Posts Celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride Month

The following article is in this month's State Magazine, which is basically an internal magazine for State Department employees. It is really nice to see the magazine report on the ways Gay Pride was observed at some of our missions around the world. I particularly like the photo (you'll have to follow the link and go to page 4 to see it), which is of a huge group of people from our embassy in Manilla holding a sign that reads "Manilla=Diversity.

I like it!

Posts Celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride Month

To celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in June, U.S. missions worldwide hosted an array of educational and social programming for foreign audiences and mission staff on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. With the support of members of the Department’s Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies group, missions in seven countries—Albania, Burma, India, Iraq, Korea, Malta and the Philippines—organized more than 20 lectures, roundtable discussions, movies and social events.

These events promoted awareness of the challenges facing LGBT communities worldwide, provided resources for foreign nationals seeking equal rights for their LGBT communities and celebrated Department efforts toward policies responsive to the needs of LGBT employees and their families.

In the Philippines, about 60 American and local staff joined together in a June 30 photograph on Manila’s lush chancery grounds, capping the end of a lighthearted, two-week movie series to educate mission personnel on issues facing LGBT people in different cultures.

The U.S. Embassy in Tirana reached out to Albania’s nascent LGBT movement through lectures by a U.S. anthropologist and roundtable discussions. The U.S. Embassy in Rangoon’s American Center hosted a book exhibition, a showing of the documentary “Before Stonewall” and panel discussions on LGBT rights and AIDS in the workplace.

The U.S. Embassy in Valletta held a public screening of the film “Milk” at the University of Malta and a digital videoconference with a U.S. gay rights activist. The U.S. Embassy in Seoul held a June 24 cocktail event attended by 100 staff including the ambassador and deputy chief of mission. It celebrated Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s decision to extend benefits to partners of LGBT employees.

The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, India, held a poster show titled “Equal Rights for All,” invited local LGBT leaders to a reception, screened “Milk” and hosted a videoconference for local LGBT activists with the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT Project.

Not to be outdone, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad held a Gay Pride party and fundraiser at the Embassy Association bar, attracting a large turnout of American civilians, U.S. and Coalition military personnel and others. It raised $1,500 for a U.S.-based LGBT charity.

Happy Birthday Marines!

I just wanted to quickly wish at happy 234th birthday to all of the Marines I have served with. You guys are a vital part of the mission and just a helluva a lot of fun to work/play with!

And for Joe B. in particular, you made a 30-minute hellish elevator ride a little less traumatic!

Semper Fi!

Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act mark up

I received this is my email yesterday and would like for you to reach out to your congressperson if he or she is not on the list below and ask them to support DPBO. It would make a huge difference not just for LGBT Foreign Service families, but all LGBT federal employees.

And a personal thanks to my representative, David Price, who is already a co-sponsor.

From the Human Rights Campaign:

We are hearing that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee may mark-up H.R. 2517, the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act as soon as next week. Between now and the markup, outreach is needed to increase cosponsorships and build further support for the legislation. There are currently 127 cosponsors on H.R. 2517 (see below). Please take some time this week to check-in with Members not on this list and ask them to sign-on to the bill. The point of contact in Rep. Baldwin’s is Amber Shipley at 225.2906.

Additionally, if you have ties to Rep. Paul Kanjorski or Rep. Marcy Kaptur, they need to hear from you, and from the grassroots in their districts. Both are members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and have not committed to support DPBO.
As soon as the mark-up date is confirmed, the information will be posted to the DPBO list.

