Secretary Clinton: gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights

This is one of the reasons I love my boss and love my job.

Hopefully I can get this video to work at some point today. But until then, here is a link and the entire transcript is also below.


Transcript: Secretary Clinton – “Free and Equal in Dignity and Rights”
Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

December 06, 2011

Good evening, and let me express my deep honor and pleasure at being here. I want to thank Director General Tokayev and Ms. Wyden along with other ministers, ambassadors, excellencies, and UN partners. This weekend, we will celebrate Human Rights Day, the anniversary of one of the great accomplishments of the last century.

Beginning in 1947, delegates from six continents devoted themselves to drafting a declaration that would enshrine the fundamental rights and freedoms of people everywhere. In the aftermath of World War II, many nations pressed for a statement of this kind to help ensure that we would prevent future atrocities and protect the inherent humanity and dignity of all people. And so the delegates went to work. They discussed, they wrote, they revisited, revised, rewrote, for thousands of hours. And they incorporated suggestions and revisions from governments, organizations, and individuals around the world.

At three o’clock in the morning on December 10th, 1948, after nearly two years of drafting and one last long night of debate, the president of the UN General Assembly called for a vote on the final text. Forty-eight nations voted in favor; eight abstained; none dissented. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. It proclaims a simple, powerful idea: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. And with the declaration, it was made clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or even who we are. Because we are human, we therefore have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them.

In the 63 years since the declaration was adopted, many nations have made great progress in making human rights a human reality. Step by step, barriers that once prevented people from enjoying the full measure of liberty, the full experience of dignity, and the full benefits of humanity have fallen away. In many places, racist laws have been repealed, legal and social practices that relegated women to second-class status have been abolished, the ability of religious minorities to practice their faith freely has been secured.

In most cases, this progress was not easily won. People fought and organized and campaigned in public squares and private spaces to change not only laws, but hearts and minds. And thanks to that work of generations, for millions of individuals whose lives were once narrowed by injustice, they are now able to live more freely and to participate more fully in the political, economic, and social lives of their communities.

Now, there is still, as you all know, much more to be done to secure that commitment, that reality, and progress for all people. Today, I want to talk about the work we have left to do to protect one group of people whose human rights are still denied in too many parts of the world today. In many ways, they are an invisible minority. They are arrested, beaten, terrorized, even executed. Many are treated with contempt and violence by their fellow citizens while authorities empowered to protect them look the other way or, too often, even join in the abuse. They are denied opportunities to work and learn, driven from their homes and countries, and forced to suppress or deny who they are to protect themselves from harm.

I am talking about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, human beings born free and given bestowed equality and dignity, who have a right to claim that, which is now one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time. I speak about this subject knowing that my own country’s record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home.

Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and that the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs. So I come here before you with respect, understanding, and humility. Even though progress on this front is not easy, we cannot delay acting. So in that spirit, I want to talk about the difficult and important issues we must address together to reach a global consensus that recognizes the human rights of LGBT citizens everywhere.

The first issue goes to the heart of the matter. Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct; but, in fact, they are one and the same. Now, of course, 60 years ago, the governments that drafted and passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were not thinking about how it applied to the LGBT community. They also weren’t thinking about how it applied to indigenous people or children or people with disabilities or other marginalized groups. Yet in the past 60 years, we have come to recognize that members of these groups are entitled to the full measure of dignity and rights, because, like all people, they share a common humanity.

This recognition did not occur all at once. It evolved over time. And as it did, we understood that we were honoring rights that people always had, rather than creating new or special rights for them. Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.

It is violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave. It is a violation of human rights when governments declare it illegal to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished. It is a violation of human rights when lesbian or transgendered women are subjected to so-called corrective rape, or forcibly subjected to hormone treatments, or when people are murdered after public calls for violence toward gays, or when they are forced to flee their nations and seek asylum in other lands to save their lives. And it is a violation of human rights when life-saving care is withheld from people because they are gay, or equal access to justice is denied to people because they are gay, or public spaces are out of bounds to people because they are gay. No matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we are, we are all equally entitled to our human rights and dignity.

The second issue is a question of whether homosexuality arises from a particular part of the world. Some seem to believe it is a Western phenomenon, and therefore people outside the West have grounds to reject it. Well, in reality, gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths; they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes; and whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbors.

Being gay is not a Western invention; it is a human reality. And protecting the human rights of all people, gay or straight, is not something that only Western governments do. South Africa’s constitution, written in the aftermath of Apartheid, protects the equality of all citizens, including gay people. In Colombia and Argentina, the rights of gays are also legally protected. In Nepal, the supreme court has ruled that equal rights apply to LGBT citizens. The Government of Mongolia has committed to pursue new legislation that will tackle anti-gay discrimination.

Now, some worry that protecting the human rights of the LGBT community is a luxury that only wealthy nations can afford. But in fact, in all countries, there are costs to not protecting these rights, in both gay and straight lives lost to disease and violence, and the silencing of voices and views that would strengthen communities, in ideas never pursued by entrepreneurs who happen to be gay. Costs are incurred whenever any group is treated as lesser or the other, whether they are women, racial, or religious minorities, or the LGBT. Former President Mogae of Botswana pointed out recently that for as long as LGBT people are kept in the shadows, there cannot be an effective public health program to tackle HIV and AIDS. Well, that holds true for other challenges as well.

The third, and perhaps most challenging, issue arises when people cite religious or cultural values as a reason to violate or not to protect the human rights of LGBT citizens. This is not unlike the justification offered for violent practices towards women like honor killings, widow burning, or female genital mutilation. Some people still defend those practices as part of a cultural tradition. But violence toward women isn’t cultural; it’s criminal. Likewise with slavery, what was once justified as sanctioned by God is now properly reviled as an unconscionable violation of human rights.

In each of these cases, we came to learn that no practice or tradition trumps the human rights that belong to all of us. And this holds true for inflicting violence on LGBT people, criminalizing their status or behavior, expelling them from their families and communities, or tacitly or explicitly accepting their killing.

Of course, it bears noting that rarely are cultural and religious traditions and teachings actually in conflict with the protection of human rights. Indeed, our religion and our culture are sources of compassion and inspiration toward our fellow human beings. It was not only those who’ve justified slavery who leaned on religion, it was also those who sought to abolish it. And let us keep in mind that our commitments to protect the freedom of religion and to defend the dignity of LGBT people emanate from a common source. For many of us, religious belief and practice is a vital source of meaning and identity, and fundamental to who we are as people. And likewise, for most of us, the bonds of love and family that we forge are also vital sources of meaning and identity. And caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. It is because the human experience is universal that human rights are universal and cut across all religions and cultures.

The fourth issue is what history teaches us about how we make progress towards rights for all. Progress starts with honest discussion. Now, there are some who say and believe that all gay people are pedophiles, that homosexuality is a disease that can be caught or cured, or that gays recruit others to become gay. Well, these notions are simply not true. They are also unlikely to disappear if those who promote or accept them are dismissed out of hand rather than invited to share their fears and concerns. No one has ever abandoned a belief because he was forced to do so.

Universal human rights include freedom of expression and freedom of belief, even if our words or beliefs denigrate the humanity of others. Yet, while we are each free to believe whatever we choose, we cannot do whatever we choose, not in a world where we protect the human rights of all.

Reaching understanding of these issues takes more than speech. It does take a conversation. In fact, it takes a constellation of conversations in places big and small. And it takes a willingness to see stark differences in belief as a reason to begin the conversation, not to avoid it.

But progress comes from changes in laws. In many places, including my own country, legal protections have preceded, not followed, broader recognition of rights. Laws have a teaching effect. Laws that discriminate validate other kinds of discrimination. Laws that require equal protections reinforce the moral imperative of equality. And practically speaking, it is often the case that laws must change before fears about change dissipate.

Many in my country thought that President Truman was making a grave error when he ordered the racial desegregation of our military. They argued that it would undermine unit cohesion. And it wasn’t until he went ahead and did it that we saw how it strengthened our social fabric in ways even the supporters of the policy could not foresee. Likewise, some worried in my country that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would have a negative effect on our armed forces. Now, the Marine Corps Commandant, who was one of the strongest voices against the repeal, says that his concerns were unfounded and that the Marines have embraced the change.

Finally, progress comes from being willing to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. We need to ask ourselves, “How would it feel if it were a crime to love the person I love? How would it feel to be discriminated against for something about myself that I cannot change?” This challenge applies to all of us as we reflect upon deeply held beliefs, as we work to embrace tolerance and respect for the dignity of all persons, and as we engage humbly with those with whom we disagree in the hope of creating greater understanding.

A fifth and final question is how we do our part to bring the world to embrace human rights for all people including LGBT people. Yes, LGBT people must help lead this effort, as so many of you are. Their knowledge and experiences are invaluable and their courage inspirational. We know the names of brave LGBT activists who have literally given their lives for this cause, and there are many more whose names we will never know. But often those who are denied rights are least empowered to bring about the changes they seek. Acting alone, minorities can never achieve the majorities necessary for political change.

So when any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines. Every time a barrier to progress has fallen, it has taken a cooperative effort from those on both sides of the barrier. In the fight for women’s rights, the support of men remains crucial. The fight for racial equality has relied on contributions from people of all races. Combating Islamaphobia or anti-Semitism is a task for people of all faiths. And the same is true with this struggle for equality.

Conversely, when we see denials and abuses of human rights and fail to act, that sends the message to those deniers and abusers that they won’t suffer any consequences for their actions, and so they carry on. But when we do act, we send a powerful moral message. Right here in Geneva, the international community acted this year to strengthen a global consensus around the human rights of LGBT people. At the Human Rights Council in March, 85 countries from all regions supported a statement calling for an end to criminalization and violence against people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

At the following session of the Council in June, South Africa took the lead on a resolution about violence against LGBT people. The delegation from South Africa spoke eloquently about their own experience and struggle for human equality and its indivisibility. When the measure passed, it became the first-ever UN resolution recognizing the human rights of gay people worldwide. In the Organization of American States this year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights created a unit on the rights of LGBT people, a step toward what we hope will be the creation of a special rapporteur.

Now, we must go further and work here and in every region of the world to galvanize more support for the human rights of the LGBT community. To the leaders of those countries where people are jailed, beaten, or executed for being gay, I ask you to consider this: Leadership, by definition, means being out in front of your people when it is called for. It means standing up for the dignity of all your citizens and persuading your people to do the same. It also means ensuring that all citizens are treated as equals under your laws, because let me be clear – I am not saying that gay people can’t or don’t commit crimes. They can and they do, just like straight people. And when they do, they should be held accountable, but it should never be a crime to be gay.

And to people of all nations, I say supporting human rights is your responsibility too. The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbors. Eleanor Roosevelt, who did so much to advance human rights worldwide, said that these rights begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. These places are your domain. The actions you take, the ideals that you advocate, can determine whether human rights flourish where you are.

And finally, to LGBT men and women worldwide, let me say this: Wherever you live and whatever the circumstances of your life, whether you are connected to a network of support or feel isolated and vulnerable, please know that you are not alone. People around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. That is certainly true for my country. And you have an ally in the United States of America and you have millions of friends among the American people.

The Obama Administration defends the human rights of LGBT people as part of our comprehensive human rights policy and as a priority of our foreign policy. In our embassies, our diplomats are raising concerns about specific cases and laws, and working with a range of partners to strengthen human rights protections for all. In Washington, we have created a task force at the State Department to support and coordinate this work. And in the coming months, we will provide every embassy with a toolkit to help improve their efforts. And we have created a program that offers emergency support to defenders of human rights for LGBT people.

This morning, back in Washington, President Obama put into place the first U.S. Government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad. Building on efforts already underway at the State Department and across the government, the President has directed all U.S. Government agencies engaged overseas to combat the criminalization of LGBT status and conduct, to enhance efforts to protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, to ensure that our foreign assistance promotes the protection of LGBT rights, to enlist international organizations in the fight against discrimination, and to respond swiftly to abuses against LGBT persons.

I am also pleased to announce that we are launching a new Global Equality Fund that will support the work of civil society organizations working on these issues around the world. This fund will help them record facts so they can target their advocacy, learn how to use the law as a tool, manage their budgets, train their staffs, and forge partnerships with women’s organizations and other human rights groups. We have committed more than $3 million to start this fund, and we have hope that others will join us in supporting it.

The women and men who advocate for human rights for the LGBT community in hostile places, some of whom are here today with us, are brave and dedicated, and deserve all the help we can give them. We know the road ahead will not be easy. A great deal of work lies before us. But many of us have seen firsthand how quickly change can come. In our lifetimes, attitudes toward gay people in many places have been transformed. Many people, including myself, have experienced a deepening of our own convictions on this topic over the years, as we have devoted more thought to it, engaged in dialogues and debates, and established personal and professional relationships with people who are gay.

This evolution is evident in many places. To highlight one example, the Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in India two years ago, writing, and I quote, “If there is one tenet that can be said to be an underlying theme of the Indian constitution, it is inclusiveness.” There is little doubt in my mind that support for LGBT human rights will continue to climb. Because for many young people, this is simple: All people deserve to be treated with dignity and have their human rights respected, no matter who they are or whom they love.

There is a phrase that people in the United States invoke when urging others to support human rights: “Be on the right side of history.” The story of the United States is the story of a nation that has repeatedly grappled with intolerance and inequality. We fought a brutal civil war over slavery. People from coast to coast joined in campaigns to recognize the rights of women, indigenous peoples, racial minorities, children, people with disabilities, immigrants, workers, and on and on. And the march toward equality and justice has continued. Those who advocate for expanding the circle of human rights were and are on the right side of history, and history honors them. Those who tried to constrict human rights were wrong, and history reflects that as well.

I know that the thoughts I’ve shared today involve questions on which opinions are still evolving. As it has happened so many times before, opinion will converge once again with the truth, the immutable truth, that all persons are created free and equal in dignity and rights. We are called once more to make real the words of the Universal Declaration. Let us answer that call. Let us be on the right side of history, for our people, our nations, and future generations, whose lives will be shaped by the work we do today. I come before you with great hope and confidence that no matter how long the road ahead, we will travel it successfully together. Thank you very much.

Roadtrip!

I finally got to go to Saaremaa, the largest of the bazillion Estonian islands, yesterday.

It is a long trip, and not one I would ordinarily recommend as a day trip. We left the embassy at 11 am and were back by about 9 pm. Next time, I think I will stay overnight.

But the visit was a good one...we went to the American Corner there and I gave a talk on Thanksgiving and American Indians. We had a great turnout...maybe 50 or so folks, though I took Noostie and I think she was more popular than I was!

After the talk, we had an Estonian rendition of American Thanksgiving dinner...very tasty! And just in the nick of time...I was starving!

The weather on the trip there and back was a bit bizarre, literally changing every few minutes. We had bright sunshine, drizzle, pouring rain, sleet, fog and eventually snow, all in the space of a few hours.

And speaking of snow, clearly I need to be more specific. When I said the snow would come once I left Tallinn, I meant when I left Tallinn to go to the U.S. But it decided that it would come when I left Tallinn for Saremaa. Not cool Tallinn weather! We had a deal!

It is pretty though.

The Rise and Fall

It is back up, though four meters shorter (now it is only 17 meters tall).

Christmas Came! It Came Just the Same!

You remember the story How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

That was kind of my day today.

Today was the day for our annual holiday party. We've been planning it for a while now. And by we, I mean people other than me. Like my colleague from language class who worked her butt off (AND welcomed people in English, Estonian AND Hebrew...because she rocks like that).

My only roles were to try to get media coverage and then to show up and be jolly.

But dealing with the media in general is my role, and yesterday evening, about 10 minutes after I left work, we had an incident.

