The World According to Josh and Sara

For those of you who have listened to “here! with Josh and Sara” you will know that generally I steer away from talking about politics in public. Not because I am not interested, but I feel like I am not properly equipped to talk in a fully informed and comprehensive way. (READ: I generally dig myself a hole and feel really stupid.) This may stem from the fact that my older brother is a genius (literally) and practically has a photographic memory AND he is an American History aficionado. There was never any arguing with him because he would quote any source necessary to win his argument. So therefore, I keep my political discussions private, generally relegated to (intense) discussions among old friends. Just for the record, I am a news junkie…paper, TV, online…I cannot get enough. I live for world news and even got hooked on the BBC a while back — it seemed they were reporting events in Iraq in a more honest and direct way that was much more satisfying.

OK, so what am I driving at with that long-winded preface? Recently, my dear friend Carl, a US Foreign Service Officer, forwarded me a copy of Ambassador Michael Guest’s retirement speech. In it, he takes the current administration (and specifically Secretary Rice) to task for not addressing the discrimination against Gays and Lesbians that exist not only in the policies of the Foreign Service but in the laws and attitudes throughout the nation.

He speaks about the inequalities he and his partner faced because they are not ‘married.’ But we cannot GET married. It seems like a ridiculously unfair catch 22, no?

Here is a brave man who has dedicated his life to his country…(if you are like me and only had a very peripheral understanding of what our Foreign Service Officers and Ambassadors do, I strongly urge you to find out…it is a really incredible post and a very unsung position among most Americans)…a man who felt such an unparalleled pull to serve his country and now he is choosing to leave this dream behind because of the continued lack of understanding and support that his country and his country’s government is giving him in return.

I think we all have to take a page from this incredible man’s play book…what are we willing to put with? When is ‘enough, enough’? When will this nation’s government and its representatives sit up and make sure that we all have equal rights under the law of the constitution. Aren’t we, as a nation, more embarrassed and ashamed that we are way behind on these issues? Marriage, shmarriage — who gives a shit what we call it…but don’t we all deserve the rights afforded to the rest of the citizens of this country?

My mother, who for the record, has been very supportive and accepting of me and all things gay that came along with me being her son, recently told me that she does not believe in “Gay Marriage.” I was shocked, needless to say, but when I broke it down for her and explained what it would mean, regardless of the name we put on it…she was all for it. And I believe that will be the same for the majority of Americans.

Now, I do not want to reduce Ambassador Guest’s retirement to this one issue…it is in fact much broader and deeper. I have included an excerpt of his speech below, and more than ever I ask you to take the time to read it and let me know your thoughts.

“You know, some boys grow up wanting to conquer the world. I grew up wanting to explore it, and eventually I came to want to change it, to make the world a better place. And I remember that when I first heard about the Foreign Service, it was like WOW! – this is the career I was born for, this is what I was always meant to do.

So as you can imagine, today is a bittersweet day for me. I love this profession. I always will. I’ll always be proud to have been a part of the Foreign Service. I’ve had the unique and happy opportunity – well, not so unique, because most of you have had this opportunity too – to work on issues I really care about. And I’ve had great colleagues, every step of the way, those of you here today among them. Together we’ve done a lot to change the world for the better, in small ways and in large, and America is safer and more prosperous because of it. And when we’re criticized unjustly, as has been the case in recent days, it’s regrettable that the Administration hasn’t done more to stand up for us.

You know, I invited a number of the newer members of our Service today because I wanted them to see this Foreign Service rite of passage. But this isn’t a typical flag ceremony. Most departing ambassadors use these events to talk about their successes, the things they’ve done. But I want instead to talk about my signal failure, the failure that in fact is causing me to leave the career that I love.

For the past three years, I’ve urged the Secretary and her senior management team to redress policies that discriminate against gay and lesbian employees. Absolutely nothing has resulted from this. And so I’ve felt compelled to choose between obligations to my partner, who is my family, and service to my country. That anyone should have to make that choice is a stain on the Secretary’s leadership, and a shame for this institution and our country.

Since I’m leaving over this matter, I ask that you indulge me for a moment. It’s irrational that my partner can’t be trained in how to recognize a terrorist threat, or an intelligence trap. How is that in our overseas communities’ interests, or in those of the Department? It’s unfair that, because we’re not married and indeed cannot marry, I have to pay his transportation to my assignments. It makes no sense that partners cannot sit in otherwise vacant seats to learn the informal community roles expected of them as Ambassadors’ or DCMs’ partners. Why serve in dangerous or unhealthful places, if partners’ evacuations and medevacs are at issue? And shouldn’t gay and lesbian partners have separate maintenance allowances, when employees answer the call to duty in Iraq and elsewhere? Does their service and sacrifice somehow matter less?

I’ve spoken with many, but not all, of you about this over time. To those who are hearing this for the first time, I want to make clear that this is not about gay rights. Rather, it’s about the safety and effectiveness of our communities abroad, of the people who represent America. It’s about equal treatment of all employees, all of whom have the same service requirements, the same contractual requirements. It’s as much a part of transforming diplomacy as any issue the Secretary has chosen to address. And fundamentally, it’s about principles on which our country was founded, principles that you and I are called upon to represent abroad – principles that in fact are symbolized by this flag, which ironically has been offered to my partner.

Nick [Burns] and Harry [Thomas] – and Pat Kennedy, my old friend – congratulations, I just heard yesterday that you’ve been confirmed as Under Secretary for Management. I have complete confidence in you, and I know you’re going to do a great job. I ask all of you to give this issue the priority it deserves. This is discrimination, pure and simple, and it doesn’t deserve a place in the institution that this Secretary leads. I mean, come on! We do amazing things overseas, convincing governments to do things they really don’t want to do. How is it that we can’t convince our own leadership, our own government, to do something that’s so clearly right? Secretary Rice has access and influence with this President, and now we have a Democratic Congress – you know that we can do this! Please take this issue up – not for my sake, it’s too late for that, but for the sake of those who remain, and for the integrity of this institution and indeed of this flag.

I’ve often said that leaders are judged not only by the challenges they tackle, but by those they fail to address. Well, this is a question of leadership – and please don’t just reach for the low-hanging fruit. That’s really not enough. I’ve heard for a year and a half now that we’re going to allow partners into a few FSI courses. Well, even that hasn’t happened, but that’s not good enough – it’s the low-hanging fruit that should have been done years ago. This issue needs a comprehensive approach. We are WAY behind the private sector in this area, and it’s time for the Department to catch up.

Enough said. Please work on this. If you need help from the outside, let me know, and I’m sure I can arrange it.

Wherever I go, and whatever I do, I’ll carry this flag with me. It will remind me of what our country should stand for. But the stars in this flag will remind me of you, of each of you, and of so many other cherished colleagues, far-flung across this globe, who serve America with skill and dedication and pride. Know that as you embark on your journeys, you carry my heart and America’s hopes with you.

Thank you again for coming, and may God bless you all.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 at 9:16 am and is filed under Josh. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.