Current Cosponsors: 127 Total (126 Democrats, 1 Republican)

Abercrombie (D-Hawaii)
Ackerman (D-N.Y.)
Adler (D-N.J.)
Andrews, R. (D-N.J.)
Baird (D-Wash.)
Becerra (D-Calif.)
Berkley (D-Nev.)
Berman (D-Calif.)
Bishop, T. (D-N.Y.)
Blumenauer (D-Ore.)
Braley (D-Iowa)
Capps (D-Calif.)
Capuano (D-Mass.)
Carson, A. (D-Ind.)
Chu (D-Calif.)
Clarke (D-N.Y.)
Clay (D-Mo.)
Clyburn (D-S.C.)
Cohen (D-Tenn.)
Connolly (D-Va.)
Courtney (D-Conn.)
Crowley (D-N.Y.)
Cummings (D-Md.)
Davis, S. (D-Calif.)
DeFazio (D-Ore.)
DeGette (D-Colo.)
Delahunt (D-Mass.)
DeLauro (D-Conn.)
Dingell (D-Mich.)
Doggett (D-Texas)
Doyle (D-Pa.)
Edwards, D. (D-Md.)
Ellison (D-Minn.)
Engel (D-N.Y.)
Eshoo (D-Calif.)
Farr (D-Calif.)
Filner (D-Calif.)
Frank, B. (D-Mass.)
Fudge (D-Ohio)
Giffords (D-Ariz.)
Gonzalez (D-Texas)
Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
Hare (D-Ill.)
Harman (D-Calif.)
Hastings, A. (D-Fla.)
Hinchey (D-N.Y.)
Hirono (D-Hawaii)
Hodes (D-N.H.)
Holt (D-N.J.)
Honda (D-Calif.)
Inslee (D-Wash.)
Israel (D-N.Y.)
Jackson, J. (D-Ill.)
Jackson Lee, S. (D-Texas)
Johnson, H. (D-Ga.)
Kennedy, P. (D-R.I.)
Kilpatrick (D-Mich.)
Kilroy (D-Ohio)
Kucinich (D-Ohio)
Langevin (D-R.I.)
Larsen, R. (D-Wash.)
Larson, J. (D-Conn.)
Lee (D-Calif.)
Levin, S. (D-Mich.)
Lewis, John (D-Ga.)
Loebsack (D-Iowa)
Lofgren (D-Calif.)
Lowey (D-N.Y.)
Maffei (D-N.Y.)
Maloney, C. (D-N.Y.)
Massa (D-N.Y.)
Matsui, D. (D-Calif.)
McCollum, Betty (D-Minn.)
McDermott (D-Wash.)
McGovern (D-Mass.)
McMahon (D-N.Y.)
Meek, K. (D-Fla.)
Michaud (D-Maine)
Miller, George (D-Calif.)
Moore, D. (D-Kan.)
Moore, G. (D-Wis.)
Moran, James (D-Va.)
Murphy, C. (D-Conn.)
Nadler (D-N.Y.)
Norton (D-D.C.)
Olver (D-Mass.)
Pallone (D-N.J.)
Pastor (D-Ariz.)
Peters (D-Mich.)
Pierluisi (D-P.R.)
Pingree (D-Maine)
Polis (D-Colo.)
Price, D. (D-N.C.)
Quigley (D-Ill.)
Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.)
Rothman (D-N.J.)
Ryan, T. (D-Ohio)
Sanchez, Linda (D-Calif.)
Sanchez, Loretta (D-Calif.)
Sarbanes, J. (D-Md.)
Schakowsky (D-Ill.)
Schwartz, A. (D-Pa.)
Scott, R. (D-Va.)
Serrano (D-N.Y.)
Sestak (D-Pa.)
Sherman (D-Calif.)
Sires (D-N.J.)
Speier (D-Calif.)
Stark, P. (D-Calif.)
Sutton (D-Ohio)
Tierney (D-Mass.)
Tonko (D-N.Y.)
Tsongas (D-Mass.)
Van Hollen (D-Md.)
Velazquez (D-N.Y.)
Walz (D-Minn.)
Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)
Watson (D-Calif.)
Waxman (D-Calif.)
Weiner (D-N.Y.)
Welch (D-Vt.)
Wexler (D-Fla.)
Woolsey (D-Calif.)
Wu (D-Ore.)
Yarmuth (D-Ky.)

I almost missed it!

I just noticed that as of today, Life After Jerusalem has had more than 50,000 visits.

While apparently beneath the threshhold needed to get into the Foreign Service Journal, I'm still pretty happy about hitting that milestone.

