I think this has nothing to do with Stevens’ death. First of all, the guy wasn’t a total idiot and certainly wouldn’t have been out cruising downtown Benghazi or anywhere else. I doubt that the Libyans had any idea that he was gay.
He had also converted to Islam and was a Sufi (they are also very anti-gay, even though they are regarded as a heretical sect by more orthodox Muslims), so I think that if he had been a “practicing” gay in the past, he no longer qualified as one at that time.
He was killed because he was an American and a symbol of America, and they knew they could insult and humiliate us by doing this...and that there would be absolutely no risk to them for this act as long as their evil accomplice is in the White House.
Are you familiar with Ambassador Steven’s cause of Death?
Then I suppose the ads for openly gay body guards was just a fluke.
Really he converted, hum, well the guys who killed him were unaware.
How does this explain the rape and the forms of torture they used on him? I think they were aware of his past, and this was part of the reason for the attack.
In June, 2009, Secretary Clinton announced that the Department was extending a broad range of legally available benefits to same-sex domestic partners of members of the Foreign Service sent to serve abroad. Following are Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) developed as guidance for employees and their HR/CDA CDOs to follow as we continue to implement the Secretary's directive. The SOP (Standard Operation Procedures) begins with a review of the changes implemented since June 2009 and continues into our current efforts on accreditation with host governments. Employees should address questions to their CDOs. Please note that the SOP also addresses U.S. visas for non-U.S. Citizen partners, nepotism, and Separate Maintenance Allowances.
2. Begin text SOP B-29:
Authorities: 3 FAM 1610 (Foreign Affairs Manual) defines who qualifies as a same-sex domestic partner for purposes of obtaining benefits and assuming obligations under Department regulations and sets forth the procedures by which employees may declare or dissolve a domestic partnership.
Definition: Status as a same-sex domestic partner (SSDP) is established when the State Department Foreign Service employee files Form DS-7669 identifying and certifying his or her domestic partner as such and the form is accepted.
To obtain benefits for a SSDP, a State Department employee must file Form DS-7669 with the appropriate Assignment Technician in HR/EX/ASU.
What the Department Provides: The Department provides for declared SSDP of eligible employees:
--Diplomatic passports (U.S. diplomatic passports are available only to U.S. nationals. Non-U.S. national partners, therefore, do not receive diplomatic, official or other U.S. passports, but the Department does have a procedure for providing a letter to support the accreditation of non-U.S. national SSDPs.); --Inclusion on employee travel orders to and from foreign and domestic posts; --Inclusion in family size calculations for the purpose of making housing allocations; --Eligible Family Member (EFM) preferences for employment at posts abroad and in the United States; --Use of medical facilities at posts abroad; --Medical evacuation from posts abroad; --Emergency travel for partners to visit gravely ill or injured employees and relatives; --Inclusion as EFM for emergency evacuation from posts abroad; --Subsistence payments related to emergency evacuation from posts abroad; --Inclusion in calculations of payments of overseas allowances (e.g., payment for quarters, cost of living, and other allowances); --Representation expenses; --Training offered by the Foreign Service Institute or by posts abroad where such training is open to family members; --Eligibility for separate maintenance allowance (SMA).
Accreditation, Visas, Privileges and Immunities: The Department considers SSDPs to be "family members" under the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations and as a rule therefore seeks to accredit them at posts worldwide, so that they receive those Ps&Is that are enjoyed by other EFMs. When the host government is known to accept the accreditation of SSDP, the Department will work with foreign governments to provide SSDPs with diplomatic visas, privileges and immunities (Ps&IS), and authorization to work in the local economy. Procedures for seeking diplomatic visas, Ps&Is and authorization to work for SSDPs are the same as for any other EFM. Requests are normally initiated by the receiving post or by the relevant bureau. Employees should not self initiate this process with the host government.
That said, not all governments have agreed to accept the accreditation of SSDPs and provide them with that status.
CDOs should be prepared to offer basic guidance to clients with SSDPs about how host government attitudes, policies and practices on accreditation and Ps&Is might affect their bidding strategies and opportunities for their SSDPs. CDOs can direct clients to Points of Contact (usually PMOs) in relevant bureaus for more in- depth guidance on conditions at post.
