2010 LGBT Pride Month: Anthony Cotton

Starting today, I will post one of the Pride Month bios per day until I have posted them all.

2010 LGBT Pride Month: Anthony Cotton

Anthony Cotton is a Presidential Management Fellow on the Project Development Team in the Office of Development Credit at the United States Agency for International Development, and the incoming Policy Director for Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies.

After earning his undergraduate business degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Anthony studied the Zulu language and culture on a Fulbright scholarship in South Africa. He then joined the Peace Corps and served as a small enterprise development volunteer in Ghana, where he developed and managed community-based cultural tourism projects. Anthony subsequently was a Peace Corps Fellow at Fordham University, where he earned master’s degrees in international development and economics.

Pride Month Bios

Today is June 1st, and as you know from the Presidential declaration, that means this is Pride Month.

As part of Pride Month celebrations, the Department has posted bios of some LGBT Foreign Service members and their families. These are the same kinds of bios posted during African American, Women's and Hispanic Heritage Months. The main gallery of bios can be found here. All of the profiles received have been published in the gallery as of today but will be showcased on the Department homepage once every two days.

Here are the individual page urls:

Anthony Cotton

Patrick Wingate

Mallory McLaren

Clayton Bond and Ted Osius

Steven Giegerich

Sherry Smith

Ajit Joshi

Danny Hall

Ken Seifert

J. Michelle Schohn and Mary E. Glantz

Kendra Phillips

Eric Nelson

Memorial Day

In grateful appreciation of all those who have served to defend our freedom and have paid the ultimate price, especially those gay and lesbian servicemembers, who, while not having all the rights of full citizens, have none the less paid for our freedoms with their lives.

We remember and honor you.

White House Proclamation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month 2010

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
May 28, 2010

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2010

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As Americans, it is our birthright that all people are created equal and deserve the same rights, privileges, and opportunities. Since our earliest days of independence, our Nation has striven to fulfill that promise. An important chapter in our great, unfinished story is the movement for fairness and equality on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This month, as we recognize the immeasurable contributions of LGBT Americans, we renew our commitment to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans and to ending prejudice and injustice wherever it exists.

LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life. From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LGBT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, and our friends and neighbors. Across my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level. Thanks to those who came before us --the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance -- we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union.

My Administration has advanced our journey by signing into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which strengthens Federal protections against crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation. We renewed the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides life-saving medical services and support to Americans living with HIV/AIDS, and finally eliminated the HIV entry ban. I also signed a Presidential Memorandum directing hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds to give LGBT patients the compassion and security they deserve in their time of need, including the ability to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions.

In other areas, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a series of proposals to ensure core housing programs are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. HUD also announced the first-ever national study of discrimination against members of the LGBT community in the rental and sale of housing. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has created a National Resource Center for LGBT Elders.

Much work remains to fulfill our Nation's promise of equal justice under law for LGBT Americans. That is why we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. We must protect the rights of LGBT families by securing their adoption rights, ending employment discrimination against LGBT Americans, and ensuring Federal employees receive equal benefits. We must create safer schools so all our children may learn in a supportive environment. I am also committed to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so patriotic LGBT Americans can serve openly in our military, and I am working with the Congress and our military leadership to accomplish that goal.

As we honor the LGBT Americans who have given so much to our Nation, let us remember that if one of us is unable to realize full equality, we all fall short of our founding principles. Our Nation draws its strength from our diversity,with each of us contributing to the greater whole. By affirming these rights and values, each American benefits from the further advancement of liberty and justice for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

It isn't about the Foreign Service but...

I haven't commented on the latest developments on Don't Ask Don't Tell, and not because I don't think it will ultimately have an impact on the Foreign Service. I do. I'll get to that in a minute.

I haven't commented because I am of a mixed mind about what happened yesterday. A bill passed the House and was passed out of committee in the Senate repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the law which prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

On the one hand, awesome that they voted for the repeal and that the full Senate will vote on it probably next week.

On the other, not so great that there are so many "if's." It will get repealled "if," after the full study (seriously, most of our allies allow gays to serve openly, which means in addition to all the gays and lesbians serving in silence in our military, our military is already serving in Iraq and Afghanistan with openly LGBT folks from our allies' militaries.), they find that the military can handled it, and "if" the President and Congress certify the results of that study.

So this feels like a feel good policy with no guarantee of results. Remember, there was no law before 1993 either, but the military was free to ban gays and lesbians by its own policies. And it did. This repeal just returns us to that place.

I do hope for a full repeal. I am just not yet convinced that there is the political will to do it, despite 78% of Americans supporting allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly.

If there is a full repeal and gays and lesbians who want to serve the country in the military without being forced to lie about who they are, I think this will be the watershed for gay rights in this country. Because despite the fact that we in the Foreign Service also put our lives at risk to serve the country, Americans hold the military in a different regard. They are considered to be the ones making the ultimate sacrifice.

And I think when Americans are able to see how many gays and lesbians are serving in the military (more than 13,000 have been discharged since DADT, and estimates are that there are tens of thousands more serving in silence), they will be less willing to deny us our rights. Really, you can defend our freedoms but you don't have the freedom to legally marry your spouse? You can die for your country but the person you have spent your life with must pay inheritance taxes on the home you bought together?

So I think this is a positive step, but I really hope for more. For all of us.

Oh, and to the Washington Post, who wrote today that 13,000 had "left" the service because of the policy. They didn't "leave," they were kicked out against their will.

Well That Just Sucks!

One of my favorite bloggers, as well as a fellow survivor of Jerusalem, Muttering Behind the Hardline, has decided to hang up his blogging hat. No one came after him...he just feels it is time to move on.

Well that just sucks.

Of course, as a way to help me deal with missing his blog, my computer freaked out the last two times I visited his site, opening up about 60 new windows last night and 20 today!

We'll miss you, and hope you come back soon!

Could be worse. Could be raining.

So I am still time travelling. My EER is for the period I actually worked, but apparently it will take me a year to make it effective. Sigh.

But it could be worse.

A friend got hers done LONG before I did.

She JUST got it bounced back. Apparently the program spit out all her changes and replaced them with upside down question marks.

Awesome.

Really wish I could write the rating statement for the person getting credit for the ePerformance rollout.

ON EDIT: Just found two upside down question marks in mine. Fabulous. Now, do I pull it back and try to fix it, risking more crap getting inserted (since I KNOW it didn't have those when I submitted it because it had done the same thing when I pasted the test into ePerformance, so I combed it thoroughly for errors) or do I just say f*ck it?

AFSA Award Winners

1. The American Foreign Service Association is proud to announce the 2010 AFSA Award winners. The awards will be presented on Thursday, June 24, at 4:00 P.M., in a ceremony in the Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room of the Department of State. AFSA invites friends of the Foreign Service to attend, and particularly friends and colleagues of our award winners.

2. Lifetime Contributions: AFSA’s Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy will be conferred on Ambassador Lowell Bruce Laingen. We are honored to present this prestigious award to Ambassador Laingen.

Born on a farm in southern Minnesota on Aug. 6, 1922, Ambassador Laingen graduated from St. Olaf College. He later received an M.A. in international relations from the University of Minnesota, and attended the National War College. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy, joining the Foreign Service in 1949. He served in Germany, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Washington, D.C., before being appointed ambassador to Malta in 1977.

In 1979 Amb. Laingen returned to Tehran as chargé d’affaires, but within months of his arrival, student protestors overran the U.S. embassy. He and two other American officials were at the Iranian Foreign Ministry at the time of the assault, and were detained there for the next 14 months.

After that ordeal, Amb. Laingen received the State Department’s Award for Valor, along with several other honors, in 1981. Laingen’s next position was that of vice president of the National Defense University, a post traditionally held by a senior diplomat. He retired from the Foreign Service in 1987 and later served as president of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Previous recipients of the Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Award include U. Alexis Johnson, Frank Carlucci, George H.W. Bush, Lawrence Eagleburger, Cyrus Vance, David Newsom, Lee Hamilton, Thomas Pickering, George Shultz, Richard Parker, Richard Lugar, Mort Abramowitz, Joan Clark, Tom Boyatt, and Sam Nunn.

3. Constructive Dissent: This year’s AFSA awards for intellectual courage, initiative and integrity in the expression of constructive dissent will be presented to the following Foreign Service employees. Each demonstrated the courage to speak out and challenge the system, despite possible consequences, and will receive a certificate of recognition and $2,500 for their unique actions and courage. AFSA takes particular pride in bestowing these unique awards each year.

