Another great video from a great boss. And it has a nice shout out to two Ambassadors who marched in Baltic Pride in Riga...that would be my boss, Ambassador Michael Polt, and U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Judy Garber. Yeah, I love my job!
I am honored to join you to celebrate the fundamental freedoms that all human
beings deserve – no matter who they are or whom they love. This month, and every
month, we proudly reaffirm our commitment to making sure that all human beings
are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
In the United States and around the world, progress is being made. The
tireless advocacy of generations is bending the arc of history. Barriers are
being torn down, discriminatory laws repealed, and millions are now able to live
more freely and participate in the future of their communities and
countries.
But there is still much more to be done. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender men and women continue to be persecuted and attacked. They are
arrested, beaten, terrorized, and even executed.
United States Embassies and Missions throughout the world are working to
defend the rights of LGBT people of all races, religions, and nationalities as
part of our comprehensive human rights policy and as a priority of our foreign
policy. From Riga, where two U.S. Ambassadors and a Deputy Assistant Secretary
marched in solidarity with Baltic Pride; to Nassau, where the Embassy joined
together with civil society to screen a film about LGBT issues in Caribbean
societies; to Albania, where our Embassy is coordinating the first-ever regional
Pride conference for diplomats and activists to discuss human rights and shared
experiences. And through the Global Equality Fund that I launched last December,
we have strengthened our support for civil society and programs to protect and
promote human rights.
We will not rest until full and equal rights are a reality for everyone.
History proves that the march toward equality and justice will overcome barriers
of intolerance and discrimination. But it requires a concerted effort from all
of us. No matter how long the road ahead, I’m confident that we will travel it
successfully together.
Wherever you are celebrating this month, I wish you a happy Pride.
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2 comments:
I have been silently enjoying your blog, and others it led me to, for several years as I considered becoming a 'trailing spouse' (they really need to relabel that role). Although life has taken me down a different path, I was encouraged and inspired by your writing. Thank you.
I'm sure you already have or will discover this without my help, but in your role as an out representative of the United States I wanted to share a blog post with you written by a gay member of the LDS church. In my opinion, an inspiring and though-provoking American story.
http://www.joshweed.com/2012/06/club-unicorn-in-which-i-come-out-of.html?spref=fb
Thanks again for all your work, both on this blog and in service to our country!
Thanks for the kind words.
I hadn't seen this (I'm going to go look at it after I type this), but I will say that a member of my A-100 class is a gay mormom who has been with his husband nearly as long as I have been with my wife. He is one of my good friends from the service.
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