A 19-year old Estonian threw a molotov cocktail at the Embassy.

I don't know why he did it, but given that it happened the night before the Holiday Party, it could have spoiled what is a really cherished even both at the embassy and among the community.

But considering, everything went as well as it possibly could have. It was a really minor incident, and I doubt it will even make the U.S. news. No one was injured (thank God), no damage was done to the embassy other than a black smudge on the wall, and the kid has been arrested. In fact, one of our Estonian neighbors grabbed him right after he did it, handed him over to our local guards, who detained him until the police arrived. And they arrived quickly, arrested him, and have him in custody.

And there was no need to cancel the party. It came all the same!

We had clear, crisp weather with no rain (or snow). We had a great turnout. We had cookies and egg nog. We had cute kids singing Christmas and Hanukkah songs. We had decorated trees that lit up on cue when one of the cute kids helped the Ambassador push the button.


It was perfect. Just like these ice ornaments (that in an normal Estonian winter would not have melted until spring!).

I feel a little like the Whos in Whoville.

Oops! It Happened Again.

I went to the Christmas tree lighting in Raekoja Plats on Sunday.

Of course, since I didn't bring an umbrella, it was POURING.

By standing really close to a guy with a really big umbrella (which said something about some socialist website on it...I worried about being under the umbrella of socialism!), I was able to make it through three songs and two speeches.

But by then I was drenched, so I gave up and went home.

I checked on Postimees (the largest local paper), to see if they had pictures or video of the lighting.

Instead, they had pictures and video of the tree falling...AGAIN.

You can check out video of it here, and a story about the incident here.

The rumor mill says the tree was sabotaged by squirrels...the squirrel is the mascot of the ruling Reform Party, and the tree was put up by the Mayor of Tallinn, who is from the opposition Center Party. But if you ask me, I think it was the wind.

And fear not, the tree will be back...but it will be a bit more modest...only 17 meters tall instead of the previous 24 meters. Which is still a pretty frickin' big tree!

Fixing the Christmas Market Postcard

When we were in Estonian language training, we watched this miniseries called Tuulepealne Maa, or Windswept Land.

So I shouldn't have been surprised that it is occassionally windy here. Really windy.

Yesterday the wind was just howling. From my office at the embassy, it sounded downright spooky.

When I got home, I posted about all the cool things going on this weekend...the Christmas Market in the Old City, the Tree Lighting, the International Women's Club of Tallinn Bazaar...and that is just the stuff I plan to go to!

And then my Estonian teacher commented on the post to be careful, because the Christmas tree in the Old City had FALLEN OVER! The tree in Helsinki apparently did as well!

Sure enough, I went to the local paper online, and it had several stories and even a video (which I watched last night but doesn't currently want to load). Luckily, no one was hurt and none of the Christmas market stalls were even damaged.

The stories said the tree would be back up by last night, and given Estonian efficiency, I believed them. I'd have gone last night to look, but it was raining. And in fact, despite the fact that they were calling for sunny and 43 degrees today, when I tried to go this morning, it was pouring rain and then snowing (and then raining again).

So I waited a bit and headed over this afternoon. Sure enough, the tree is back and men in a large crane are redecorating it.


Noostie and I walked around the market for an hour or so, even though the weather was cold and kind of crappy, watching the tourists and letting Noostie fantasize about herding the reindeer (I originally typed that raindeer...which I think was a freudian slip).


Tomorrow is the tree lighting. I'm hoping for better weather for the pictures...and that the tree is still upright!

Living in a Christmas Card

Because I work in Public Affairs, of course there was work to be done on Thanksgiving. So after I had stuffed myself senseless, I drove in an tryptophan induced coma to the Solaris Cinema for a viewing of A Marine Story and subsequent discussion on Don't Ask, don't Tell.

The movie was great, and the discussion was great. It was particularly awesome that Erinevus Rikkasab (Diversity Enriches) was able to secure the film's lead actress, Dreya Weber, to sit on the panel as well.

Now that Thanksgiving is done, we can dive into the Christmas season in full force.

Which of course means that my office is now adorned with two tiny and slightly tacky (especially the purple one) Christmas trees.

It also means that this weekend marks the tree lighting and the opening of the Christmas market in the Old City. I will definitely be there for that!

This is picture I have seen many places of the market...I posted it on Facebook and got a bunch of comments on how it wouldn't be real. But it is, and I will be taking some pictures myself this weekend and in the weeks to come. With or without snow depends on the weather...so far my Southern warmth has kept any substantial snow away.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the weirdest holidays for me as an American overseas.

I think I am most homesick over Thanksgiving, because only other Americans really "get it." Christmas, Easter...if you are in a country with any Christians at all, someone understands. But Thanksgiving? That is all us.

Thanksgiving is especially hard this year because I am also separated from my wife (though only 23 days to go, not that I am counting). And Thanksgiving for me is very much about being with my family. So this one has me a little in the dumps.

Luckily, my friends from language class have invited me to their place to share in the wonderful turkey goodness, so I won't be sitting in my apartment sulking. Plus, I am participating in a discussion on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" tomorrow evening (Why yes, I AM working on Thanksgiving...why do you act shocked?). So I will hopefully be too busy to be sad.

And today, I spoke to kids from the Jewish School here about Thanksgiving. I told them a bit about the history, a bit about the Indian perspective, and they read some poens they wrote for the occassion, did a presentation, and a group of girls sang a song (not a holiday song, but it was cute anyway).

Now, things I am thankful for:

A job I love.

That I will see my wife in 23 days and we will spend Christmas together.

That I just completed my first week as duty officer here without a single call (that NEVER happened in Jerusalem).

What Do I Look Like?

Yesterday was a good day, but it left me still puzzled about the whole language thing.

First, the good parts.

My shipment from the commissary arrived. There was a mistake though...they DOUBLED my order of Diet Mt. Dew!

I now have TWENTY cases of Diet Mt. Dew.

This is NOT a bad thing.

I ration. One a day. I got through Jerusalem that way...only went one or two days without one.

Don't judge me. We all have our addictions.

So that means I have 240 days worth of Diet Mt. Dew. Plus I got a case of blueberry bagels. One bag in the fridge, the rest in the freezer. So I have bagels for a while (side note: why the hell doesn't Estonia have bagels? They don't even have bad bagels. I totally do not get it...this is a first world country, for heaven's sake!). My car still has a lovely blueberry smell from bringing them home.

So life is good.

And at the end of the day, I got an email from the PA section in Vilnius asking if I was interested in joining in with them to bring BETTY to the Balts.

Oh hell yeah!

For those of you who don't know, BETTY is pretty famous in the LGBT community. They did the theme song for the L Word and performed on the show numerous times. They are an alternative rock group and they will represent American culture and LGBT tolerance. And folks in my section tell me it has been a while since we have had a rock band here, and that this should go over really well. So it is still tentative, but I am really excited about it.

Now for the puzzling part.

Many folks tell me that people here just start of and stay in English with them here. I always figured they just weren't trying hard enough to use Estonian.

Now I am less sure.

Yesterday, I went to the sub place in the mall near the Embassy. There was a line, two guys and two women who seemed to be together. The guys were speaking Estonian, and though one appeared somewhat Asian (maybe Russian from the Steppes), he was speaking Estonian with his friend way more fluently than I do. And then the cashier came to take his order and spoke to him in English (after having spoken to the other guy in Estonian). He did his order in English and then she proceeded to take the women's orders, also in English.

Then she got to me...and spoke Estonian.

And I placed my order in Estonian. At one point, she asked me something in English, apologized, and switched back to Estonian!

Seriously...I am confused. I have noticed in the past that wherever I have gone, I had a cameleon-type tendency. By that, I mean that people usually I am mixed with something and whatever they are. Indian communities know I am mixed Indian. But it has happened among African Americans, Hispanics, and Jewish people as well (yes, I know that is a racist assumption that Jews somehow look alike, but it was Jewish people, not me, making that assumption, both in the states and in Jerusalem).

But I don't look Estonian. I have been told that I could look like someone from Saaremaa. And lately some have said that maybe they think I am Russian. I suppose that is possible...a couple Russians here have spoken to me in Russian, but mostly the Russians also speak to me in Estonian.

So I am at a loss...I am beginning to think that people are right that people speak to them in English. And I am happy that they don't speak to me in English. But I no longer have any idea why.

What I've been up to

Aside from about five foot.

You remember that line in the movie Airplane where Leslie Nielson says he picked the wrong week to give up smoking (and then drinking, pot, crack...)?

I picked the wrong week to let my APAO go on training!

You may or may not have seen that the U.S. joined the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence. That center is here in Estonia, and is something we have been working on for a while. For us specifically in Public Affairs, we have been working on trying to get press attention for the announcement. Based on the number of hits on google, I am satisfied with our efforts.

And if that was all I had to work on this week, it would have been a long week.

But Monday we had a reception at the Ambassador's house for Educators. Tuesday night, I showed a film to some 60-70 students at KUMU. Wednesday night we had a rehearsal of the cyber center ceremony. When I got back from that, I worked on finishing some texts I had been trying to find time to work on for WEEKS. And then last night, we had the cyber center ceremony AND THEN and reception for Afghan diplomats.

I am hoping to leave on time tonight. And to sleep this weekend. A lot.

Lunch with Ambassador Guest

If you hurry, you can join in the GLIFAA lunch with Ambassador Michael Guest.

Ambassador Guest and his colleagues from the Council for Global Equality were at the Department for this morning for a briefing on LGBT issues for EUR Desk Officers. Immediately thereafter, they've agreed to join GLIFAA members for a brown bag lunch in Room 4517. So if you are at or near Main State, head over, lunch in hand, at 12:15.

Ambassador Guest served as the first out career Foreign Service Officer to be confirmed as an Ambassador by the U.S. Senate in 2001. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor at the Council for Global Equality, a non-profit serving to advance LGBT rights as part of U.S. efforts to promote human rights.

Happy Birthday, Marines!

I generally don't like balls (no comments from the peanut gallery).

This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me.

I don't like dressing up. I particularly don't like wearing dresses. I don't own one. And since I did not wear a dress for either my college graduation or my mother's funeral, I can't think of an occassion where I would be willing to put one on at this point in my life.

I also don't drink. Or dance.

So yeah, balls are not really my thing.

I do, however, LOVE our Marines. They are great guys, and I sincerely appreciate that they put their lives on the line to guard the embassy. I feel better knowing they are there.

Plus, with the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," I feel better knowing that LGBT can serve in dignity. I feel better knowing that I could serve (well...if I weren't so darned OLD), something I always wanted to do when I was younger. I feel included now.

So I felt like it was important to go to the Marine Corps Ball...important enough to miss listening to the South Carolina-Florida game (we won - yay!).

I am glad I went. The ball was very well done...our Gunney did a fabulous job with it...it was very tasteful and dignified. Everyone there looked stunning (you'll have to take my word for that since I don't put pictures of people from the embassy on here)! The food was excellent. The music was great (and for those of you who dislike 80s music...too bad!). And I got to meet a lot of interesting people...like an Irish guy working for the British Embassy who attended Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC!

And before you ask...no, I didn't wear a dress (pantsuit...but my jacket had a tiny bit of sparkle, and my shirt was shiny blue silk) and no, I didn't dance.

I didn't drink either...well, not intentionally anyway...I did reach for my water glass and take a drink of someone's really sweet white wine (seriously, this wine had NO COLOR...I did actually look at the glass before I drank from it).

So Happy 236th Birthday Marines...I am happy I got to celebrate with you!

St. Martin's Day Market

This week, Estonia celbrated Mardipäev, or St. Martin's Day. The day is named for St. Martin, a Roman soldier who was baptised and became a monk later in life. He apparently cut his cloak in half to give to a beggar to keep the beggar from dying from the cold, then that night had a dream where Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me."

The feast day is, I think, November 11, but I know that Estonian kids went out on Wednesday night. I think because of the history of the day being associated with the end of the agrarian year and the beginning of winter period, and associated fairs where the men went looking for work, children now dress men and go door to door, singing songs in exchange for candy. Like Halloween but different.

No kids came to my door, largely because I live in a building with security and such, but I did get to go to the St. Martin's Day Market. The market is filled with vendors from all across the country who come in to sell their handmade crafts. It is a chance to get some beautiful handmade work for a little less than it sells in the Old City and with much greater variety than you can find there.

The market was packed, and in addition to getting to watch folk dancing of all kinds and getting to see President Ilves' wife sign books, there was everything there from knitted sweaters and gloves, to iron work, baskets, woodwork, blown glass, and then some. There were, in addition to craftspeople from Estonia, also folks from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Georgia, Turkey and Slovenia. Needless to say, my Christmas shopping is nearly complete...and my checking account is a bit lighter!

AFSA Responds to Insult to Diplomats

AFSA (the American Foreign Service Association), put out this response to Governor Rick Perry's insulting claim that diplomats do not have America's best interests at heart. (To their credit, they did not use any of the expletives I had in mind.)

Texas Governor Rick Perry's comments about members of the U.S. Foreign Service during a Nov. 7 radio interview (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/7/perry-questions-intentions-of-american-diplomats) reflect a serious misunderstanding of their role in promoting American interests overseas. Diplomacy is rightly recognized as the first line of defense and a vital instrument for ensuring national security, along with the military. Foreign Service professionals carry out their role with exemplary dedication all over the world, including war zones and other dangerous regions.

Indeed, hundreds of American diplomats have given their lives in the line of duty, including six ambassadors: John Mein (Guatemala, 1968), Cleo Noel (Sudan, 1973), Rodger Davies (Cyprus, 1974), Francis Meloy (Lebanon, 1976), Adolph Dubs (Afghanistan, 1979) and Arnold Raphel (Pakistan, 1988). Other Foreign Service professionals who have made the ultimate sacrifice at the hands of terrorists or drug traffickers include Charles Robert Ray (France, 1982), William Buckley (Lebanon, 1985), Gary Durell and Jacqueline Van Landingham (Pakistan, 1995), George Tsantes (Greece, 1983), Leamon Hunt (Italy, 1984), Barbara Green and Laurence Foley (Pakistan, 2002), James Mollen and Edward Seitz (Iraq, 2004), Barbara Heald, Keith Taylor and Stephen Sullivan (Iraq, 2005), and David Foy (Pakistan, 2006). The bombings of our embassies in Beirut in 1983 and 1985, and in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998, killed scores more.

Wherever they are posted, American diplomats are dedicated to serving their country, promoting U.S. national interests as articulated by our country's elected leaders. Drawing on invaluable expertise accumulated over decades of living and working in countries all over world, often separated from family, they provide sound advice for policy decisions regardless of which party is in power, in keeping with high standards of professional excellence. They serve at the pleasure of the president, are confirmed by Congress and need the informed support of both branches of government to be effective.

In an ever more uncertain, complex world our diplomatic personnel deal with the entire spectrum of our interaction with the rest of the world. So to keep America strong and secure, we need more diplomacy, not less. And we need more, not less, support from our political leaders and citizens for their work to defend and advance our interests abroad.

The Washington Post also covered AFSA's response: Diplomat's Respond Bluntly Rick Perry.

Better Than I Did

You need to go over and check out this post by Donna over at Email From The Embassy. She takes on the comments about questioning diplomats' motives far better than I did (and we all have our fingers crossed for her as she submits her QEPs...because she is awesome).

Here is just a bit of it:

"People don't always agree with each other in the Foreign Service, and people don't always get along on a personal level. But Foreign Service officers always advance the agenda of our government, without fail. And they work together, no matter their personal beliefs. Because that is what they were hired to do. Imagine that, if you will: Democrats and Republicans, all working together on behalf of our nation - it happens every single day in the Foreign Service.