-- The F. Allen “Tex” Harris Award for Constructive Dissent by a Foreign Service Specialist will be presented to David M. Zwach, a security engineering officer. Mr. Zwach performed historical research and undertook a campaign to convince the Department of State that specialists deserve a certificate similar to that given to generalists. As a result of his efforts, a specialist certificate commensurate with
the generalist version was approved in 2008. And in March 2010, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed that all specialists would receive a certificate that would be signed by her.

--The William R. Rivkin Award for Constructive Dissent by a Mid-Level Foreign Service Officer will be presented to Dr. Diana Putman for her courage in challenging the entire structure at the U.S. Africa Command over its proposed interventions in the area of sexual and gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

--The W. Averill Harriman Award for Constructive Dissent by a Junior-Level Foreign Service Officer will be awarded to Kathryn A. Kiser. During her tenure in the American Citizen Services Unit of Embassy Amman’s consular section, Ms. Kiser had the courage to dissent on a State Department policy that withholds passports from U.S. citizens resident in foreign countries. The policy not only inconveniences those it affects, but leaves them extremely vulnerable by essentially making them undocumented aliens

--There was no winner this year of the Christian A. Herter Award for Constructive Dissent by a Senior-Level Foreign Service Officer.

4. The AFSA Awards and Plaques Committee select the Harris, Harriman and Herter Dissent Award winners each year. Current committee members are: Retired Ambassador John Limbert (Chairman); Francisco Zamora, AFSA USAID Vice President ; active-duty Foreign Service officers George Sibley and Sue Saarnio; Office Management Specialist Teresa Yata; and retired FSOs Janice Bay, Ambassador Edward Peck and Dick Thompson.
Thank you to all these committee members.

The William R. Rivkin Award winner was selected by the children of the late Ambassador William Rivkin: Julia Wheeler, Laura Ledford, Ambassador Charles Rivkin and Robert Rivkin, as well as retired Ambassador Thomas Boyatt, who worked with Ambassador Rivkin; Marshall Bouton, president of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, the Honorable Newton N. Minow; Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and former Representative Jim Leach. AFSA is very grateful to these fine judges and individuals. We are honored to be associated with an award named after Ambassador
William Rivkin, who was such a fine diplomat and person.

5. Exemplary Performance: The following individuals are this year’s winners of AFSA’s three awards for exemplary performance and extraordinary contributions to professionalism, morale and effectiveness. Each will receive a certificate of recognition and a monetary prize of $2,500.

-- The Avis Bohlen Award, presented to a Foreign Service family member whose relations with the American and foreign communities at a Foreign Service post have done the most to advance American interests, will be awarded to Anne Bridgman of Embassy Bratislava. Judges serving on the Bohlen Award panel were: Faye Barnes, President of the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide; Ambassador Avis T. Bohlen, for whose wonderful mother this award is named; Mette Beecroft, AAFSW President Emeritus; Sherry Barndollar Rock, Executive Director of Diplomats and
Consular Officers Retired and Leslie Teixeira, director of the Family Liaison Office.

-- The Nelson B. Delavan Award recognizes extraordinary contributions to effectiveness, professionalism and morale by an Office Management Specialist. This year’s winner is Allie L. Almero of Embassy Kabul, and the runner-up is Alicia N. Gale of Embassy Phnom Penh. Like the other excellent judges for all awards, we were fortunate to have a fine group of judges on the Delavan Award panel: Teresa Yata, Chairwoman, OMS and AFSA Governing Board member; Terry Girone, OMS; Jo Villemarette;
Margaret Riccardelli, retired OMS; Retired Ambassador Susan Jacobs; and Jenny Jeras.

-- The M. Juanita Guess Award recognizes outstanding service by a Community Liaison Officer who demonstrates outstanding leadership, dedication, initiative or imagination in assisting families serving at an overseas post this year. This is such a critical function and so spotlighting special service is a real pleasure. This year’s award goes to Sarah Genton, Embassy Madrid; the runner-up is Stephanie Diamond of Embassy Bujumbura. Serving on the Guess Award panel were: Kendall
Montgomery, Chairman; Judy Ikels, former deputy director of FLO; Cathy Salvaterra, former CLO support officer; Katherine Munchmeyer and Jane Zimmerman, active-duty Foreign Service officers; and Gina Wells, former CLO. Thank you to these judges.

