Russian gays express disappointment in Clinton
(Moscow) Russia’s leading gay activist said Wednesday that he was disappointed that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with an outspoken foe of gay rights during her two-day trip to Russia and did not decry homophobia in the country.
Clinton attended a ceremony unveiling a statue of Walt Whitman at …
Tags: Day Trip, Disappointment, Express, Gay Activist, gay rights, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Met, Moscow Russia, Outspoken Foe, Russian Gays, Secretary Of State, Trip To Russia, Walt WhitmanMilitary Gay Discharge Moratorium Bill A Non-Starter
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has decided not to pursue a senate amendment that would pause military discharges based on sexual orientation, gay weekly the Washington Blade reported. Gillibrand, the freshman senator appointed by Governor David Paterson after President Obama tapped Hillary Clinton to head the State Department, signaled last week she would introduce the reform as an amendment to a Defense Department reauthorization bill. The amendment would place an 18-month moratorium on the military gay ban, also known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the law that prescribes discharge for gay and lesbian service members who do not remain celibate or closeted.
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Cracks in the System: Iran There and Gay Rights Here
Originally published on June 18, 2009 by Yo Mama For Obama
This post will be a continuation of my last one, dealing with the people’s insurgency in Iran and the fight for equal rights here in America.
- yomamaforobama’s diary :: ::
No surprise: it is being reported that Ayatollah Khamenei’s rival Mullah, Rafsanjani, will be supporting the massive protest in Iran today. Quite frankly, this election dispute is a contest, a personal power struggle, between the two Ayatollahs. Whether we have Ahmadinejad or Mousavi as figurehead Presidents is almost immaterial. Their ideology and politics are essentially the same, although Ahmadinejad’s incendiary fervor is definitely off the deep end. Their underlying beliefs, both national and international, are identical. It is the Mullahs who rule Iran. The people’s protests must move from election fraud to throwing out the corrupt clerics who rule Iran.
Dan Rather was on MSNBC yesterday, and he was not very optimistic about the outcome of this Iran uprising. He said that similar to this uprising, the Czech revolt of 1956, the Chinese attempt at protest in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the attempted battle for freedom in Burma in 2007 were all crushed by their respective governments. Included in these assaults on the protesters were serious, and successful, attempts to quash any media reports of the protests plus the government’s retaliatory responses. True: in 1956, we did not have the internet, cell phones or Twitter. Basically the same holds true for 1989. Nonetheless, the media were thrown out of those countries and thus any reports of the events were not forthcoming. So is Iran trying to play that same game today. Not only have reporters been warned off covering the disputed elections, but Iran has cut off most access to the internet and cell phones. But long live Twitter: they can not shut off that service. Not yet. Our very own State Department has requested, and been granted, that Twitter defer their shutdown for maintenance scheduled for this week so that the world can have some access to the events in Iran. As Hillary Clinton said recently, and I paraphrase, “I don’t know a Twitter from a Tweeter, but Twitter has been a window to the world as to what is going on in Iran.” In the New York Times today, Op-Ed contributor, Nicholas Kristof equates “tweets” as the bullets of modern warfare.
See Cracks in the System: Iran There and Gay Rights Here
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Clinton approves partner benefits for State Dept. workers
(Washington) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will soon announce that gay American diplomats will be given benefits similar to those that their heterosexual counterparts enjoy, according to U.S. officials.
In a notice to be sent soon to State Department employees, Clinton says regulations that denied same-sex couples and their families …
Tags: American Diplomats, Heterosexual Counterparts, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Partner Benefits, Same Sex Couples, Secretary Of State, State Department Employees, State Dept, Washington Secretary Of State, Washington StateGay US diplomats to get benefits for partners
In a policy shift, the US State Department will offer equal benefits and protections to same-sex partners of American diplomats, The New York Times reported.
The newspaper said the shift was spelled out in an internal memorandum Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent last week to an association of gay and lesbian foreign service officers.
Clinton said the policy change addressed an inequity in the treatment of domestic partners and would help the State Department recruit diplomats, since many international employers already offered such benefits, the report said.