[...]

And here's the kicker: if he somehow manages to pull off a victory, those very same Foreign Service officers whom he just mindlessly insulted will stand up and support his policies across the globe.

Because that's what the Foreign Service is about. Diplomats support American ideals in every country across the globe, often at great risk to themselves and their families. Diplomats (and their boss, the Secretary of State) don't set their own policies. Rather, they serve as boots on the ground, the eyes and ears of the President in every corner of the globe. Diplomats report back what they see and hear and think in these countries that Rick Perry has probably never considered visiting. They present the facts - and yes, they present their own educated opinions - so that our President has the information he needs to create and direct policy. Once the President decides on policy, these same diplomats work to advance his agenda. Not their own agendas, mind you. Never their own agendas."

I recommend you read the whole post.

We Deserve Better

Nobody joins the Foreign Service to get rich.

We join for a miriad of reasons, but scratch most of us in the Foreign Service and you will find a deeply patriotic American.

We endure harsh conditions in war zones and other inhospitable places. We endure separations from our loved ones, sometimes for years. We endure diseases and environmental conditions most Americans would never consider subjecting their families to.

We earn, according to a recent study, 26% less than we could in comparable private sector jobs, and yet we endure the seemingly endless accusations that we are just overpaid bureaucrats who are the cause of our country's economic crisis. And to that end, lately we have endured pay freezes and pay cuts, and we live with the fear of job cuts and government shutdowns.

And still we serve.

We serve because we believe. We believe in this country. We believe in serving it. We believe that in order to be strong, this country needs both military and diplomatic strength.

So we deserve better than having a candidate for president of this great country question our intentions.

We deserve better than someone saying "I’m not sure our State Department serves us well...I’m talking about the career diplomats and the Secretary of State who, all too often, may not be making decisions, or giving advice to the administration that’s in this country’s best interest."

Trust me. Everything we do...EVERYTHING WE DO...we do because we believe it is in our country's best interest.

That is why we serve. FOR our country. PERIOD.

Welcome to the 164th!

It is that time again, time to welcome the new FSOs to the Foreign Service! The 164the A-100 class began today!

So a special welcome to the following bloggers:

FSO Wannabe (who I hope actually accepted the offer!)

That lady, There

and

You Can't Get There From Here.

Your blogs have been moved to the FS blogroll.

Let me know if I have missed anyone.

Welcome and congrats!!

Don't Hate Me Because Tallinn's Beautiful

You know you are jealous.

I still think it is pretty cool that I get to live in a place like Tallinn for three years.

And that I get to do the work I am doing for three years (exhausted though I already am).

I took this picture yesterday from Lounge 24, a bar on top of the Radisson Hotel. I was there because we are planning an event for next month, and we hope to hold it there.

I had a picture of me taken from up there as well (which I won't be posting here, even though lots of you clearly already know what I look like), and I swear it looks like I am standing in from of one of those fake tourist posters.

So yeah, don't hate me...come visit!

It is not that I don't care

(about the blog, that is...) I have just been slammed.

By the end of the week, I *might* have gone home on time one night...Friday, I am seriously counting on you!

I was in Pärnu Monday night for the close of Pärnu America Weeks. We spoke to a high school class, a college class and went to the closing ceremony. They had a ginourmous cake which was pretty good (cakes here are different than in the states but they are pretty good if you aren't expecting a U.S. style cake. The same could not be said for most cakes in Jerusalem, so I will take it). I got home about 10:30.



Yesterday, I was at the Ambassador's residence first for an interview with his wife by Eesti Naine, the oldest and most respected women's magazine in Estonia...it was Eesti Naine (Estonian Woman) during the first Estonian republic, then it became Soviet Woman then went back to Estonian Woman after re-independence. So it has been around since 1923 I think.

After that, we had a reception at the residence, an econ thing I wouldn't have normally been involved with had there not been a press component. So I got home at about 9.

Tonight, we are having a Town Hall for the American citizens here in Estonia. My guess is I will make it home 8:30ish.

And tomorrow we have a film screening...again, I'll likely get home 8:30ish.

I am defending my Friday evening like a mother bear.

Visiting Helsinki

I am officially old.

Last night, I went to a Halloween party at the Marine House. Lot's of folks were there, many in costume, but I knew I was going to Helsinki today, so I left early. I knew I wanted to get a good night's sleep. Plus, I wanted to go to the party at Shimo (a bar in the Old City) with some folks tonight.

I am so not going to that party. In fact, you would be hard pressed to make me get out of my sweatpants for any reason at this point.

But visiting Helsinki was awesome.

(Well, except for the part where people were speaking Finnish. Because it sounds like Estonian, except that I could only understand about half of it. So it made me feel like an idiot.)

The ferry ride to Helsinki is only about 2 hours and costs about 33 euros. A friend and I took the 7:30 ferry (entirely too frickin' early) over and the 2:30 ferry back. We spent five hours wandering around Helsinki, visiting the market by the water, the Russian Orthodox cathedral (pictured above), and the National Museum. We walked tons of places, I took tons of pictures, and I saw more of Helsinki in five hours than I got to see of Brussels in the five days I was there.

Which is why I am going to bed right after I post this!

Icon inside the Russian Orthodox Cathedral

Inside the Russian Orthodox Cathedral

Parking Turtles

National Museum

Bear at National Museum

P.S. Anyone else notice how sunny it is in these pictures? It was also 50 degrees. D.C.? Snowing. Yeah, I think that is funny too!

Oh, you do speak Estonian

Last night, I attended a dinner at F-Hoone that was part of the the Estonian Atlantic Treaty Association’s "Hea Kodanik" (Good Citizen) program. The program lasts for three days and is geared toward giving Estonia’s youth both the motivation and a forum to discuss important and occassionally troubling aspects of their society. Leading Estonian politicians, experts, and opinion makers like Mart Laar and Sven Mikser are participating in the event this year (though the Ambassador was the featured guest of last night's event). These leaders talk about the importance of the state in addressing society’s needs, and more specifically, the role that the Estonia Parliament can play in shaping citizen societal engagement.

In other words, how to be a good citizen.

There were about 100 high school students from both Estonian and Russian schools from across Estonia there last night, all around 17 or 18 years old. The group was about 50-50 Estonian and Russian.

It was pretty interesting...a nice mix of kids...some from Narva who had never had an Estonian friend, some from Saaremaa who had never met a Russian. They were eager to talk to the Ambassador and were ready to have interesting, thoughtful conversations with him, me and my APAO.

I had one funny thing happen last night...I was talking to a table of kids, mixed Russian and Estonian. We were speaking in English because one of the Russian kids didn't speak Estonian (the other Russian girl, who was from Tallinn, switched back and forth between Russian and Estonian with great ease...her English wasn't as good as the others', but she often defaulted to Estonian when she couldn't get out what she wanted to say). Anyway, one kid asked me what languages I spoke, and I said "English, obviously, Estonian..." and he chuckled and said Estonian? And I looked at him and said, "Jah, ma räägin eesti keelt." And the look of shock on his face was awesome! He said (with no apparent hint of irony), "Oh, you do speak Estonian."

Tintin

Last night, I attended the premier of the new Steven Spielberg movie, Tintin, with the Ambassador and a number of folks from the Embassy.

We co-sponsored the event with the Belgian embassy because the film is based on the cartoon by Belgian cartoonist Hergé.

It was the first 3-D movie I have been to since the really crappy 3-D of my childhood. I was a bit concerned that it would make me quesy as those old 3-D flicks did. But technology has really advanced. It was pretty awesome.

After the movie, we had a reception, complete with Belgian beer and California wines (not for the kids though!).

The movie opens here for the general public tomorrow (I understand it opens next month in the U.S. because Spielberg felt this story belonged to Europe) at Solaris Center and at Coca Cola Plaza.

and just on a side note: Holy Cow! We are not far from being able to make films that look like living people acting with no humans involved!

Alec Ross

I've had an interesting and busy couple of days to start off my week.