6. AFSA Post Representative of the Year: A special award for the AFSA Post Representative of the Year will be presented to James Fox, who is the AFSA representative at U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels. He will receive a framed certificate and a cash award of $1,000. AFSA Post Representatives play a critical role in supporting AFSA’s mission and the extra efforts made by James are greatly appreciated and worthy of this special praise.

7. Finally, we gratefully appreciate the efforts of all those who sent in nominations and hope that posts can recognize their nominees outstanding accomplishments in another manner. We again thank all judges who served on panels this year. AFSA places great importance on these awards, which serve to recognize intellectual courage and outstanding achievement of our Foreign Service personnel. We also thank Foreign Service Director General Nancy Powell for co-sponsoring our
annual awards ceremony, which is open to any employee wishing to attend. The July-August Foreign Service Journal will contain more details on the achievements of this year’s winners. Coverage of the June 24 awards ceremony will appear in the September issue; photos from the ceremony will be posted immediately on AFSA’s Facebook page.

Senioritis

I has it. Seriously.

It is like I am days away from summer vacation. I haven't had it this bad since I joined the Foreign Service.

Even when I left Jerusalem, I knew I had only 5 weeks of home leave (ONLY! Home leave is awesome!) and then I had to return to work.Even though it was a (thankfully) different job.

And this time, I am not even getting time off. At least not until August (when I will be abandoning you for an Alaska cruise...it occurred to me there might not be internet on the cruise, which sort of frightens me).

But I will be back in school. And though I will probably be tired of it with about 5 minutes, right now, it seems like vacation. 17 more working days until I can wear jeans to work.Until I can work a normal length work day. Until I can sleep just a little later. Until I don't have to schedule my running days around my "short" days at work. And I am finding it hard to work at all now...really, what can I accomplish in so little time?

Plus, my EER is done. So anything I accomplish won't do me any good!

Speaking of my EER, apparently I am one of the 10% of the Foreign Service who got it in on time (and ePerformance crashed on Friday, so people shooting for getting it in at the last possible minute are screwed). I find that kind of funny, considering how long I procrastinated. I look positively responsible!

Of course, my EER is still set in the future. The dates covered are now correct but it is still effective in 2011. Too bad I can't go back and add "Time Traveller" to it. Surely THAT is worth getting promoted! On the down side, I can't tell you anything about the future, because it would cause a shift in the space-time continuum and we would all explode.

Bike To Work Day

So apparently May is Bike to Work Month. I didn't realize that until today, when I actually read one of the fliers they have posted on every elevator. I seldom actually read the fliers because I have discovered that my cell phone, which I can use to check my email, also functions as a magical elevator summoner. If I pull it out and start checking my mail, the elevator comes immediately (because you can't check your email IN the elevator). But if I don't, I have to wait.

I do NOT have an email addiction. I just don't want to keep any of you waiting for a response!

Anyway, in my defense, I DID know that today was ride your bike to work DAY. I saw lots of people doing just that.

I didn't ride my bike (or my wife's for that matter, since mine is a $58 Walmart special. No, I am not exaggerating). I drove.

I like the idea of biking to work. I hope to start doing it when I head over to FSI next month.

What I don't like is the idea of my coworkers commenting on how bad I smell.

I am from the South. Like seriously from the South. Like American Indian indigenous to the South and really really acclimated to heat kind of from the South.

I don't glisten. I sweat. Serious sweat...buckets of water kind of sweat. And my lovely wife has informed me that this sweat, especially after running (yes, I am still doing it...I am up to week 8 of the Couch to 5K program), doesn't smell good.

And at least I do that in shorts and a t-shirt. Do people who bike in every day take a shower at work? Every day? Do they bring their suits with them? How do they keep them from being wrinkled?

If I could answer these questions, I would be far more inclined to bike to work. Or at least get my tires pumped so I could consider it!

Take This Job and Shove It

Okay, this post at Muttering Behind the Hardline is truly inspired. You have got to go and have a look/listen.

Soundtrack: Bidding Season

US "appalled" by Malawi sentence of same-sex couple

Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, a gay male couple in Malawi that was convicted earlier this week of unnatural acts and gross indecency following their engagement ceremony, were sentenced today to the maximum penalty allowed by law, 14 years of hard labor in prison. You can read more about the case here.

