Kerry Apologizes For Past LGBT Discrimination At State Department

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo

By ALLEGRA KIRKLAND Published JANUARY 9, 2017, 1:03 PM EDT

Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday apologized for the State Department’s past discrimination against LGBTI employees, calling for a renewed commitment to “diversity and inclusion for all our employees.”

“In the past – as far back as the 1940s, but continuing for decades – the Department of State was among many public and private employers that discriminated against employees and job applicants on the basis of perceived sexual orientation, forcing some employees to resign or refusing to hire certain applicants in the first place,” Kerry said in a statement. “These actions were wrong then, just as they would be wrong today.”

The State Department head said he appointed the first ever Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons as part of the Obama administration's effort to promote LGBTI rights globally.

This effort has come under scrutiny by some individuals associated with the next administration. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and an ally of Donald Trump, has called for Kerry's successor to reverse the Obama administration’s effort to “export the LGBTQ agenda globally” through the State Department.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/john-kerry-apology-past-lgbt-discrimination-state-department

[karynnj]

1. Great that this apology was made - even though rights were upheld in the entire Obama Presidency

Let's hope that this remains the policy.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Another apology will have to be issued.

I am just worried how long we will have to wait for the next apology, or more importantly for our rights to be restored once this new administration guts our civil rights.

[LisaM]

3. I like that they are putting the next SoS in this position.

Anything they do to reverse this will actually remove rights, and most people don't like that, no matter how they voted.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Sadly, I have to disagree with your opinion.

While I think there are those who will be upset by the removal of rights for the GLBT, most won't care. It may seem there is more "understanding" of GLBT people, but, IMO, it is mostly for show and nothing more. We are the canaries in the coalmine.

[LisaM]

5. Oh, I think if they're faced with actually seeing it in practice, they don't like it.

However, I think you're right in that most people won't see it, and choose to be willfully ignorant.

[Corey_Baker08]

6. Secretary Kerry Is One Of The Greatest Statesman Of All Time!

John F Kerry is my personal hero. He makes me proud to be a Democrat & I hope he continues to stand up for Democratic values after January 20th!

[karynnj]

7. Absolutely agree

It is rather interesting that in assessing Secretaries, there are very few who could be said to have avoided a war (with a more populous, homogenous Middle Eastern country than Iraq, Libya and Syria - where we took different roles, but where the war itself was devastating) and was the key person who made the Paris Accord possible.

Both the Iran nuclear deal and a 2015 climate accord were seen as unlikely to happen when he stepped into the Secretary job.

Obviously if you try to accomplish tough things, some will not succeed. In no cases did he make things worse. (Including the chemical weapons removal which neocons hate, but it is hard to argue that 600 plus tons of chemical weapons in an unstable country could have led to a terrible disaster -- and it could have happened anywhere in the region.

[JI7]

8. he might as well do the same for future discrimination considering what will be coming there