Alec Ross, who is the Secretary's Senior Advisor for Innovation came in yesterday for a whirlwind visit to Tallinn (1.5 days) before he jetted off to other locales, hopefully to tell them how awesome we are!

This was not my first time meeting Alec...that happened back when I was in the Public Affairs Front Office. But this was first (and second) time I heard him speak. First was at the Estonian Policy institute at the MFA. The auditorium was pretty packed and they asked some great questions. I live tweeted his talk and some of the answers. This is something I hope to do with some of the Ambassador's future speeches.

I tweeted on the Embassy Tallinn's twitter account. But something he said has me thinking...people prefer to follow people rather than institutions. So I need to think about whether I should have a twitter account as PAO (we all know Digger has one) or just keep things as is (with the Ambassador having a twitter account in addition to the Embassy account. I'm not sure yet.

At any rate, before yesterday's talk, we held a country team meeting to tell him some of the things we are up to here in Tallinn, and I think he liked a lot of our ideas and approaches. After yesterday's talk, he did some interviews and met with some folks at the MFA before heading to dinner with at the Ambassador's. I wasn't there, so I'll have to assume it was awesome.

This morning, I live tweeted Alec again at the e-Governance Academy's Social Media Seminar. The guy is seriously tweetable. I told him so, and he took it as the compliment it was intended.

By the time you read this, he will be well on his way to his next stop. But I was impressed with his presentations and I feel more than ever that we are on a good path with Social Media.

Freedom!

There are many ways in which I am a typical American, but one is certainly how much I love my car.

(Yeah, yeah M, YOUR car. Possession is 9/10th...come to Estonia if you want it back! :) )

So I jumped at the chance to speak at the European Youth Parliament Sunday. The topic was one near and dear to my heart (LGBT issues), and it meant a chance to get outside of Tallinn on my own.

Several folks were surprised that I was willing to drive 2.5 hours each way to speak at this event, but given how little I have gotten to drive lately and that M is not here to spend my spare time with, I figured it was a great chance to really test out the European maps on the GPS my dad got me (verdict: Not bad...though it was convinced on a new portion of the road that I was driving in the fields NEXT TO the road). And I just love getting out driving alone. For someone who is pretty extroverted, I really value a chance to be alone on the road, just me, my thoughts, and a blasting ipod.

An added bonus was that I enjoyed speaking at the Parliament. If these are the future leaders of the EU, Europe is in good shape. They were smart, asked thoughtful questions, and were thoroughly prepared. I was impressed.

And on the way to the Parliament, I spotted some local farmers selling their goods on the side of the road. I managed to procure myself a pumpkin despite not having the amount it costed in small change (it was 2 euros and something, I had one euro and something and a 20 euro bill). He decided to let me have it for the change I had, and I promised to come back and give him the other euro later.

And I did...I got back before all the other vendors had left, and one older lady said she would give him the euro. So I bought a kilo of apples from her.

All of this was in Estonian...the folks in the country clearly do not speak English...I felt pretty good about my skillz...

(until I got home and could not understand the metro cop who was trying to be friendly and I gather was telling me I should take my dog out to the woods to potty instead of on the rocks. I got the words dog, forest and stones out of it, and asked him what he said. He repeated it, I still didn't understand (men are hard to understand anyway, plus I understood the words but not the meaning at first), and he asked if I spoke Russian. I said no. He said, oh, you don't speak Estonian or Russian. I said no, I speak Estonian a little. So he repeated to me what he had said and I finally understood that he was suggesting I take Noostie to the woods rather than let her potty on the rocks.

Which she was doing at that moment.

BECAUSE he had stopped me...I normally take her to a grassy area.

Language skillz fail.

And finally, I snapped a shot of this, that I hope you find as funny as I did...driving along and I look up and WTH? It is the Hollywood sign! In Estonia. I pulled in to take this picture and spotted the little restaurant that I'd have otherwise passed before I saw it because of the way it is situated. I definitely will stop to eat there next time.

So advertising win, little restaurant!

Out In The World: U.S. a beacon for LGBT rights globally

This Press Release comes from the Bay Area Reporter (Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971):

Out In The World: U.S. a beacon for LGBT rights globally

by Heather Cassell

The Obama administration is rolling up its sleeves and putting muscle behind its promises to LGBT individuals and women to uphold rights not only domestically, but globally, a gay State Department official said.

"America has a long record of being out there on human right issues and standing up for universal values, they are American values, but they are also universal," Daniel Baer, openly gay deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. State Department, said in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter.

"It is beneficial to our national interest for America to be seen as a beacon of moral leadership in the world. The fact is we are strongest when we are leading and when we are leading from principle," said Baer, 34, who has been working on international human rights issues for two years.

An estimated 80 countries continue to criminalize same-sex behavior. Hate crimes against LGBT individuals continue to afflict countries. Discrimination against and hatred of queer people continues to cast these individuals off as outsiders. The end result is bad for economic development, public health, communities and bad even for the perpetrator of hate and of course the victim, Baer noted.

There is a moral price paid for perpetrators, societies, and victims of hate and prejudice, Baer believes.

"We've seen time and time again that in societies where one group of people is denied to express themselves ... those societies are not stable societies and they are not as successful societies," said Baer, who oversees Asia and Africa. He was on his way to catch a flight to Ivory Coast to address human rights violations amidst unrest, as he spoke to the B.A.R. on the phone.

"Societies are more stable and more successful when they give everybody a chance to claim their future and when they take advantage of the full range of talents across society," he continued.

Baer's speech to religious leaders at the Compass to Compassion Conference in New York City on October 13 was the first indication following President Barack Obama's address at the United Nations last month that the U.S. is making moves on recent global policy on LGBT rights passed by the UN earlier this year.

The U.S. is moving to implement toolkits to assist embassies with handling human rights violations against LGBT individuals. Communities won't be left out in the cold; local leaders will be provided with high-tech tools by the State Department to document hate crimes against LGBT individuals in their communities. Information gathered will be compiled in Baer's department's annual human rights report.

America is firmly positioning itself to be a lifeline to people who are "engines of change" in their own societies by, "really supporting these people who are the change-makers on the ground and who will be building stronger societies for themselves and their neighbors and their compatriots," said Baer.
Religious leaders are part of his outreach.

"Religious leaders play a very important role in shaping the way that people see and understand their societies around the world," said Baer, who believes that religious and secular leaders need to "engage" each other in dialogue about human rights issues for LGBTs and women. "They have a role to play in the tolerance agenda," he said.

In Baer's vision the "world is stronger if we support human rights," he said, calling global human rights an American issue.

To read Baer's speech, visit here.

My Gargoyle

NOTE: I wrote this entry on Wednesday, and then couldn't decide whether or not to post it because I wasn't sure anyone would care. And then my Dad emailed and asked to see a picture of my gargoyle. So I decided people would be interested...or at least the really important ones would!

So I thought I'd tell you a little more about my gargoyle...mostly so I have an excuse to put his picture on the blog.

His name is Wilbur. Only one, or possibly two, people know why that is his name. And I am not sure they both read the blog.

One of my best friends in grad school and I got invited one Christmas before I joined the Foreign Service to a party. At the party, we played the white elephant game.

You probably know this game. Everyone brings a "gift," usually something odd and perhaps unwanted. Some people also bring good stuff, but they just don't understand the game. Usually there is a price limit of say around five dollars.

So not having anything interesting to bring, he and I stopped on the way to the party at the local Goodwill outside of Durham. We scoured the place looking for odd and funny finds.

I don't remember what my friend found, but I found Wilbur. I was delighted with my find. What a perfectly odd present for the party!

Wilbur the gargoyle is maybe 7 inches tall and made of white plaster.

Gift in tow, we headed to the party...and then something weird happened.

I started to really like Wilbur. I decided I wanted to KEEP Wilbur.

But I had no other gift for the game, so I placed him in a gift bag and put him with all the other presents.