The State Department, which earlier condemned the conviction, had this to say about today's sentence:

"The United States is appalled by today’s sentencing of same-sex couple Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza to 14 years of hard labor. We view the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as a step backward in the protection of human rights in Malawi. We are particularly disturbed by the severity of the sentence. The Government of Malawi must respect the human rights of all of its citizens. The United States views the decriminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as integral to the protection of human rights in Malawi and elsewhere in the world."

ON EDIT - Below is the full statement the Department just released to the press:

"The United States is appalled by the conviction and sentencing of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza to 14 years in jail with hard labor under Malawian law for violating Malawi Penal Code Chapter 15, Section 153 and 156, under which they had been charged with “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” and “gross indecency.” The conviction and sentencing are a significant step backward for the Government of Malawi’s human rights record. Malawi must abide by its human rights obligations.

We view the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity and sentencing to 14 years hard labor as a deeply troubling violation of human rights. Decriminalization of homosexuality is integral to the continued protection of universal human rights in Malawi. It is also crucial to the urgent need to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS – a fight in which the United States is closely allied with the Malawian people.

We remain disturbed by harassment, persecution, and exclusion based on sexual orientation or gender identity wherever it occurs. The State Department will continue to stand against any efforts to marginalize, criminalize, and penalize members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-gender community worldwide. We urge Malawi and all countries with similar laws to take the necessary measures to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular arrests, detentions, or executions. "

GovExec: Budget analysts put a price tag on domestic partner perks

From Government Executive:

Budget analysts put a price tag on domestic partner perks
By Elizabeth Newell
May 18, 2010

Making the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees eligible to receive the same benefits as married spouses would cost the government more than $300 million over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

In addition to $310 million in direct costs between 2010 and 2020, CBO calculates the 2009 Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (S. 1102) would increase benefits-related discretionary spending by $394 million over the same period. The Washington Post first reported the new estimates for the bill, which would include health insurance, survivor annuities, compensation for work-related injuries, and travel and relocation benefits to federal employees' same-sex partners.

Providing health care to domestic partners would account for most of the increases in both direct and discretionary spending -- $294 million and $355 million, respectively.

In order to reach its estimate, CBO assumed the Senate bill will be enacted late in 2010 and about 0.33 percent of federal employees would choose to register a same-sex partnership if given the opportunity.
"That figure is based on information previously gathered from state and local governments as well as more recent research on the experience of organizations that have adopted similar policies," the report stated.
CBO estimates about 80 percent of individuals eligible under the proposal would move from single to family health coverage and 85 percent would elect a survivor benefit for a domestic partner.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who introduced the bill, said he is pleased CBO's estimate is so similar to the Office of Personnel Management figures upon which the Senate has relied.

"This legislation would cost about two-hundredths of a percent of the federal government's overall costs for the civilian workforce," Lieberman said. "That is a very small price to pay for the improvements we would see in recruitment, retention and morale. OPM has committed to provide an offset for the legislation before it is enacted, making it that much more reasonable."

In December 2009 the budget office released an estimate for a similar House bill, determining it would cost about $600 million in direct spending over 10 years. The apparent discrepancy is caused by the fact the House measure would provide benefits to the domestic partners of eligible federal retirees, as well as those of current employees.

About Jerusalem

Like me, Muttering Behind the Hardline served his first tour in Jerusalem, and like him, I feel changed by the experience,

You should read his post today about serving there. It is spot on.

Senate vote on same-sex benefits 'within weeks'

What annoys me about this piece is that it Issa as calling this a "new benefit" for federal employees. This is not a "new benefit." It is the extension of an existing benefit to people who have been unjustly denied. Why should I not be allowed to leave my pension to my wife when my straight colleague can leave his to his wife? And why should my job not provide insurance to my wife if it would provide it to my co-worker's husband?

So fingers crossed that this passes.

Senate vote on same-sex benefits 'within weeks'

The Senate could vote on a bill extending fringe benefits to the same-sex partners of gay federal employees "within weeks" and well before July 4, according to aides to Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.).

The Nutmeg State senator is lead sponsor of the measure, which would cost an estimated $310 million through 2020, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

That's a notable, but not terribly hefty price tag by Washington standards, and Lieberman is fine with the anticipated cost.

“This legislation would cost about two-hundredths of a percent of the federal government’s overall costs for the civilian workforce," Lieberman said Tuesday. "That is a very small price to pay for the improvements we would see in recruitment, retention, and morale. OPM has committed to provide an offset for the legislation before it is enacted, making it that much more reasonable.”

Indeed those offsets -- first requested by Lieberman and Senate Republicans in December -- aren't ready yet and won't be until Lieberman is ready to introduce the bill to the full Senate, according to an OPM spokesman.

Lieberman's bill may win some Republican votes, but a House version passed last year with no GOP support. The House bill also covers eligible federal retirees, giving it a heftier price tag that the GOP considers unacceptable.

"At a time when unemployment is at 9.9 percent, it’s absurd that Democrats would push a costly new benefit for federal employees when so many Americans in the private sector are out of work," said Frederick Hill, a spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which first approved the benefits bill. "This legislation is a good example of how this Congress and administration have neglected efforts to rein-in spending and create jobs in favor of an agenda to satisfy their political base."

State Department Response to Conviction of gay Malawi Couple

Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steve Monjeza were convicted in the Blantyre Magistrate Court on May 18 of violating Malawi Penal Code Chapter 15, Section 153 and 156, under which they had been charged with “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” and “gross indecency.” Chief Resident Magistrate Usiwausiwa said he would pass sentence on May 20.

The couple was arrested following a public engagement ceremony.

The Department responded to the conviction during yesterday's Daily Press Briefing:

"The United States is deeply disappointed in today’s conviction of same-sex couple Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza in Malawi. We view the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as a step backward in the protection of human rights in Malawi. The Government of Malawi must respect the human rights of all of its citizens. The United States views the decriminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as integral to the protection of human rights in Malawi and elsewhere in the world."

It is nice to serve under an administration that recognizes this is a human rights issue worth addressing. It is also nice to live in a country, where while I am not a full citizen, I can at least not be arrested for marrying the love of my life.

Now I am apparently a year early...

So my EER made it through panel and got posted. And the deadline isn't until Friday.

Great right?

Well....

Apparently this EER is evaluating me from June 15, 2010 to April 15, 2011 and was posted on April 15, 2011.

See anything wrong with that picture?

Mashable: How the U.S. Engages the World with Social Media

Speaking of being able to blog and such...Mashable had a nice piece on the Department's efforts with New and Social Media.

How the U.S. Engages the World with Social Media

"The perception of the U.S. abroad varies widely, and is subject to many forces, including world events, media coverage, policy changes, and presidential administrations. In response, the U.S. State Department, America’s public relations branch, has been charged with the difficult task of engaging in the dialogue surrounding the controversial policies discussed in almost every corner of the world.

Social media has proven to be a valuable tool in this regard, and the State Department has made impressive gains in their mission to turn conflict into conversation. Cabinet officials, foreign dignitaries, and embassies are experimenting with ways to inject America’s voice into the global chatter. Some of their experiments are paying dividends that few expected. "

You can read the whole piece here.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Pride Month (LGBT) – Call for Employees:

I have a little catching up to do since I was out doing my impression of a
beach bum (and let me tell you, I could transform into a full-time beach bum in 2.5 seconds flad!).

Here is a Department notice that was sent out while I was gone. It is gratifying to see the Department treating LGBT Foreign Service families as if they matter!

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Pride Month (LGBT) – Call for Employees:

As in previous years, the Department’s homepage will feature employees in observance of LGBT Month. The theme for this year is “One Heart, One World, One Pride.”

Each profile will include a professional photo of the featured employee with brief biographical information. If you would like to be featured, please send a digital photo of yourself and a brief bio (around 250 words) by May 28, 2010, to the Office of Civil Rights, Diversity Management and Outreach Section at Diversity@state.gov. The website can accommodate 15 participants for each monthly observance. Each employee’s profile will be featured for two days. Please send your submission early to secure a posting. We encourage you to participate as we celebrate the strength of our diversity.

A Daring Adventure is fine and so am I...

I got a few emails the other day asking what had happened to Kolbi. Apparently her blog had disappeared completely.

I said I would email her on Facebook and see what was up.

Then I noticed her Facebook account was gone.

I worried. I felt like I had lost a friend. Kolbi and I chat a lot...

But I was at the beach. With no internet access other than email and mobile Facebook via my cell phone (WHY don't I have a Droid??).

Which meant of course, that I could not only search for her and read what had been posted about the demise of A Daring Adventure, but I also couldn't post myself.

Which lead to me getting an email from another blogger friend asking if *I* was still around.

I am...a little more tanned and relaxed is all.

And Kolbi is back too. She explains the whole thing here.