Late yesterday, the Advocate.com posted a news story about Secretary Clinton's upcoming plans to grant benefits to the partners and children of gay and lesbians working in the U.S. State Department (i.e., The Foreign Service). The story was reported by the Advocate journalist, Kerry Eleveld. From what I can tell, Eleveld's story (and the letter) comes from an anonymous source in the U.S. government. So, this letter is still "unconfirmed," but if turns out to be true, then this would be a significant step on a certain level. More details of the story and letter follow below...
In her article, Kerry Eleveld provides some details about a "draft" of a letter that Secretary Clinton is currently writing. Apparently, this letter has yet to be approved by gov't lawyers, but it provides some interesting implications. Additionally, Clarknt67 also included this news yesterday in a diary update, but I think this "letter of Clinton" hasn't been circulated yet here on the DailyKos site. The full letter from Clinton follows Eleveld's article from the Advocate below...
The Advocate has obtained a draft of a letter from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to employees of the State Department that details her intentions to extend certain benefits to same-sex partners of foreign service officers posted abroad.
"Historically, domestic partners of Foreign Service members have not been provided the same training, benefits, allowances, and protections that other family members receive. These inequities are unfair and must end. Providing training, medical care, and other benefits to domestic partners promote the cohesiveness, safety, and effectiveness of our posts abroad," says the letter.
The letter explains that the department will be "exercising its inherent authority to change its regulations in the Foreign Affairs Manual and Department of State Standardized Regulations" in order to allow domestic partners of foreign service personnel to qualify as family members. "Where appropriate, this extension of benefits and allowances will apply to the children of domestic partners as well."
So the thought I have is - If this indeed happens (and the partners & kids of gay State Dept. workers get benefits)- then, what about the rest of the workers at the U.S. State Dept.? In other words, why would the Foreign Service families only get benefits, but not the other workers? Is this just the first step of a larger move in the government, or it because the Foreign Service is just that liberal? Here's the letter (supposedly from Clinton) that Eleveld published with her story.
DRAFT INTERNAL RELEASE
For Review
Today, I am pleased to announce that the Department of State will be extending a number of benefits and allowances to domestic partners of members of the Foreign Service assigned abroad.
While a career in the Foreign Service is rewarding, the demands to serve our country both at home and abroad also require great sacrifice by our Foreign Service personnel and their families as well. Family members often must uproot their lives, endure hardship conditions, and put their own careers on hold. Like all families, our Foreign Service families come in different configurations; all are part of the common fabric of our Post communities abroad.
Historically, domestic partners of Foreign Service members have not been provided the same training, benefits, allowances, and protections that other family members receive. These inequities are unfair and must end. Providing training, medical care, and other benefits to domestic partners promote the cohesiveness, safety, and effectiveness of our Posts abroad. It will also help the Department attract and retain personnel in a competitive environment where domestic partner benefits and allowances are increasingly the norm for world-class employers. At bottom, the Department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex domestic partners because it is the right thing to do.
The Department will be exercising its inherent authority to change its regulations in the Foreign Affairs Manual and Department of State Standardized Regulations to allow the domestic partners of Department Foreign Service personnel to qualify as family members for a variety of benefits and allowances. Where appropriate, this extension of benefits and allowances will apply to the children of domestic partners as well. To qualify for these benefits and allowances, an employee must file an affidavit identifying his or her domestic partner and certifying to certain eligibility requirements that will be set forth in the FAM.
The Department of State intends to provide the following additional benefits and allowances for declared domestic partners of eligible employees serving overseas:
· Diplomatic passports,
· Inclusion on employee travel orders to and from posts abroad,
· Shipment of household effects,
· Inclusion in family size calculations for the purpose of making housing allocations,
· Family member preference for employment at posts abroad,
· Use of medical facilities at posts abroad,
· Medical evacuation from posts abroad,
· Emergency travel for the partners to visit gravely ill or injured employees,
· Inclusion as family members for emergency evacuation from posts abroad,
· Subsistence payments related to emergency evacuation from posts abroad,
· Inclusion in calculations of payments of overseas differentials and allowances (e.g., payment for quarters, cost of living, and other allowances),
· Representation expenses, and
· Training at the Foreign Service Institute.
The Department also will work with our inter-agency partners and host country governments to provide domestic partners with diplomatic visas, appropriate diplomatic and consular privileges and immunities, and authorization to work in the local economy abroad.
We look forward to implementing these changes.
Personally, I'm hoping this news is just the first of many good things to come in the U.S. federal government. But first, I'd like to see confirmation that this letter is indeed Clinton's own work. I don't like the whole "unconfirmed" quality of this letter. I know that this issue has been in the public spotlight just recently (when Representative Berman commented on the White House), but I wonder - Can such a great thing actually be true? Of course, I know it's just a small, wee part of the U.S. government getting benefits, but still, there's something awesome about it. Maybe this is just the beginning of a larger process? I can't help but hope because I'd love to see this be true.
For me, it's really thought-provoking that the Foreign Service would be the first branch of the Federal Government to receive spousal benefits for same-sex couples. I keep thinking about that aspect of the story and matter. I mean - it would make sense that these spouses and children would need protections and training, but why limit it there? Is this one part of an incremental plan in the Obama administration? First though, I look forward to seeing this story completely confirmed...