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being torn down, discriminatory laws repealed, and millions are now able to live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.
I went to Latvia to participate, officially, in Baltic Pride.
Just saying that somehow still amazes me.
That someone like me, someone who was so bullied in high school, could become a diplomat fighting for LGBT rights, that is the stuff "It Gets Better" videos are made of.
I went down on Friday to speak at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They hosted a seminar in conjunction with Pride that included speakers from the International Gay and Lesbian Alliance, as well as from various governmental agencies and NGOs. Plus, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Rights and Labor Thomas Melia spoke. And then there was me.
I hadn't thought about my speech as being all that moving. I just talked about how my wife joined the Department and there had been no place at the table for me. How I subsequently joined the Department and then became President of GLIFAA (Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies). How being out, open and pushing on doors, timed fortunately with the arrival of long-time LGBT ally Secretary Clinton, resulted in a lot of improvements for LGBT Foreign Service families.
But people said I made a difference. Several people were moved to tears. And several people said I had convinced them that being quietly gay, a sort of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" if you will, was the wrong approach. That we have to let people know who we are so that they know someone they love is gay.
Then Saturday, we had the march...hundreds of brave activists from the Balts (including some of the folks from Eesti Gei Noored, or Estonian Gay Youth), Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and throughout Europe braved the rain and hail (yes, hail) and the counter demonstrators to fight for their rights.
You see, the last time Latvia had a march, there was violence. Eggs and feces were thrown at the marchers.
But this time, we had high-ranking U.S. officials IN the march, including my boss, Ambassador Polt, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Judy Garber and DAS Melia. And I think that the violence of the last march, and the negative international attention it attracted, was something the officials in Latvia were determined not to see repeated. So we had significant police presence, including riot police walking along with the U.S. delegation.
And so when eggs were thrown (they were, but no feces, thankfully...one person was hit, and another egg landed near my feet), they responded in seconds and arrested the perpetrators. I was impressed with their swift response. And the rest of the counter demonstrators, though offensive, were non-violent.
We ended the march with a rally at a local park (you can check out photos of the march and rally here, here and here, where we listened to a number of moving speeches and saw moving videos. I was particularly impressed with the video from the EU and European Commission...all these leaders, most of them straight, talking about how they were working to make things better. Ambassador Polt's speech was excellent as well...in fact, I made a nice video of it that I would love to show you...if I could find the right cord to download it! Ah, moving overseas...the surest way to lose something you need.
After the speeches, the crowd braved the pouring rain for a great concert by BETTY. I have videos of that too...but you get the idea.
I left the event feeling I had made a difference. That I had played a part in helping others stand up for their rights. Because while things are not perfect in the U.S., there are places where it is much worse.
And there are places like Latvia where activists feel their time has come.
Representative Baldwin's office received a response letter yesterday from Secretary Clinton's Actingin Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs. While it would have been nice to get a time line, this is leaps and bounds ahead of what we had during Secretary Rice's tenure.
Thank you for your letter of February 2. As Secretary Clinton made clear in her remarks to employees on February 4, the policies relating to lesbian and gay State Depailment employees are of real concern to her. She views these policies as important not only for workplace fairness and employee retention, but important for their effect on the safety and effectiveness of our embassy communities worldwide.
At her instruction, the Department is reviewing current policies, especially those that are set forth in State Department regulations. Please feel free to contact us further on this or any other matter of concern to vou.
Sincerely, Michael C. Polt Acting Assistant Secretary Legislative Affairs
