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Greetings!
The New Board has taken the helm! Please see a few of the newest members below for more details about them and their plans for GLIFAA in 2008-09.
Please look for future updates about Pride coming up in June. We are still finalizing our Pride event calendar.
-The GLIFAA Board
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Upcoming Events
GLIFAA/ANGLE Happy Hour @ Cafe Asia
Join us on May 14 as we travel to the famed "other side of the river" for a joint happy hour
with our friends from ANGLE (CIA's LGBT Employee Group)! Take the State shuttle or Metrorail to
Rosslyn, and then it's just a short walk to Cafe Asia.
Wednesday, May 14
6:00 - 8:00 pm
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New GLIFAA Board Members!
Juan Arellano, Overseas Outreach Coordinator
I am very excited to take a more active role in GLIFAA this year. I am from Oregon and am currently serving my second tour in the Foreign Service at the embassy in London. I hope to use the new position on the board to work and coordinate the work of GLIFAA abroad. Most importantly, I hope to organize and disseminate information on foreign posts that is relevant to our personal and professional lives. I want to be a resource who can coordinate contacts abroad to provide everyone detailed and accurate information on issues that are important to us at posts world wide.
Todd Katschke, Visa Guidance Outreach
Todd Katschke, originally from Chicago, IL, has been a member of GLIFAA since joining the State Department in 2004. He has dragged his partner, Don, across Asia while serving Singapore and, now, Osaka. As Visa Guidance chair, Todd hopes to compile as much visa information as possible to assist during the assignments process, such as visa options for MOHs of those posted domestically, possible 'local' US companies abroad for work opportunities and visa sponsorship for MOHs, and host country visa options for MOHs to use to accompany their partners/family.
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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 glifaa@yahoo.com. 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
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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.
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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 Emil.Stalis@tufts.edu 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: MOH_Network-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Contact:
Member_of_Household@yahoo.com |
| Did you serve in Iraq or Afghanistan??
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 glifaa@yahoo.com
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