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The GLIFAA Globe - Board Election Issue
April 2008
In This Issue
Events: Tonic - New Board Happy Hour
Send us your stories about being gay government employees
Be a GLIFAA Post Representative
Attend the NGLTF Dinner
Pentagon Balks at Gay Partner Travel
MOH Network News - Anyone Blogging?
GLBT in Iraq or Afghanistan?
Join Our Mailing List
Join the
MOH Network
Greetings!

If you are a dues paying GLIFAA Member, please click below to vote in this years election of the 2008 GLIFAA Board.

Click here to pay dues; you can still vote in this years election.

Dues Paying Members - Click here to Vote!

The New Board will be announced on April 23rd.

-The GLIFAA Board
Upcoming Events 

GLIFAA New Board Happy Hour @ Tonic

Our next GLIFAA Happy Hour will be at Tonic in Foggy Bottom, just blocks from Main State.  This Happy Hour will be a GLIFAA-only event, a chance for you to meet the new board members and reconnect with old friends.

Tonic
2036 G Street NW
Metro:  Foggy Bottom

Wednesday, April 23
6:00 - 8:00 pm

GLIFAA's Advocacy Campaign Wants Your Story Heard!

We're gearing up for a big year - a new President will be coming in, a new Secretary - and a new Congress!  The time to prepare is now.  GLIFAA is drafting a series of advocacy materials on issues that affect our members, and nothing is more powerful than a first-hand story.  How are you being hurt by the Department's policies?  How is your family being hurt by the Defense of Marriage Act?  Please write your stories (between 1 paragraph and 1 page) and send them to [email protected].  We'll use them as best we can to get our message across.  To get you inspired, here are two stories from other members:

"I was in the Army and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom until March 2005.  I joined the Foreign Service in October 2005, and soon after shipped out to India with my partner Ales.  I'm due to return to Washington for eight months of language training, and the cost of plane tickets aside, I'm worried that Ales won't even be allowed to enter the country for the full eight months, because he can only qualify for an ordinary tourist visa.  All I ask is for us to enter my country together - the same country I fought for in Iraq and the same country I still love and serve today."

- Vice-Consul Ralan Hill, currently serving in Kolkata, India

"When my partner landed in Chicago, Immigration grilled him for two hours.  They accused him of being illegal, overstaying, you name it.  They found my business card in his luggage and demanded an explanation - as if it was inappropriate for him to have it.  He patiently explained the situation numerous times, and was eventually released - but with permission to stay for only three months.  Incidentally, two of my colleagues from Sao Paulo met their [opposite-sex] spouses after JP and I met.  They both are now U.S. citizens traveling on Diplomatic passports."
- Foreign Service Officer Keith Gilges, currently serving in Washington, DC
A New Global Network:  Be a GLIFAA Post Representative
FSOs as well as MOHs Welcome to Participate!

"Hi, I'm being transferred to Kerblekistan - are there any GLIFAA members there who could give me info about post?"

We know our members are everywhere, but for too long we haven't had a way to effectively get information from the field.  Our new network of GLIFAA Post Representatives will fill that void.  Even if you are the only GLIFAA member at post, we hope you'll volunteer.  You'll be called upon everytime we get an email asking for info at post, you'll join a special listserve for Post Reps worldwide to share best practices, and you'll serve as a channel for communication to and from Washington.

The basic time commitment will be extremely minimal (~1 hour/month) but those interested in doing more certainly can.  Help your post's Human Rights person learn more about conditions for LGBT persons in your country of assignment, network with Human Rights advocacy groups stateside or in your country of assignment, help us with our advocacy work in Washington - whatever interests you.

Make our network truly global - make sure your post volunteers a representative.
 
GLIFAA Supports NGLTF
Policy Director Ajit Joshi to Attend NGLTF Dinner - Join him!

I recently attended the National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.  I was inspired by the work that NGLTF is doing at the grass roots level with LGBT groups in the United States and moved to give back by being a table captain dinner host.  Please join me at the NGLTF Leadership Awards dinner on Saturday, May 3.  You can sign up here and click "find a table captain" (Ajit Joshi) to join me.  I look forward to seeing my GLIFAA friends. 
Pentagon Balks at Gay Partner Travel
Politico Reports on Pentagon's Treatment of Rep. Tammy Baldwin

We thought you might be interested to see this news item from the Politico.  Let's hope the attention being paid to travel benefits by Democrats and Republicans alike will help lead to results for our men and women overseas.

Prior to the Easter recess, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to intervene with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in order to get Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin's domestic partner on a military flight for a congressional fact-finding trip to Europe.

The speaker succeeded, but the issue continues to simmer for both sides. The Pentagon appears to be self-conscious about transporting gay domestic partners at a time when it continues to enforce a "don't ask, don't tell" policy in its own ranks. The speaker is sensitive to the gay rights issue but doesn't want to be drawn into a situation where it appears she is dictating policy for the use of military planes.

Under House guidelines, members of Congress may take their spouses with them on military flights if there is room for them and when it is "necessary for protocol purposes." Although Baldwin, the only openly gay woman elected to Congress, exchanged wedding vows with Lauren Azar in 1998, her home state of Wisconsin does not officially recognize same-sex marriages, and military officials were apparently unwilling to consider Azar a "spouse" within the meaning of the House guidelines.

To read the full article, click here
FSO or MOH Blogging?!

Michelle Schohn is looking for FSOs and/or MOHs with blogs about their experiences abroad!

The MOH Network has been having a lively discussion on Yahoo-Groups and the Board encorages MOHs to participate!  Email moderator [email protected] if you cannot access the homepage of the network   Please provide identifying information (employee of which organization, or MOH of which employee who is at which organization) so that you can be verified prior to being part of the group. 

For those of wanting to "institutionalize" your experiences, here is one great example: lifeafterjerusalem.blogspot.com

Michelle Schohn is looking to create links from her blog to any of the blogs of other FSOs and/or MOHs, in particular who have stories about MOH issues.  If you have a blog and are willing to let Michelle put a link to your blog on her blog, please email her. 

And if you're still not convinced, Michelle, a Public Diplomacy professional, says "I think blogs are a good way to let people know what life is like in the FS, whether as an employee, spouse/partner (same or opposite sex) or family member. And for those of us with MOH or partner issues, it is an excellent way to get the word out on what we deal with!"

"The MOH Network" is a discussion group for all individuals who fall into the classification of Members of Household as defined in 3 FAM 4180 and their partners/sponsors.  A MOH is anyone accompanying a Foreign Service Officer to post.  This includes parents, partners, (opposite sex, same sex), and children over age 21.  In other words-anyone who is not mentioned on an officer's orders.  The MOH Network is a venue for MOHs to seek out resources and information.  It is also a place for individuals to share strategies, vent frustration and most important - find support.

Employees are requested to please share this information with their family members.

 

Sign up: [email protected]

Contact:
[email protected]
Did you serve in Iraq or Afghanistan??
Please let us know...
 

GLIFAA would like to compile a list of GLBT members who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Even if you feel that you do not want to provide your name, please let us know so you can be counted.  This type of information will help show our leadership the committment that gay members have to our work - as well as show a real need to provide equal treatment.  Please email [email protected]