Group Recognized for Gay, Lesbian Rights Advocacy
FrontLines - November 2009
By Angela Rucker
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Ajit Joshi, left, and Chadwick
Mills of USAID
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The organization that represents
gay and lesbian employees
at USAID picked up the 2009
award for Employee Resource
Group of the Year from Out &
Equal Workplace Advocates.
It marks the first time a U.S.
federal employee organization
has won the award, which recognizes
individuals and organizations
that advance equality
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) employees
in workplaces throughout
the United States and is better
known by its nickname, the
Outies.
Ajit Joshi, policy director of
Gays and Lesbians in Foreign
Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) and
a senior program officer in the
Bureau for Democracy, Conflict
and Humanitarian Assistance,
was in Orlando Oct. 8 to receive
the award along with 11 colleagues—
gay and straight—from
the Agency and the Departments
of State and Agriculture.
GLIFAA represents LGBT
employees from State and other
foreign affairs agencies in addition
to USAID.
USAID tied with General
Motors’ employee resource
group People Like Us (PLUS),
and beat out finalists from corporate
heavyweights including the
New York Times Co. and Sodexo
Inc. to take home the trophy
before a crowd of nearly 2,000.
In videotaped remarks,
Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton congratulated
the group on its win and its legacy
of advocacy, and offered her
support: “I promise to continue
to fight for a world in which all
people live free from violence
and fear regardless of who they
are or whom they love.”
“I felt like it was the recognition
that was long overdue,”
said Joshi, who thanked Clinton
for backing the group and credited
GLIFAA members’ persistence
and courage.
“We succeeded because
we had a committed, global
[employee resource group]
membership—out as LGBT and
straight allies—who believe
service for their country is not
incompatible with fundamental
human rights—American
rights,” he said.
This year GLIFAA stepped
up its advocacy for same-sex
partners of Foreign Service
Officers (FSOs).
“When President Obama
was elected, we decided that we
had a window of opportunity,”
Joshi said. “We had to seize
that opportunity.”
It worked. Clinton
announced in June that samesex
partners may receive some
of the same benefits as married
couples, including medical
care at post, visas, and other
advantages. USAID Acting
Administrator Alonzo Fulgham
followed up with a similar rule
change in August.
The Department of Justice,
the Centers for Disease
Control, and the Peace Corps
have also instituted partner
benefits, following the State/
USAID lead.
LGBT employee resource
groups from the Departments
of Commerce, Labor, and
Education; as well as the
Securities and Exchange
Commission, Pension Benefits
Guarantee Corp., NASA, and
the private sector have all
called GLIFAA for advice.
Joshi said that, while the
award is a milestone, the group
is continuing its work to ensure
that the new rules on same-sex
couples are implemented and to
build bridges with other advocacy
groups at the Agency.
★
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