move comes at a pivotal moment“Later this month, the U.S. State Department will appoint a gay career diplomat to serve as the country’s first-ever envoy for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, a move that comes at a crucial moment for LGBT rights globally.The news, first reported by the Boston Globe, comes after Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) unsuccessfully proposed legislation in the last Congress creating such an envoy, although Markey and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-NY) reintroduced the legislation last week. Secretary of State John Kerry’s decision to appoint an LGBT diplomat ensures that the department will have an official exclusively focused on the issue regardless of whether Markey and Lownenthal’s legislation passes the Republican-controlled Congress.State Department officials are still in the process of vetting candidates for the post, the Globe reports, but it is certain that the appointee will be an openly gay Foreign Service Officer.The significance of the move should not be discounted. Even as the U.S. marches toward nationwide marriage equality, much of the world continues to persecute LGBT people.”Read the full piece here -- source link

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