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‘Courage, dignity and love’

U.S. ambassador to Sweden welcomes LGBT advocates in new era of openness for Foreign Service

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Bob Witeck, Sweden, gay news, Washington Blade
Bob Witeck, Sweden, gay news, Washington Blade

Bob Witeck (third from left) speaks to Swedish LGBT rights advocates in Stockholm earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Witeck)

By good luck, I landed my very first job after college at the U.S. Department of State nearly four decades ago. The State Department always has been a magnet for any young person excited about world affairs and surrounded by smart, dedicated professionals.

While I could not then predict where my career might take me, I knew one thing for sure. The American Foreign Service, at the time, was likely to be a sensitive and risky environment for an openly gay man or woman. In 1974, we were confined by long ago norms and outdated security rules under then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that made it virtually impossible to successfully ascend the diplomatic ranks to live and work honestly and openly.

Fast forward to the dramatic changes in Foggy Bottom in recent years, and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s declaration that “gay rights are human rights.” American diplomacy today not only reflects this refreshing change, but also has improved the lives and the mission of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender foreign service colleagues everywhere – including the posting of LGBT senior diplomats and the appointment of outstanding Ambassadors like David Huebner who serves us in New Zealand, and last week’s swearing in of John Berry, now newly married and establishing his new home at our Embassy in Australia.

All of these changes, of course, were made possible in part by the courageous work performed since 1992 by the leaders and members of GLIFAA (Gays & Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies). Often with personal risk, GLIFAA gave birth to the Foreign Service trailblazers and allies essential to achieve the potential for LGBT people to serve openly and proudly in their ranks, and to welcome our spouses, partners and families.

This month in Stockholm I witnessed these historic changes first-hand when I was invited by the American Embassy staff to serve as a guest speaker during Sweden’s Pride season. While our U.S. Foreign Service professionals play many roles in world capitals, some like Embassy Counselor Jeff Anderson engage in public diplomacy – that connects American visitors and thought leaders with our counterparts overseas. In the truest spirit of diplomacy, it’s about learning, listening and finding common values. In addition, it was encouraging to discover that one of GLIFFA’s past presidents, Bob Gilchrist, today serves as Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy in Stockholm.

Jeff opened a new chapter this year for the Embassy by urging greater dialogue with LGBT business and civic leaders that gave me a unique chance to witness how Swedish society embraces openness, recognition and respect for LGBT people in all walks of life. We held a spirited Q&A session with the Embassy’s youth council, talked with business owners and entrepreneurs, and one morning, at the ambassador’s residence, held a first-ever breakfast conversation with a cross-section of 25 individuals representing LGBT and allied interests – including business, government, media, faith, political party leaders and the military.

Looking east toward the disturbing, darkening policies today of Russia, much of this conversation touched on several paths to combat Russian bigotry. While we spoke of boycotts, economic pressures and next year’s Olympics, it was encouraging to listen to Swedish perspectives on the global implications – Russia and beyond, and the long-term strategies it takes to achieve protections and lasting respect for LGBT lives, families and rights on all continents.

Tobias Holdstock, deputy political adviser to Stockholm’s mayor, left us with a haunting observation. He questioned whether the tide of anti-gay bigotry in some parts of the world is a signal of worse things to come, or perhaps a closing chapter of shrill backlash to the advances made by nations like Sweden and the U.S.

We also shared ideas about the dynamic intersection of American business with public policy, and how corporations are helping transform U.S. society to be more welcoming and inclusive. Over the past 20 years, I told first-hand about the pioneering steps that global brands like American Airlines have taken to change policies for their employees as well as customers that influenced many brands to follow.

Outstanding civic leaders like Ulrika Westerlund and Helena Westin, representing RFSL advocates – a Swedish group parallel to our Human Rights Campaign – led a special panel to talk about LGBT business inclusion and progress globally. In turn, I described the unprecedented milestone this past spring when nearly 300 major U.S. corporations from Amazon, Google and Twitter to Marriott, Orbitz and Xerox told the U.S. Supreme Court that the unfair Defense of Marriage Act must be repealed because of its harm to their businesses and the American economy.

What made these discussions especially meaningful and newsworthy for the Swedish was the personal engagement given by our Ambassador to Sweden Mark Brzezinski. Many will recognize his surname, since his father served as National Security Adviser in the Carter White House. We both have Virginia roots and degrees from the University of Virginia – and more important, a deeply shared desire to build bridges among LGBT and non-LGBT allies to advance human rights.

At the start of Stockholm’s monumental Pride celebration in late July, Ambassador Brzezinski took a bold step. He mesmerized Swedish television and newspapers by hoisting the Rainbow flag along with our American flag at his residence. Americans and Swedes alike applauded the signal it sent to other Embassies including the Russians. With this warm gesture, the Stockholm Pride organizers in turn honored Ambassador Brzezinski by selecting him to offer welcoming remarks at this year’s opening celebration – an historic and meaningful occasion for any American diplomat.