“Like all families, our foreign service families come in different configurations; all are part of the common fabric of our post communities abroad,” Clinton said in the memorandum, a copy of which was provided to The Times by a member of the gay and lesbian association.
“At bottom,” the paper quotes Clinton as saying, “the department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex partners because it is the right thing to do.”
A senior State Department official confirmed the new policy, but did not say when it would take effect, the paper said.
Gay US diplomats to get benefits for partners: report
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/gay-us-diplom…
Poll: Gay marriage gains support, but not NY gov. Newsday
New York Gov. David Paterson’s popularity in the state continues to tank, but his effort to legalize same-sex marriage has the support of a majority of voters, according to a poll released Monday.
The Siena College Research Institute poll found the Democrat is now viewed unfavorably by 63 percent of New Yorkers, down from 58 percent last month.
His job performance rating stood at 81 percent negative after a series of missteps eroded the strong public support he enjoyed when he was thrust into office 13 months ago as the state’s first black and legally blind governor.
Earlier polls have shown several issues hurt Paterson, including his secretive budget process that raised taxes but cut spending less than he promised, and how he handled filling Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vacated Senate seat, a botched process that ended in unfounded leaks of accusations against one-time candidate Caroline Kennedy. See Poll: Gay marriage gains support, but not NY gov. Newsday
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/poll-gay-marr…
If this is true, then perhaps America should skip havving an “ambassador” at the Vatican
Vatican sources told Il Giornale that their support for abortion disqualified Ms Kennedy and other Roman Catholics President Barack Obama had been seeking to appoint.
Mr Obama was reportedly seeking to reward John F Kennedy’s daughter, who publicly gave her support to his election bid. She had been poised to replace Hillary Clinton as New York senator, but dropped out amid criticism that she lacked enough experience for the job. The Italian paper said that the Vatican strongly disapproved of Mr Obama’s support for abortion and stem cell research. The impasse over the ambassadorial appointment threatens to cloud his meeting with the Pope during a G8 summit in Itay in July. More
Clearly, the President should take his won sweet time about naming a new ambassador - I mean I am not sure we can afford to send one tot he Vatican anyway …
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/if-this-is-tr…
Clinton gives hope to gay diplomats
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton promised gay diplomats Wednesday to work toward securing better rights and benefits for them and their partners, whose treatment is now much worse than that of married straight couples.
During her first town hall meeting with State Department employees since taking office two weeks ago, Mrs. Clinton pledged to look for ways to provide “training, benefits and protections” to same-sex partners who accompany Foreign Service officers to overseas posts.
See Clinton gives hope to gay diplomats
Washington Times, DC -
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/clinton-gives…
Baldwin Calls On Clinton For Gay Rights
Openly lesbian Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is calling on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s promise to promote gay and lesbian rights.
Clinton has long advocated for equal rights for gays, but as First Lady and New York Senator she was not in a position to dictate change. Now, as she assumes the mantle of Secretary of State, Clinton is being asked to follow through on her pledge.
In a stirring speech – longer than most – at the DNC convention, Clinton once again included a call for equality. “I ran for president to renew the promise of America. … To rebuild the middle class … To promote a clean energy economy … To create a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable … To create a world class education system … To fight for an America defined by deep and meaningful equality – from civil rights to labor rights, from women’s rights to gay rights … Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years.”
The six-time Congresswoman from Wisconsin asked Clinton to fix inequities for gay and lesbian employees at the State Department. In a letter dated Feb. 2, Baldwin, joined by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Florida Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, asked for policy changes that would not require Congressional approval.
See Baldwin Calls On Clinton For Gay Rights
On Top Magazine, OH
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/baldwin-calls…
Clinton meets with State Dept. gay group
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday met with the head of the gay affinity group within her department and reiterated her pledge to review the inequities in how the State Department treats its gay and straight employees. Michelle Schohn, president of Gays & Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies, said she met with Clinton for 30 minutes along with the heads of nine affinity groups within the State Department.
See Clinton meets with State Dept. gay group
The New York Blade, NY
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/clinton-meets…