Taking the Orals: Waiting

When you finish with the three sections of the oral assessment, you will be taken to a room (likely the room where you did the written exercise) to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

I am sure we didn't wait for 20 hours but it certainly felt like it! During that wait, I wondered if cameras were watching us and if this was the final part of the exam. I doubt that it was, but you can never be sure!

Eventually they will call your name. People put a lot of stock in the order they call you, but really, you won't be able to determine anything from it at the time. I know folks who passed who were called out first. My partner was called out last when she passed. I was called out right in the middle (and I was the only person to pass the day I took it). So they may have an order, but you won't know it at the time.

If you have passed, you will be taken to a room and congratulated. You will learn your score (the test is scored on a scale of 1-7. To pass, you must get at least a 5.25 (higher in some cones). Most people score less than 6.0. You can improve your score with military service or by testing in a language. You can get .17 points for most languages, but .4 or .5 for the Critical Needs Languages..think Arabic, etc. The flip side though is that if you take the extra points for language, you must serve in a post using that language in one of your first two tours.) Then the examiners will give you some information and your conditional offer.

Of course, that is when the waiting really begins. For your medical clearance. For your security clearance. For your suitability review. After all that waiting, you will be placed on the register in order of your OA score and the date you received all your clearances. And then you will wait for "tha call" (which is really an email). People are offered jobs beginning with the highest scorers. Some people decline offers (you can do that twice before being removed from the list) or put themselves on a do not call list for a while. You can stay on the register for up to 18 months, at which point if you haven't gotten an offer, you drop off the register.

And then you have to start the process all over again. And wait some more.

Taking the Orals: The Structured Interview

I found the structured interview to be the most stressful of the three sections of the Foreign Service oral assessment (unless you count the waiting for your results! More on that tomorrow!).

Before you take the exam, you will be given a list of 13 "dimensions" the service is looking for. You should look at those closely before you ever go to the oral assessment. You don't need to memorize them, but do think of a story from your life that exemplifies each of those dimensions. Write them down if it helps you remember, but you don't need to fret about having it written down and in front of you. If you take the time to really think about the list, the examples will come to you. Then when they ask about times you have been in particular situations, like dealing with members of another culture, you will be able to bring to mind an example pretty easily.

At the start of the interview, they will put you in a small room alone and close the door. This is NOT to freak you out. It is just to give you a minute to collect your thoughts. You will then have two interviewers. Trying to "read" them may not be all that helpful. They are not supposed to telegraph to you how you are doing. I tried to tell from their expressions how I was doing, and I left thinking one loved me and one hated me, and that I had either aced the interview or bombed it!

And finally, remember to be yourself. If you made it to the orals, it is because your QEP essays convinced the Department that it wanted you. This is just your chance to seal the deal.

Ambassador-designate introduces partner to Senate panel

From GayNZ:

Ambassador-designate introduces partner to panel

The gay man tapped by US President Barack Obama to be the next American ambassador to New Zealand has introduced his partner to a Senate confirmation hearing.

Ambassador-designate David Huebner has introduced Duane McWaine to the Senate panel, noting that the couple have just marked twenty years as a couple.

If confirmed, Huebner will be only the third openly gay ambassador in US history. In 1999, after a battle in the Senate President Clinton appointed gay philanthropist James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg by pushing his appointment through during a congressional recess.

In 2001 President George W Bush appointed Michael Guest as ambassador to Romania, making him the second openly gay ambassador and the first openly gay man to be confirmed by the Senate to such a post. In 2007 Guest resigned from the State department due to the Foreign Service's refusal to extend to same-sex partners the rights available to straight partners such as diplomatic status, travel allowances and security training.

Taking the Orals: The Case Management Exercise

Yesterday I talked a little about Group Exercise portion of the Foreign Service Oral Assessment. Now, I want to talk briefly about the CASE MANAGMENT EXERCISE.

With the written exercise, you will be given a case file. It will include emails and memos discussing an issue at the Embassy. You will likely be a new officer and asked rather quickly to assess the situation and write a memo outlining your suggestions.