Employees should be mindful that, if a SSDP were to be denied accreditation (diplomatic status), the SSDP may not be permitted to accompany the employee to post. Before any SSDP may travel to post in circumstances where they would not be expected to be accredited, the Department must first review, on a case by case basis, whether to allow a SSDP to reside at post without accreditation. In these cases, requests by the Foreign Service member to have an SSDP accompany the Foreign Service member will be approved only in those cases where foreign policy concerns and other concerns, such as for the safety and security of employees and family members for whom the COM is responsible can be appropriately addressed in the absence of Ps&Is.
Procedures for addressing cases where the receiving state will not accept the accreditation of SSDPs: A Senior Committee with representatives of HR (PDAS), L, and DS will consider each case individually. Committee consultations may include discussions with the COM and the regional bureau. SSDP issues, whether from CDOs, PMOs, employees or others, may be brought to the Senior Committee through HR/CDA.
Receiving State Recognition of Same-Sex Domestic Partners Who are not Eligible for U.S. Diplomatic Passports: U.S. passports are available only to U.S. nationals. Non-U.S. national SSDP, therefore, are not eligible to receive a diplomatic, official or other U.S. passport. The Department does consider non-citizen SSDPs to be EFMs eligible for Ps&Is. Some receiving states, however, have indicated that they will not accept the accreditation of non-U.S.-citizen SSDPs without diplomatic passports even if supported by a diplomatic note from the Embassy.
For those cases, the Director General has delegated signature authority for this purpose to the Executive Directors of the regional bureaus to sign letters of recognition for non-U.S.-citizen same-sex domestic partners based on filing of Form DS-7669. Executive Directors must clear individual letters with L-DL.
As with other EFMs, the Department will not authorize creation of a job at an embassy or consulate specifically for one SSDP, whether for visa or other purposes.
Curtailments and Breaks: The regulations controlling curtailment for an employee with a SSDP are the same as those for any employee. (3 FAM 2443) Failure of a receiving state to grant a same-sex domestic partner a visa does not automatically provide grounds for curtailment or break of an assignment, although such failure will be taken into account.
Non-U.S.-Citizen SSDPs When Employees Are Assigned to the U.S.: U.S. law imposes requirements on non-U.S. citizens coming to and residing in the United States. The Department is working to develop procedures by which non-U.S. citizen SSDPs may be eligible to accompany employees on domestic assignment. CDOs should direct questions to HR/CDA.
Tandem Couples: To the extent legally permissible, Department policies and procedures regarding tandem couples are equally applicable to tandem employees in a same-sex domestic partnership as they are to members of an opposite-sex tandem couple.
Nepotism: Same-sex domestic partners, as EFMs, are subject to the Department's nepotism regulations.
SMA: Employees are eligible to receive a separate maintenance allowance (SMA) on behalf of SSDPs to the same extent that employees are eligible to receive SMA for spouses. An employee may request SMA for special needs or hardship for any or all family members either before commencing a tour of duty or at any time during a tour of duty. (3 FAM 3232.3-3 and DSSR 260)
NOTE – SSDP or Same Sex Domestic Partner can be a Foreign Service National or person from a different country from the USA. An example is an Openly Gay Foreign Service member (capped at 15,000) can have a SSDP live in their rented living quarters paid by the US Department of State while that person serves in Afghanistan, Iraq or Iran (AIP), and provide Separate Maintenance Allowance to the tune of another $14,000); then the State Department will at the end of the FS members tour of duty in AIP move their household goods and boy/girl/friend (and that person’s dependents too – open that door) to the next Post or duty assignment.
So what does this mean? Literally, foreign intelligence operatives routinely catalog's all employees at all diplomatic missions so they know who works where, and when, and if of interest there is more information on US employees kept. Any number of countries are involved and I leave that to you to guess, but you can start with the Host Nation for starters, and extend that to their political allies, our enemies and friends alike.
Additionally, if the good Ambassador had a "friend" in prior postings he probably took advantage of the aforementioned FAMs/FAHs for benefits such as housing, travel and financial support for his partner -- if he did do this and he was an Ambassador, or Deputy Chief of Mission or Section head (Econ, Political, Management, Consular, Public Affairs, etc.) then he was a person of interest to our adversaries and friends alike.
It is possible the whole point of making GBLT Open-source in the US Diplomatic Community is to lessen the likelihood of blackmail....
where did you learn he had become a SUfi? I have not seen that anywhere.