And then when it was my turn, I picked my own gift bag.

I don't remember if anyone else tried to take him...I just know I ended up with him.

And he has travelled with me ever since.

He guarded my fireplaces in Chapel Hill and Arlington, the living room in Jerusalem.

Now he is the door stop on my bedroom door (the weird, distressed wooden door that won't stay open), guarding my bedroom.

He is a little worse for wear, having gotten a few dings in the process of moving again and again and again. But he has become one of the weird things that I take with me each time I love to a new place, one of the things that makes it home.

All of which I told you, like I said, so I could put his picture on the blog. Thanks for your patience. We will resume our regular blogging topics next time.

I Am Wearing Purple

I am wearing purple today.

I am wearing it to show my support for bullied young people, particularly LGBT young people who account for a far greater percentage of teen suicides than their percentage of the population.

To those teenagers, I want to tell you that the folks who are telling you that these are the best days of your life are WRONG. It only gets better from here.

To those teenagers, I want to tell you that the folks who are telling you that there is something profoundly wrong with you are LYING. You are the way you were born. There is NOTHING wrong with you.

Being a gay teenager is hard, even before you realize you are gay. Other people often figure it out before you do, and they make your life hell.

I know. First hand.

I was bullied.

I believed their hate. I believed there was something so fundamentally wrong with me that I couldn't even tell my parents, who loved me unconditionally.

I wanted to die. I prayed for the courage to kill myself.

I believed at the time that if I killed myself, I would go to hell. I don't believe that now, because I can't fathom a God who would punish for all eternity a person who was in such anguish.

But I am glad that I thought so then. Because every moment of my life since those days has been better than those days.

There is nothing about my life today that I would change (well, except that it would be nice if my wife and cats were already here...). I have an awesome job. I get to represent my country as an American Diplomat. I get to live in and visit places most just dream of. I have an amazing wife and an amazing family. I consider myself one of the luckiest people on the planet. Sincerely.

One of the reasons I am as out as I am is because I owe it to the younger me, and to all those younger me's out there today, to show how much better it gets. I owe it to them to provide them with what I wish I had had at that time...an out, open gay person leading a happy, successful life. Not a superstar, but an ordinary person, someone I could imagine myself becoming.

So I am wearing purple.

Because it gets better.

Puppets and Pärnu

If I hadn't had so much to do this week, me and this creeping crud I brought home from the conferences in Brussels would have stayed home yesterday and today. But alas, not only did I have too much to do, but it was all stuff I really wanted to do.

Yesterday it was the NUKU puppet theatre and museum in the Old City. Silly me, I forgot my camera, because they have REALLY COOL stuff in there! They currently have a production going on of a Japanese puppetry play from the 1700s, and are building the puppets (and gargoyles! Did I mention I have a gargoyle that I won in a white elephant party as a doorstop...and that I actually bought him at a thrift store for said party and then did my best to win him?) for a vampire play. I am so going to that!

And today was the kickoff of Pärnu America Days. It was my first trip to Pärnu (though I expect the first of several over the coming two weeks). The Ambassador spoke to students and teachers at the local library to kick off the event, which includes films, a teepee in the center of town, a car show, pumpkin carving and lots of other stuff. It is organized by a local American, and we support the event. It is pretty awesome.

And the town is really beautiful, or what little I got to see of it. I hope to see more. But what got me right off the bat was that as you cross the Pärnu River into Pärnu, they have a monument of five flags of the city. But they had taken down the center one and replaced it with the American flag.


After the event, we drove quickly back to Tallinn to present a screening of Boys Don't Cry, the 1999 movie starring Hilary Swank based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a female-to-male transexual who was raped and murdered. I think the movie touched a lot of people there tonight (there were 50 or more in attendance), many of whom thanked me and some of whom left the theatre with tears in their eyes.

I used my introduction of the event to say a bit about my own background as the victim of bullying, and about the It Gets Better project aimed at combating teen suicide by the victims of bullying. I said that while the stories of teens who take their lives as a response to bullying and the story of a young man who was murdered are not identical, both stem from a lack of societal acceptance of LGBT people.

Because it does get better, and I think the most powerful story I can tell to illustrate that is my own.

Rumors of My Death...

Oh, you know the rest.

I do feel kind of crappy though.

The reason for my absence, as I mentioned, was that I was in Brussels for a conference. Two conferences actually. The first part was the EUR (European Affairs) PAO (Public Affairs Officers) conference. That conference was a gathering of all of the Public Affairs Officers from all of the European posts.


The second conference was the EUR Policy Conference, which included all of the Chiefs of Mission, Political Chiefs and Public Affairs Officers from all of the European posts.

And you know that in a crowd that large, at least one person is going to be sick. And when you are locked in a room with that crowd for five days, chances are good that you too will end up sick.

So I have a cold. Fortunately not a bad one, but my "nap" yesterday did last four hours!

So let's see...some random notes from the conference...

* I got to meet the owner of the Steelers.

* one of the speakers sounded just like Derek on Grey's Anatomy.

* some political officers will leap into their Ambassador's seats when the Ambassadors are in a different session...ambitious much?

* One of the speakers at the PAO conference was talking about race in America vs Europe and seemed to have bought into every stereotype he had ever heard...all Americans are descended from immigrants (hello? American Indians are Americans!) and our oldest monument is the Alamo(?! um...Cahokia anyone?) while Europe has 1500 years of culture. And Europe has only had internal immigration for 200 years and immigration from outside Europe for 60 years? Seriously?

* One non-American speaker kept saying "eeeeyyyyyy" as a filler...sounded like Arthur Fonzerelli.

* Leonidas White Chocolate (in fact, all chocolate there)...OMFG!



* Also, mussels in white wine sauce...OMFG!

In all, I found the conferences useful and interesting. I made some new friends and got to spend time with some old ones. We had dinner one night at Ambassador Ivo Daalder's residence, which is just an amazing historic manor house. We spent time at NATO and at a very ornate former French club built in the 1700s...blown glass chandeliers, antique mirrors, carved columns, statues of cherubs playing musical instruments...and chairs that were comfortable for no more than 30 minutes.

The city itself is amazing...such beautiful old buildings!

The traffic is a bit insane, and unlike Estonia (which I found myself missing after a few days), crossing the street, even with the light, is, shall we say, an adventure.

Everywhere you see reproductions of Manneken Pis, which is a statue of a little boy peeing and was built in the early 1600s. I wandered upon it my first night there, but sadly, without my camera (hence the chocolate representations of him above), and was unable to re-find him my last night there (the only other time I had to wander around much...I took my camera that time to prove I had been somewhere other than the Sheraton and a conference room!). There are a number of legends about him, the most famous being about the two-year old Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. In 1142, the two-year-old's troops were battling against the Berthouts in Ransbeke. The troops put the boy in a basket and hung the basket in a tree to encourage them. From there, the boy urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.

But the one I like better is that he was the son of a prominent lord and he wandered off. The distraught father promised to erect a statue of however his son was found...and they found him urinating in the woods...

I left the conference more certain than ever that I am a PD officer and feeling I had found my people. And I certainly hope to return to Brussels, hopefully with more time to explore this amazing place.

Hullud Päevad

I always worry that when I don't post for a few days, people will worry that the Tigers have gotten me and I have gone dark.

No worries...no tigers in my life so far (knock wood), though apparently, there are some ghosts there...at least at my local supermarket/department store.



So no, I haven't gone dark...but like Stockmann, I have been having hullud päevad, or Crazy Days.

I have spent the last week in Brussels for a conference. And I am wiped out (and a little sick...nothing like being locked in a conference room with coughing people for five days to give you the crud.

So I will post about my hullud päevad in a bit...probably tonight...after I take a nap.

There will even be pictures, I promise (though not great ones...it was challenging to get time away from the conference to see anything!

Church Chat

I went to church this morning for the first time in too long.

