US condemns anti-gay violence in Iraq

WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday condemned alleged violence and abuse against homosexuals in Iraq, adding the US embassy in Baghdad has raised the issue with Iraqi government officials.

“In general, we absolutely condemn acts of violence and human rights violations committed against individuals in Iraq because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

“This is an issue that we’ve been following very closely since we have been made aware of these allegations, and we are aware of the allegations,” Kelly told reporters when asked about anti-gay violence in Iraq.

“Our training for Iraqi security forces includes instruction on the proper observance of human rights,” Kelly said.

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Indiana removes gay white men from HIV/AIDS funding priorities

The Indiana State Department of Health recently cut gay white men as an HIV/AIDS funding priority. African-American and Hispanic men who have sex with men are still included as priority populations. The decision was made by the department’s advisory Community Planning Group (CPG).

The CPG is a Center for Disease Control (CDC) mandated process for funding HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs in the states; it aims to be politics-free and representative of the community. The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) administers CDC HIV/AIDS prevention funds. Indiana health activists charge that the Group ignored the CDC’s criteria for defining community priorities.

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Huffington Post

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Gay 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

AFP

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House adds same-sex benefits provision for U.S. diplomats to budget proposal

Congress has inserted a provision into the State Department authorization budget that would require the State Department to confer the same benefits to same-sex partners as it does to married couples.

Congressman Howard Berman, Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, included the provision in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 (H.R. 2410) to “end the long-standing practice of excluding the committed partners of Foreign Service officers from the benefits routinely provided to the spouses and children of officers serving abroad.” The provision now must make its way through the budget process, including the conference committee where many-a-well intentioned proposal hits the chopping block. But in this case, it would be hard to imagine that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is lead by Chairman John Kerry and the moderate republic ranking member Richard Lugar, would do anything to strip out this provision.

This would be progress. For too long, gay and lesbian diplomats have had to chose between their families and their service. “I’m happy that efforts to redress these discriminatory policies are being undertaken,” emails Michael Guest a former Foreign Service officer currently affiliated with the Center for Global Equality. “This is all about ensuring the safety, effectiveness and equal workplace conditions for those who serve our country abroad, and for the families who accompany them on those assignments.” Amen!

House adds same-sex benefits provision for U.S. diplomats to budget proposal
UN Dispatch (5/15) * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

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Gay US Ambassador to India

Peter Burleigh, an out gay foreign affairs officer, has been named to the top diplomatic post in India until a permanent ambassador is selected. According to GayPolitics.com, he has a “deep expertise in South Asian affairs” and came out within the State Department once they stopped treating gay people as security risks in 1990. See Gay US Ambassador to India

Gay City News

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Stonewall Inn Owners To Dump Myers Rum and Red Stripe Beer in Sewer As Gay advocates are launch national boycott of Jamaica

Human rights activists have given Jamaica the infamous title: “The Most Homophobic Place on Earth.” Gay people have regularly been beaten and murdered on the island, while authorities do little to stop the violence.

“We, as the owners of the Stonewall Inn, birthplace of the Gay rights movement, refuse to support, in any way, shape or form, the oppression of any people especially our gay brothers and sisters in Jamaica,” the Stonewall Inn said in its statement. “We ask all people of all walks of life to send a clear message to the Jamaican people and their government, that as long as they continue to allow and condone violence and hatred toward the

“If you love your gay friends and family members, you won’t visit Jamaica,” said boycott co-organizer Wayne Besen. “If you care about the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, you won’t buy Jamaican products. We hope that all gay and gay friendly bar owners and restaurateurs across the nation will participate in ‘rum dumps.’ We can no longer subsidize our own slaughter.”

GLBT activists Michael Petrelis, Wayne Besen and Jim Burroway launched this boycott after a State Department report highlighted the violence faced by GLBT people. According to the report:

The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals, and Gays (J-FLAG) continued to report human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, mob attacks, stabbings, harassment of homosexual patients by hospital and prison staff, and targeted shootings of homosexuals. Police often did not investigate such incidents.

The West Coast portion of the boycott took place earlier this month with a rum dump in San Francisco that featured Petrelis and city Supervisor Bevan Dufty. Learn more about the boycott at www.BoycottJamaica.org.

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Gay US Ambassador to India

Peter Burleigh, an out gay foreign affairs officer, has been named to the top diplomatic post in India until a permanent ambassador is selected. According to GayPolitics.com, he has a “deep expertise in South Asian affairs” and came out within the State Department once they stopped treating gay people as security risks in 1990. See Gay US Ambassador to India

Gay City News

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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.

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Washington Times, DC -

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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.

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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.

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The New York Blade, NY