Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to give the same-sex partners of gay U.S. diplomats many of the same benefits as heterosexual partners, according to a memo received by an association of gay and lesbian foreign service officers and shared with news outlets.
The family members of diplomats receive a wide array of benefits, including paid travel to and from overseas posts, employment opportunities at the embassy, visas and diplomatic passports, training, mail privileges and evacuation in case of security emergency or medical necessity. Officials have previously cited the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, when pressed to expand these benefits to same-sex partners.
The issue was brought into the public eye in 2007 when Michael Guest resigned after 26 years in the Foreign Service to protest the rules and regulations that he argued gave same-sex partners fewer benefits than family pets. Guest said he was forced to choose “between obligations to my partner, who is my family, and service to my country.”
Clinton’s move to recognize same-sex partners in the State Department should come as no surprise. Guest was a member of Obama’s State Department transition team and Clinton indicated a willingness to explore the issue during her confirmation hearings.
The policy is still in draft form and requires additional interagency review, but lawmakers and officials are relatively confident that it will be finalized.
The announcement of this policy change will likely focus renewed attention on the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. While President Barack Obama has said he opposes the current policy that prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, he has also signaled that repealing it is not an immediate priority for his administration.
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