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Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Proudly Serving Wisconsin in Congress
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Press Releases :: February 26, 2008

Baldwin Calls on Rice to Change State Dept. LGBT Policies

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has challenged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about reported inequities in employment practices concerning gay and lesbian employees in that department and requested immediate remedial changes.

In a letter sent Thursday, February 21, Baldwin, joined by Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) wrote:

“We have followed with great interest and concern the media coverage of the workplace inequities facing gays and lesbians in the U.S. Department of State. As in the case of Former Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest, the inequitable treatment of gay and lesbian Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) and their partners should not be allowed to lead highly qualified employees to leave the State Department at a time when their service is needed more than ever. Many of these inequities could clearly be remedied through your leadership as Secretary, without legislative changes. We write to highlight basic and common-sense policy changes that beg your prompt attention and ask that you act to make eliminating inequities facing gays and lesbians at the State Department a priority.”

Baldwin and her colleagues asked Rice to institute, among other things, the following changes in State Department policy regarding Foreign Service Officers (FSOs):

  • Inclusion in travel orders for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs
  • Access to training, including language and security classes, for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs
  • Emergency evacuation and medevac from post when necessary for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs.
  • Access to post health units for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs
  • Visa support for same-sex domestic partners accompanying FSOs to overseas postings, and for same-sex foreign-born domestic partners accompanying FSOs to postings in Washington or elsewhere in the U.S.
  • Preferential status for employment at post comparable to that enjoyed by Eligible Family Members for same-sex domestic partners of FSOs