But the church I went to was not of my current denomination (United Church of Christ), nor of the denomination I was raised in (Catholic...which is sort of like an ethnicity...even if you no longer practice Catholicism, it is still a major part of you. I went to a Catholic Mass in Ramallah, completely in Arabic, and still understood most everything).

But no, this church I attended this morning was the Kaarli Kirik, a Lutheran church, which is the denomination of my mother's family and a church I have attended on many occassions.

But the Lutheran service is far less regularized than a Catholic Mass, and this service was in an Evangelical Lutheran church.

And it was entirely in Estonian.

So it was different.

I learned a couple of things.

First, I do not speak Estonian well enough to know the Lord's Prayer in Estonian.

However, I do speak Estonian well enough to find it quickly in the hymnal so that I could read it while everyone else said it from memory. I also know it well enough to find the Apostle's Creed, which is much harder in my opinion, and even to sing along with the hymns if I already knew the tune. AND to find the hymn not listed on the sign that was added later when they told us the number during the service.

So I will consider it a success.

In other news, it will come as no surprise to either of my Estonian teachers (or probably anyone who has known me more than five minutes) that I speak fluent dog park.

Noostie and I went to the park again today, and today, two children without a dog were playing in the park. The girl was maybe 9, the boy about 5 I'd guess.

I explained to them that Noostie did not understand Estonian (this was necessary because she was completely unresponsive to the boy calling her Koer! over and over.)

I also explained that her name is Noost-IE, not Noost-IK (which is some sort of sponge in Estonian).

The girl finally asked if Noostie understood English. I said yes, and she said, I am studying English (in Estonian). Then she looked at Noostie and said "dog."

Which is exactly the same thing that happened in Jerusalem. Because I speak fluent dog park Hebrew too.

Spending bills threaten Foreign Service pay and hiring

Government Executive has an excellent piece on the spending bills before Congress and what this could mean for the Foreign Service.

These bills would cut my pay by 16% while I am overseas, on top of the fact that my pay is already frozen for the next two years at least.

This is difficult for me and my wife to bear. Yes, we get free housing overseas. But we still have our mortgage to pay at home. And renting our place doesn't cover that.

But it is even harder for most Foreign Service folks. Because most in the FS are not tandem couples like M and I, going overseas means the loss not just of that 16% but of one spouse's ENTIRE income. Most spouses who work in the states have a limited ability to do so overseas, and even when they do, it is for substantially less pay.

Especially for those with children, this is an nearly impossible loss to bear.

None of us mind sacrificing for the country. We know that this is part of the nature of our service. We willing leave our homes, our stability, our families, for the good of the country.

But please can we make the cuts more fair? Particularly when you carve out 16% of our pay, bear in mind that the senior levels of the Foreign Service do not experience this cut. The other agencies serving with us at post do not experience this cut. The military and their civilian employees do not experience this cut. Their base salaries are their DC salaries, not some fake base salary with DC locality pay.

It is only those of us in the mid and lower levels who must take a pay cut to serve you overseas.

And do you really believe that those who are serving in Libya, Egypt, and Syria should earn LESS than those in DC?

Can We Clone Her?

My coming out was admittedly pretty easy.

Sure, my mom wigged out for a bit, mostly because she blamed herself (she sent me to a shrink and told the shrink I was "confused" about my sexuality. I told the shrink I wasn't confused, and the shrink agreed and said she wasn't going to tell me I had a problem when I clearly didn't), but she eventually came around. And I always knew she loved me.

My dad never made me think for even a split second that he didn't love me.

And my conversation with my grandmother, who I didn't realize at the time was also gay, went like this:

"Your Mom says you think you might be gay."
"No, I know I am."
"It is a hard life to live."
"It is easier than living a lie."
"That's true."

End of story.

But I know for many, it is not that easy. I know that for many, they truly do lose the love of their family. Some are subjected to violence or are thrown out of their homes. Some choose to end their lives (I love the "It Gets Better" campaign targeted at these kids, because it really does get better).

So when a friend posted this on facebook, I knew I had to share it with you.

The article is written by "Amelia," who has a six year old son who might be gay. She wrote a blog post about her son's crush on one of the gay characters on Glee. About he just loved the scene where they kissed. She and her husband are perfectly comfortable with it, and said to themselves that either he was gay or he was straight and they had the best blackmail ever for their future 16 year old son...so much better than naked baby bath pictures!

He even said to them that the characters on Glee liked to kiss other boys and not girls, and that they were just like him.

She posted it as what she thought was a cute story. She got tons of support when it went viral, many from folks like me who knew they were gay when they were her son's age or younger.

But she also got a lot of vitrol, from people who assume that sexuality is only about sex. She responded:

"Of the criticisms, the most common is that my son is six years old and doesn't know anything about sex. While I fully acknowledge this may not be the end-all-and-be-all to my son's sexual orientation, I object to the idea that being gay is only about sexual acts. Our emotions and feelings, our attractions and compulsions, all contribute, not just our body parts. If my son had a crush on the star of iCarly, I doubt people would be saying he was too young to have those sexual feelings towards a girl. I think they would think it was an innocent schoolboy crush, which is exactly what it is."

And she said it got her thinking:

"...and after awhile I started to feel like I knew this big secret that shouldn't be a secret at all: Every gay adult used to be a gay kid. It's not as if all children start off as straight until some time later when someone flips the gay switch. We are who we are from the very moment we are born."

And then she imagined that every hate-filled thing that every hate-filled person said about gay people was being said to a room full of kindergartners. And she was disgusted, not with gay people, but with the hate aimed at kids. And she vowed that if someone ever says those things in front of her, they will not go unchallenged. That her son will see her defend right, and defend love, and defend him.

My wish, this coming out day (October 11) is that every gay kid can have a mother just like Amelia.

Estonian and Russian Cooperation

Actually, it is even bigger than just cooperation between these two nations.

This is about a joint Russia, Estonia, U.S., Canada, Sweden, Mongolia and China cooperative project.

This is big. Really big.

How big you ask?

Bigfoot big.

It seems that sightings of the Yeti, otherwise known as Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman or Sasquatch, have increased three-fold in the Siberia's Kemerovo region over twenty years ago, and some have found what they believe is evidence, including rudimentary twig huts, twisted branches and trees and footprints of up to 14 inches.

Because a Bigfoot would have big feet, right?

So the governor of region has developed this theory that the Yeti is really Homo neanderthalensis, or a Neanderthal, and he is having a conference to get scientists from the above mentioned countries to come check it out. (Of course, his theories about neanderthals having "No clothing on them, no tools in hands and no fire in the household" suggests he is not up on the most recent research on neanderthals either...but anyway).

Of course, skeptics are certain all the "evidence" is the result of hoaxes. And the conference could just be an attempt to build up Yeti tourism in the area.

As my seriously funny APAO said, the truth has Yeti to be discovered.

You can read more about this cooperative effort here.

Probably A Sign

It is probably a sign that summer, and the nice weather we have had so far in fall, is really over.

I walk to work every day. Yes, even today, even after I got my plates for my car, I still walked. I also walked home to let GSO in to hang my pictures and then I walked back. (and did I mention I have lost weight here...and not because the food isn't good...it is awesome, and I eat it!)

Each day on my way to work, I pass a little cafe. I keep meaning to check them out, but haven't managed to so far.

The cafe has little tables on the sidewalk.

Or, I should say, HAD.

They were gone today. Completely.

Because no one will be eating outside any more.

Because the nice weather is gone.

Sad. Wonder how long I will have before I have to try out my new snow pants.

Have Plates (and GPS), Will Travel

Diplomatic Plates: I has them.

I continue to be amazed at the efficiency of this country.

I have been here for 50 days. I got my UAB on about Day 6.

I got my HHE (AND my car!) nine days ago. The embassy arranged for the inspection two days later.

Today, they completed the registration process and gave me my tags. I could drive tonight if I wanted to.

That is just amazingly fast!

I know places where they don't get their UAB that fast!

Oh yeah, and tomorrow, GSO is coming to finish hanging my pictures in my house AND my office.