Obama orders U.S. diplomats to increase efforts to fight LGBT discrimination abroad

[jefferson_dem]

Obama orders U.S. diplomats to increase efforts to fight LGBT discrimination abroad
By Scott Wilson

President Obama ordered U.S. diplomatic missions and federal agencies working abroad to strengthen efforts to fight international discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals, saying he is “deeply concerned by the violence” against them in many parts of the world.

President Barack Obama talks about extending payroll tax cuts, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, in the White House's Brady Briefing Room in Washington. (Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP) The memo, immediately celebrated by gay and lesbian leaders, elevates the importance of combating discrimination against the LGBT community within Obama’s foreign policy. The issue is an important one to a key element of Obama’s political base, and the move strengthens the argument he is building that he has done more to end the ostracism experienced by the LGBT community, at home and abroad, than his predecessors.

The memo directs all “agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.”

Specifically, the directive orders those agencies to step up efforts to combat the criminalization of homosexuality in other countries, protect LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, work with foreign governments, human rights organizations and other groups to promote LGBT equality, and create a “standing group” within the State Department to ensure the government reacts quickly to threats to the rights of gays and lesbians.

The federal agencies affected include the State, Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services departments, among others

<SNIP>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/obama-orders-us-diplomats-to-increase-efforts-to-fight-lgbt-discrimination-abroad/2011/12/06/gIQA93mdZO_blog.html?wpisrc=al_politics_p

[DCKit]

1. Why are we outsourcing and off-shoring everything we want for the U.S.? nt

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Very similar to the crackdown on OWS

It's OK to criticize Middle Eastern governments for cracking down on their citizens, but it's not OK to criticize US police departments for cracking down on occupy protesters.

[DCKit]

9. Don't forget our most famous export - Democracy!

If they do for "Teh Gay" what they've done for the average citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan....

Yikes.

[jefferson_dem]

4. "You" may "want" violence against GLBT individuals in the US. "We" don't.

I'm pleased to see that the administration is forcefully speaking out against such violence abroad as well.

[DCKit]

6. Put the bottle down and take a nap. nt

[Cali_Democrat]

7. Seriously

That poster is deliberately trying to distort your position.

Very transparent.

[jefferson_dem]

8. Your words.

You own them. Deal with it.

[xxqqqzme]

2. How about fighting

that here w/ the same zeal?

[jefferson_dem]

5. He's not.

He's fighting it here with MORE zeal. Not fast enough, granted, but still fighting. Pay attention.

[jefferson_dem]

10. Obama's critics here may find validation in this...

Rick Perry Issues Nasty Statement Condemning Obama’s Push To Protect LGBT Human Rights

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/06/383159/rick-perry-issues-nasty-statement-condemning-obamas-push-to-protect-lgbt-human-rights/

[jenmito]

11. K&R. Rachel Maddow put Hillary's speech on her blog:

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/ She highly, highly, highly recommends watching it. :thumbsup: