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Blade speaks exclusively to U.S. envoy for global LGBTQ rights

Jessica Stern named to position in June 2021

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Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad, spoke exclusively with the Washington Blade ahead of Pride month. (Photo courtesy of OutRight Action International)

The special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad in an exclusive interview with the Washington Blade ahead of Pride month highlighted the White House’s efforts in support of LGBTQ rights around the world.

Jessica Stern pointed out to the Blade the State Department’s decision to offer passports with an “X” gender marker “is an important example of how we’re expanding resources to people who are targeted because of gender identity and expression.” She also noted U.S. embassies and consulates over the last year have publicly condemned violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Andrea González, a transgender activist in Guatemala who was shot to death on June 11, 2021, near her Guatemala City home, participated in the State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program.

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols is among the U.S. officials who condemned González’s murder. William Popp, the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power visited the headquarters of González’s group, Reinas de la Noche, to express their condolences over her death.

Andrea González in D.C. (Photo via Facebook)

The U.S. Consulate General in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, condemned the so-called honor killing of Doski Azad, a trans woman whose brother reportedly shot her in the head and chest in January after she returned to the region. The State Department in May 2021 in a statement to the Blade described the so-called honor killing of Ali Fazeli Monfared, an Iranian man whose relatives murdered him after they learned he was gay, as “appalling.”

Doski Azad (Photo via Instagram)

Stern noted the Biden administration’s continued support of LGBTQ rights abroad also includes marriage equality in countries where activists say such a thing is possible through legislation or the judicial process.

“The administration acknowledges that married or not, LGBTQI+ people, couples and their families deserve full equality, access to legal protections and should have their families legally recognized,” she said. “All of this is consistent with President Biden’s commitment to LGBTQI+ equality and marriage equality specifically.”

President Biden in February 2021 signed a memo that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ rights abroad as part of his administration’s overall foreign policy. The White House four months later named Stern, who was previously the executive director of OutRight Action International, as the next special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad.

Biden, who is Catholic, was vice president in 2012 when he publicly backed marriage equality during on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He spoke in favor of the issue before then-President Obama did.

A law that allows same-sex couples to marry and adopt children took effect in Chile in March.

Same-sex couples in Switzerland will be able to legally on July 1 after voters last November overwhelmingly approved a “Marriage for All” law.

Lawmakers in Cuba continue to consider a new family code that could pave the way for marriage equality on the island. Honduran President Xiomara Castro, who took office in January, has publicly backed marriage equality in her country.

The Privy Council’s Judicial Committee in London in March upheld a Bermuda law that rescinded marriage rights for same-sex couples. The same judicial body, which is an appellate court for British territories, also ruled same-sex couples don’t have a constitutional right to marry in the Cayman Islands.

A privately-owned coffee shop in Havana on Dec. 16, 2018, notes its support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Stern last month spoke at the 2022 ILGA World Conference that took place in Long Beach, Calif.

She spoke with the Blade before she traveled to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam. Stern will also visit Lithuania, Sweden and the Netherlands before she returns to the U.S. on June 8.

Malaysia is one of the upwards of 70 countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized. Iran, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania are three of the handful of nations in which homosexuality remains punished by death.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price, who is openly gay, during a May 2021 interview with the Blade said the decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relations is one of the Biden administration’s five priorities in its efforts to promote LGBTQ rights abroad. Stern noted that “among a wider set of priorities, marriage equality is one element of our longstanding and ongoing commitment to advance the rights of LGBTQI+ persons.”

“All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, regardless of who they love,” she said.

Stern acknowledged potential critics of the White House’s efforts to champion marriage equality and other LGBTQ-specific issues around the world. Stern stressed, however, the “only thing that holds us back is hatred and intolerance.”

“We see autocracy is on the rise globally. We see that democratic institutions and democracies themselves are being undermined and we see LGBTQI+ people are often the canary in the coal mine,” she said. “We need to fight back against these homophobic and transphobic trends.”

Jessica Stern speaks at the 2022 ILGA World Conference in Long Beach, Calif., on May 2, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Andy Perez/ILGA World)

The State Department on April 28 released a report on the implementation of Biden’s memo.

USAID and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief a few weeks earlier announced they delivered more than 18 million doses of antiretroviral drugs for Ukrainians with HIV/AIDS. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last August after he met with Biden at the White House pledged his country will continue to fight anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

Stern noted Canada and Germany are among the other countries that have pledged to support LGBTQ rights abroad as part of their respective foreign policies.

“Every administration sets its own priorities. We know what a positive impact President Biden’s staunch support of LGBTQI+ rights has had on this community domestically and on our support for LGBTQI+ people internationally,” she said. “Thankfully, governments around the world are increasingly normalizing the idea that LGBTQI+ people are entitled to recognition under the law and affirming that their rights need to be an explicit part of a human rights agenda.”

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The White House

Biden ‘heartbroken’ over death of Nex Benedict

‘Nonbinary and transgender people are some of the bravest Americans I know’

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President Joe Biden at the White House Pride month reception on June 10, 2023. (Washington Blade photo by Christopher Kane)

President Joe Biden issued a statement on Thursday about the death of Nex Benedict, the trans-nonbinary Oklahoma teen whose death last month after enduring months of bullying sparked national conversations about anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the state and across the country.

The results of an autopsy report released on Wednesday showed Benedict had died after ingesting diphenhydramine, an antihistimine with brand names including Benadryl, and fluoxetine (Prozac), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor often used to treat depression.

The president’s statement reads:

“Jill and I are heartbroken by the recent loss of Nex Benedict. Every young person deserves to have the fundamental right and freedom to be who they are, and feel safe and supported at school and in their communities. Nex Benedict, a kid who just wanted to be accepted, should still be here with us today. 

“Nonbinary and transgender people are some of the bravest Americans I know. But nobody should have to be brave just to be themselves. In memory of Nex, we must all recommit to our work to end discrimination and address the suicide crisis impacting too many nonbinary and transgender children. Bullying is hurtful and cruel, and no one should face the bullying that Nex did. Parents and schools must take reports of bullying seriously. My prayers are with Nex’s family, friends, and all who loved them – and to all LGBTQI+ Americans for whom this tragedy feels so personal, know this: I will always have your back.

“To LGBTQI+ young people across the country – you are loved exactly as you are. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or alone, you can call or text 988, the National Crisis Hotline, and dial the number ‘3’ to talk to a counselor who has been specifically trained to support LGBTQI+ youth.”

In late February, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre began a press briefing by acknowledging Benedict’s death, telling reporters “Our hearts are with Nex Benedict’s family, friends, entire school community in the wake of this horrific and gut wrenching tragedy.”

Earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Jean-Pierre issued statements on X, formerly Twitter, about the teen’s passing.

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White House press secretary honors David Mixner

Prominent activist died on Monday

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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on March 12, 2024 (Washington Blade photo by Christopher Kane)

During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre honored the passing of celebrated LGBTQ activist and author David Mixner, which was announced on his personal Facebook page late Monday.

His “moral clarity never wavered,” she said, “which is why he became such an invaluable confidant for so many, including presidential hopefuls, elected leaders and voices of the movement for LGBTQ+ equality.”

Jean-Pierre continued, “Perhaps most importantly, he was deeply dedicated to mentoring the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders fighting to create a better world,” adding, “those of us doing this work today, including myself, owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Serving since May 2022, Jean-Pierre is the first Black and the first openly-LGBTQ White House press secretary.

Mixner, who reportedly passed from long COVID-19, first rose to prominence as an anti-Vietnam War activist. He became known as a political strategist who was close with former President Bill Clinton — and convinced him to address a gay and lesbian audience in 1992, becoming the first major presidential candidate to do so.

From his work securing then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan’s opposition to a measure banning gay schoolteachers to his activism over HIV/AIDS — and issues from nuclear disarmament to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ — Mixner’s influence spanned decades.

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The White House

LGBTQ activists among Global Women of Courage Award recipients

White House ceremony took place Monday

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From left: First lady Jill Biden, Volha Harbunova and Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Screen capture via State Department's X account)

First lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday hosted the 18th annual International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the White House.

A State Department press release notes the IWOC Award “recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity — often at great personal risk and sacrifice.”

The State Department since March 2007 has honored more than 190 women from 90 countries with the IWOC Award.

The process involves U.S. diplomatic missions overseas nominating a potential honoree from their respective host countries. Senior State Department officials who represent a diverse range of backgrounds and causes then select and approve the finalists.

Honorees after the IWOC ceremony will then participate in the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program with additional programming in Los Angeles. Two of this year’s honorees — Volha Harbunova from Belarus and Myintzu Win from Myanmar — promote LGBTQ rights in their respective countries. Their bios that the State Department provided are below.

Volha Harbunova

Volha Harbunova, a Belarusian human rights defender, stands out among the 2024 IWOC awardees for her unwavering dedication to advocating for the rights of women, children, the LGBTQI+ community and other marginalized groups in Belarus. Her courage became evident in the wake of the fraudulent 2020 elections in Belarus when she organized women’s marches. Subsequently imprisoned by the Lukashenka regime, Ms. Harbunova endured psychological torture and death threats for assisting abused women while incarcerated.

Upon her release, facing the specter of continued repression, Ms. Harbunova sought refuge in Lithuania. In exile, she joined the cabinet of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement. Serving as the Representative for Social Issues, her mandate includes advocating for the release of political prisoners and providing support to former political prisoners and their families. Additionally, she promotes psychosocial support to the Belarusian community in exile.

As the former head of the NGO Radislava, which was ultimately shuttered by the Lukashenka regime, Ms. Harbunova spent two decades pioneering activism in support of victims of domestic violence. Her organization operated one of the only shelters for children and women in Belarus.

Myintzu Win

Myintzu Win, a veteran criminal defense lawyer from Burma, is another standout among the 2024 IWOC awardees. Her advocacy extends to marginalized communities, including women, children, the indigent, persons with disabilities and the LGBTQI+ community. Ms. Win, a tireless defender of fundamental rights, has pro bono defended over 500 clients, overcoming significant obstacles in Burma’s legal landscape.

In her previous role as a legal advisor to the International Development Law Organization, Ms. Win’s dedication extended beyond individual cases. She focused on strengthening judicial capacity and empowering legal professionals in Burma. Today, her commitment to societal equity and legal fairness continues as she leads a legal aid team founded in 2017. The team imparts legal training to law students as pro bono lawyers, promotes public legal awareness of the rule of law throughout Burma and collaborates with freelance lawyers to provide crucial legal support to those in dire need.

The recognition of Volha Harbunova and Myintzu Win with the IWOC Award underscores the global importance of their efforts in advocating for justice, equality and the empowerment of the marginalized. As they join the ranks of previous honorees, their stories serve as an inspiration for women around the world.

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