Ambassador Brzezinski made the most of the moment. In a headline remark quoted by Sweden’s largest tabloid paper, he declared: “Viar anti-anti-gay” or put simply in English, “We are anti anti-gay.”

Nor can we forget, throughout this remarkable experience, the ambassador’s personal words of welcome to the Swedish LGBT leaders and activists who joined us as his guests at the residence. He chose three simple words to express what he and President Obama feel about the global movement for LGBT rights by honoring “our courage, our dignity and our love.”

Bob Witeck is president of Witeck Communications, Inc., a D.C.-based strategic communications firm, and a longtime LGBT activist and writer. 

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Opinions

DC To Host 1st National TDOV Gala on Easter Sunday

Trans USA National Pageantry and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will host the 1st Annual Blossom Gala at Hook Hall.

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The first International Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) celebration was held 15 years ago, with the goal of addressing the major concern that the only well-known trans-centered day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which mourned the murders of transgender people but did not acknowledge and celebrate living members of the transgender community. On March 31, Trans USA National Pageantry and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will host the 1st Annual Blossom Gala at Hook Hall, which will serve as the culminating event of their TDOV programming in Washington, DC. 

Dylan Drobish (also known as Dylan B. Dickherson White), National Director at Trans USA, offered the following: “It is our hope that Blossom will serve as a reminder not just of the battle we face every day but also of the beauty, excellence, intellect, and resilience of transgender Americans. We believe that this event is especially important given the increased backlash and violence against our community in the last few years alone, with nearly 500 anti-trans bills under consideration across 41 states as of March. However, Blossom—and TDOV itself—is a celebration held in defiance of the idea that trans lives are only worthy of headlines once they have ended.”

Preceded by an impactful, inspiring rally at the national mall (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM) featuring Angelica Ross of Pose and AHSBlossom is a fundraising initiative that blends keynote speakers, a Q&A panel discussion with national leaders in the movement for transgender equality, and the artistry of drag with CHERRY BOMB–an all-trans drag showcase headlined by trans icon, activist, and Drag Race pioneer Monica Beverly Hillz. This pivotal event will also serve as the official public launch of the TRANSform the Vote initiative, which aims to inspire transgender people and allies to make their voices heard at the ballot box.

But make no mistake. Blossom is a celebration, and the event organizers have pulled out all the stops to ensure that ticket prices remain accessible without sacrificing the magic of a true gala experience. For truly gram-worthy “pink carpet” photos, all attendees are invited to “dress to impress” with their interpretation of a timely theme that celebrates the beauty of coming into one’s own as a visible member of the trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming community.  

The event comes at a pivotal time for both the community and the organizations seeking to protect it: This summer, NCTE will officially merge with Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) to create Advocates for Trans Equality, doubling their ability to lead the next chapter of the transgender rights movement. This November, Trans USA will welcome over 80 representatives from across the country to their national competition, which will for the first time also feature a national conference and exposition solely focused on the trans and non-binary community. While monumental, these 2024 events come with unprecedented challenges, as many major corporations and grant programs refuse to provide funding related to “controversial social or political issues”, especially in an election year. 

Despite these challenges, celebratory events like Blossom are, unsurprisingly, now more important than ever, with trans lives having been politicized to such a polarizing extent. Drobish, a former Mr. Trans USA himself offered the following: 

“‘Narrative identity’ refers to the idea that our identities are formed from the internal stories we tell about ourselves (and our interpretation of them). Organizations like Trans USA and NCTE are here to help rewrite the narrative that gets passed down to the next generation of trans and non-binary folks. My message to anyone involved with Trans USA or the movement in general has always been that you are the author of your story—the story that gives your life meaning and purpose—and you get to choose how it’s told. Are you the hero or the victim? Are you the agent or the object? Are you the one telling your story, or is someone else doing all the talking? It’s 2024, and it’s time to take the pen back. Because true visibility isn’t about being seen; it’s about making others feel seen. Seen enough to BLOSSOM.” 

Tickets for the Blossom gala start at just $15, but VIP guests ($100) will receive access to a premium open bar from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, light hors d’oeuvres, and prime seating, in addition to the 20-entertainer showcase with a Drag Race headliner! While doors open at 4:30 PM for the event, advance purchase online is strongly recommended by the organizers, as only a limited number of these VIP tickets are available.

-Dylan Drobish (National Director, Trans USA National Pageantry; Mr. Trans USA 2022, Mr. Freddie’s 2019

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Opinions

Attacking Jews is latest Trump outrage

Anyone who supports equality and peace must vote for Biden

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(Washington Blade file photo by Christopher Kane)

Calling out the Jewish community in the United States as Trump did, is both dumb, and anti-Semitic. The Jewish community has been a Democratic constituency for many years, and attacking them won’t get them to vote for him.