You do not need to know what official State Department memo format is.

Keep in mind that you have done essays both on the written exam and for the QEP. The Department already knows you can write. The most important thing to remember is to engage the math. They want to make sure you can look at the facts, make a reasoned decision and have an understanding of the budgetary implications. We aren't talking calculus or trig here. Just simple math.

And don't forget to proof-read! I accidentally turned off the insert function and typed over a few sentences. If I hadn't proof-read, I would have sounded like a blithering idiot.

And I do that well enough without the help of a computer!

Taking the Orals: The Group Exercise

One of my favorite things about doing this blog is that I get lots of emails from folks wanting to join the Foreign Service asking for tips and advice. I love the service, and anyone who is already in knows that it is much more about WHO you serve with than where you serve or what job you do. So I want all the good people we can get to join and serve with us!

From what I can see from my email and checking twitter, lots of folks have just heard they have passed the written portion of the Foreign Service Officers Test (FSOT) and are preparing their qualifying essays in hopes of getting an offer to take the oral assessment.

I can't speak to the essays. They are a new requirement. But I did pretty well on the oral assessment and helped lead a couple prep sessions afterward, so I can speak to that a bit. All of what I am going to tell you is covered in the prep sessions and so does not violate the non-disclosure agreement.

For today, we'll talk about the GROUP EXERCISE.

In the group exercise, you will be in a room with up to five other examinees. There will be four examiners in the room. Three of them are charged with watching two examinees (you won't know which one is watching you) and one watches the entire group dynamic.

Each examinee will be given a project. You will be instructed that you have to come to a group consensus about funding one project completely. Any leftover money can be split however you decide on the remaining project. You will be told you have a certain amount of time to complete the exercise and that you will not be warned again of the time. Therefore, one person should volunteer to be the time keeper. If you can, let it be you. If not, you might want to occasionally ask the time keeper for updates on how much time you have left. I did this during my OA.

Each person will have a set time to present their project. Do not take the entire time. Leave time for the other participants to ask questions. Once everyone has presented, you should lobby for your project. But here is where you have a decision to make. If you see, after initially lobbying for your project that yours is stupid by comparison to someone else's project, say that to the group and throw your support behind another project. Help gently guide (without bullying) the group to consensus.

It is important to remember that whether or not your project is funded has NO BEARING on whether or not you pass. They are looking to see if you are a leader without being a bully. They are looking to see if you can negotiate constructively and work well with others. Which brings me to a second important point: you have to TALK. If you don't talk, the examiners can't judge you. In my group, the guy who got his project fully funded never said another word. He failed.

It is also important not to let the rest of the group derail your chances. If your group isn't talking (I hear this has happened but I would think it would be rare!), gently guide them. Ask about the other projects. Suggest compromises and as for people's buy in. Ask them directly. Even if everyone else fails, you will have shown you can lead even an difficult group.

You will tend to be in a group of high achievers. Some of them are going to think the way to pass is to bully or talk over other examinees. Don't let it ruffle you or silence you. Show composure. And finish the task. You want to show you can accomplish something.

I actually feared I had gotten too forceful at the end, but my examiners later told me they loved how I handled the bully in our group: she thought she had to get funding. At the end of the exercise, she was still trying to get one guy to give her some of the money the group had allocated to his project. I asked the time keeper how long we had. He said about a minute or so. I looked at her and said, "We need to finish." She responded, "Wait! He is just about to agree to give me $10,000." (hello? consensus?) I looked at the time keeper and asked, "How much time do we have now?" He answered 45 seconds. I said, "Write down what we have agreed to and you can finish arguing about this in the hall."

I passed (with a pretty high score). She didn't.

At Least Someone Likes Me...

....even if the Foreign Service Journal doesn't!

Thanks to Lime of Sight for the following:

• For Foreign Service news, I follow Digger of Life after Jerusalem--and if you're interested in reading more, she has an exhaustive list of all the Foreign Service blogs on the web.