Tag Archives: State Department

Kerry Announces Agreement On Syria

NPR has this morning’s development: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday they have reached an agreement on a framework for Syria to destroy all of its chemical weapons, and raised the specter of a potential U.N. Security Council resolution that could authorize sanctions — even military action — if President Bashar Assad’s …

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Email Of The Day – Eugene Delgaudio

“Dear Joe,  The nominations of homosexual activists Todd Hughes to the U.S. Court of Appeals and James ‘Wally’ Brewster as the ambassador to the Dominican Republic are both fraught with dangerous implications. Hughes would almost certainly overturn any pro-Family legislation if installed as a judge on the Appeals Court. And the majority-Christian Dominican Republic has been outraged and offended by …

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US Ambassador To Australia John Berry Marries In Washington DC

Via press release: John Berry and Curtis Yee, partners of 17 years, were formally married on Saturday August 10, at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC. Music was provided by Dr. Theodore Guerrant and soloist, Christian Hoff. The wedding was attended by family and close friends, including the Secretary Of the Department of Interior, who then celebrated after the …

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US Consulate In Amsterdam Issues First Visa For Spouse Of Gay American

On Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the immediate availability of visas for the spouses for gay Americans. Two days later the first such document was issued in the Netherlands. From the Facebook page of the US Consulate General, Amsterdam: Mr. Francois Conradie is moving to New York, and visited the U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam for his L2 …

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83 Members Of Congress Petition John Kerry To Protect Gay Athletes At Olympics

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) has written a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry which demands protections for LGBT athletes at the Sochi Olympics. The letter was co-signed by 83 members of the U.S. House.  The letter closes: We applaud the State Department’s commitment to ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT …

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State Department Issues Global Terrorism Alert For Travelers

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Sec. Of State John Kerry: Visas Are Now Available For Same-Sex Couples

Secretary of State John Kerry today announced the immediate availability of visas for same-sex couples. Via Metro Weekly: “If you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. If you are the spouse of a non-citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. And if you are in a country that doesn’t recognize your …

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Headline Of The Day

The Human Rights Campaign reacts: “Today the U.S. Senate confirmed five highly qualified nominees to important posts who happen to be gay,” Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin said in a statement to BuzzFeed. “It is a testament to President Obama and the U.S. Senate that the sexual orientation of these nominees was irrelevant to their qualifications for their posts, …

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Canada Updates Russia Travel Advice

From Canada’s just updated travel advisory for Russia: Although homosexual activity is not illegal in Russia, a federal law has been passed that prohibits public actions that are described as promoting homosexuality and “non-traditional sexual relations”. This law could render any homosexual and pro-homosexual statements punishable. Public actions (including dissemination of information, statements, displays or conspicuous behaviour) that contravene or …

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President Obama Nominates Caroline Kennedy To Be Ambassador To Japan

Yesterday afternoon President Obama formally nominated Caroline Kennedy to be the US ambassador to Japan. In naming Ms. Kennedy, whose nomination has been rumored for months, Mr. Obama is keeping with a well-established tradition of rewarding important campaign supporters with plum embassies. He recently put forward big-dollar fund-raisers to be envoys in London, Berlin, Copenhagen and Madrid. But Ms. Kennedy’s …

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State Department Reacts To Murder Of Cameroonian Activist

The State Department has issued a press release in reaction to the murder of Cameroonian LGBT activist Eric Lembembe: We deplore the brutal murder of Eric Ohena Lembembe, who was found tortured to death in his home in Yaoundé yesterday. We condemn this terrible act in the strongest terms and urge the Cameroonian authorities to thoroughly and promptly investigate and …

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Christians To Protest Gay US Ambassador

Christians in the Dominican Republic are being urged to wear black armbands today in a “Black Monday” protest over President Obama’s appointment of an openly gay man as the US ambassador to their nation. Christian leaders are asking people to wear a black arm band, to show a black banner or ribbon on cars, or to dress entirely in black …

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Tony Perkins: Obama Is Bullying Other Nations Into Accepting LGBT Rights

“If the President doesn’t respect America’s views on marriage, what makes us think he would respect other countries’? Certainly not his latest USAID project. In April, to relatively little fanfare, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) embarked on one of the most shocking abuses of taxpayer dollars in the last five years. With help from the Levi Strauss Foundation …

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State Department Cheers Pride Month, Laments Global Persecution Of Gays

Via press release from the office of Secretary of State John Kerry: The Department of State joins people around the world in celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. Forty-four years after Stonewall, we see incredible progress in the fight to advance the human rights and fundamental freedoms of LGBT people, both here in the United States and …

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Obama Mocks Benghazi “Coverup” Claims

Think Progress has the text of today’s remarks.

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Mariela Castro Gets Her Visa

Cuban LGBT rights activists Mariela Castro has been granted a visa to attend a Philadelphia gay rights forum after having first been denied one by the State Department. Initially not expected to receive a visa, the official said the case was “looked at again” and “the restriction on her visa has been lifted, which will allow her to travel” to …

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Mariela Castro Denied US Visa

Cuban LGBT rights activist Mariela Castro, the niece of Fidel and daughter of president Raul Castro, has been denied a visa to attend a gay rights forum in Philadelphia. Equality Forum Executive Director Malcolm Lazin said in a press release that Mariela Castro, executive director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX,) several months ago accepted an invitation …

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US To Guyana: Get Better On LGBT Rights

Speaking to journalists in the capital of Guyana this week, US Ambassador Brent Hardt said that the small South American nation must work to decriminalize homosexuality and embrace LGBT rights. Ambassador Hardt said the Guyana government has been making a positive step with a National Consultation on LGBT issues but he noted that “conversation and dialogue must lead to action …

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State Department Announces LGBT Rights Program For Western Hemisphere

Yesterday the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs announced a new program: Secretary of State John Kerry has committed to advancing the human rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals as a central part of our human rights engagement. Taking into account the Secretary’s commitment as well as the Presidential Memorandum issued December 6, 2011, that directs …

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State Department Advises LGBT Travelers

The State Department has posted a travel advisory for LGBT people planning trips to foreign countries.  The notice opens with this: Attitudes and tolerance toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons vary from country to country, just as they vary among U.S. cities and states. Most LGBT travelers encounter no problems while overseas, but it helps to be prepared …

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