It is a difficult time for many Jews in the world today. I being one of them. I am a strong supporter of Israel, but support Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who believes there will never be peace in the Middle East as long as Netanyahu and his government are in control. Israel cannot keep annexing West Bank land, which should be part of a Palestinian state if we can get to a two-state solution. In fact, they must draw back the settlements now there. At the same time, like Schumer, I believe both Netanyahu and Hamas have to go. Being anti-Netanyahu is not being anti-Israel, just as being anti-Trump is not being anti-United States, or wanting Hamas to go, is not being anti-Palestinian. 

Attacking Jews is just one more outrageous thing coming out of Trump’s mouth. He is a notorious sexist, racist, homophobic, pig. He is an old man who can’t control his mouth and continues to spout nonsense. His apparently limited brain power is tied up in disgusting views of the world and individuals. He mocks those with disabilities like he did to a New York Times reporter, and mocks President Biden for his stutter. There was a recent column in the Washington Post reminding people Trump’s father had Alzheimer’s. I think we may be seeing the disease manifest itself in Trump. 

I have written this election is between two older men. I myself am older, and understand one often forgets a name, a date, or an event. Having just written a memoir, which I hope will be published in May, in its preface I say “these are dates and events as I remember them.” But as neuroscientist Charan Ranganath recently wrote in the Washington Post, that in no way limits how a person can understand complex issues, or in my case work as a consultant and research and write weekly columns. For a president, especially one who is older, it is important for us to know who is surrounding him or her. I am definitely more secure knowing those who will be around and advising President Biden, versus those around Trump. No one person alone, whatever their age, can handle all the issues facing a president.

Whether you are a Jew supporting Israel, a Muslim supporting the Palestinian people, or someone like me supporting both, you are better off with President Biden. If you support the Palestinian people having their freedom, then Trump must strike fear in your heart, after all, he is the one who moved the American embassy to Jerusalem. 

The idea of electing a man convicted of fraud in his business dealings, found liable for sexually mistreating a woman, and who faces another 88 criminal counts, is ludicrous. It actually says as much about the people who would vote for him, as it does about Trump. A man who brags about taking away the right of women to control their own body, and healthcare, doesn’t deserve the vote of any woman. A man who opposes equal rights, affirmative action, and saw good people on both sides in Charlottesville, doesn’t deserve the vote of any Black American. A man who opposes any forgiveness of student loans, denies climate change, opposes making community college free, doesn’t deserve the vote of any young person. 

It amazes me when people compare how things were four years ago to today, and say they were better then. A time you couldn’t find toilet paper on grocery shelves, 1,000 people a day were dying of COVID, the Dow Jones was at 19,000 and today it’s at 39,000. The country was hemorrhaging jobs and in the last three years 13 million have been created. Wages are higher and unemployment lower. 

Of course, as President Biden says, we need to do more. He is doing it, Trump didn’t. Trump gave a $2 trillion tax cut to the wealthy, increasing the national debt. He pledges to do it again. Biden passed a massive infrastructure bill, now creating thousands of jobs building and repairing bridges and roads, in every state. He passed the Chips and Science Act, recently announcing new chip factories in four states, creating thousands of new construction and manufacturing jobs. Those factories will change the U.S. from an importing country, to a producing one. That is some of the real change Biden has brought about. 

Trump talks big, but never produced; Biden is producing for the American people, and will continue to do so.

Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

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Letter-to-the-Editor

Banning the Rainbow Flag: the latest act of GOP madness

Prohibition included in government spending bill the president signed

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The Progress Pride flag flies in front of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin on July 22, 2022. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

The Republican agenda is an obvious one: Distract from real issues by assaulting the most vulnerable. That’s why they have focused their hatred on the LGBTQ+ community. After years of legislating book bans, curriculum censorship, bathroom restrictions and withholding medically needed gender therapy, their latest act is signature Republican cruelty: For a crucial trillion-dollar budget that would prevent a government shutdown, the GOP slipped in a measure to ban the display of Rainbow Flags at U.S. embassies all over the world.

This is not an act of mere symbolism. In too many countries, being queer is punishable by imprisonment or death. Measures like this give a green light to violence and homophobia both at home and abroad. It places more LGBTQ+ people at tangible risk. It is an outrageous abuse of the political process.

This cynical political maneuver is typical of the GOP, the Party of Destruction. But equally egregious is that President Biden and Democrats approved the budget, knowing the poison pill line item that had already been added.

Now, President Biden vows to repeal the embassy flag ban measure. We will hold him to his vow. Will he expend the political capital necessary to make the repeal happens? We must remember that he and the Congress capitulated to a small group of GOP manipulators and, in this instance, saw the global LGBTQ+ community as expendable.

The Democratic Party positions itself as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. They must hold their ground. They must represent and defend all of us. Otherwise, an emboldened GOP, led by Trump, will only escalate their merciless attacks on our vulnerable communities.”

Charles Beal is president of the Gilbert Baker Foundation and the Save the Rainbow Flag Campaign.

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