@ungrexx sl thB lilnitph Ststes

lfliluxftingtun, B@ e[5U

Februarv 2.2009

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

Congratulations on your confirmation as our new Secretary of State. We welcome your

leadership in promoting America's security and standing in the world and look forward to
working in partnership with you. As you begin your work, we hope that you will also
focus on equahzingthe internal State Department rules and regulations for lesbian, Edy,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Foreign and Civil Service employees.

Recently, you received a letter from the goup Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs
Agencies (GLIFAA), signed by over 2,200 government employees, expressing their
concems on this issue. As in the case of former Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest,
the inequitable treatment of LGBT Foreign and Civil Service Officers (FSOs) and their
partners should not be the reason why highly qualified employees leave the State
Department at a time when their service is needed more than ever. Many of these
inequities, however, could be remedied through your leadership as Secretary, without
legislative changes.

As you may know, by not including same-sex partners in the definition of an "Eligible
Family Member" (EFM), the Department excludes them from many of the State
Department benefits, protections, and services afforded to family members of FSOs.
These benefits are important to the safety, effectiveness, and morale of our communities
abroad.

We are particularly concerned that the Department has not taken enough steps to assure
the safety and security of non-EFM partners of FSOs. According to the State
Department's own literature, 85% of FSOs are likely to be a victim of crime at some
point during their overseas career. While same-sex partners are now allowed to take
security classes through the Foreign Service Institute, their access is only on a space-
available basis. Moreover, they are still denied access to embassy health services, even
in countries where grave health crises exist. They are not included in protocols for the
distribution of Tamiflu in the event of an avian flu outbreak, undercutting the most basic
preventive step against a potential pandemic outbreak. Further, if an evacuation is

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

 ,(eq1e1q16 'seefoldure NnJo sreuped xos-eur€s ot slgeueq lue-13 o1reqleq^\ Surprcep
uor{,lA roqrueruJJels eqlJo ur8uog:o f4unoc aq}Jo uoIssII trueuuuued }u?^oleJ eql
Jo suorlcrutsur eql ol rsJop IIIA Nn eql treq1Surpuelsrepun
rno sl1l 'sreuuud crlseurop
se sreuped xos-eurus leq] sleu8rsep ol Nn eql1e seefoldura u€clJoluv olqeuo o1 suolleN
pel1un eql ol suorssrl 'S'n ol ecuuprnS ept,to.rd 11,1r. nof edoq fpeltuns e.a,r 'os1y
crleuroldlp rno Suuelsloq ellq.^a slq8lr (fgCf) repue8suer] pue 'lunxestq',(eB
.r|figi
'selels
uo elor drqsrepeel s.uoll€u rno erolser uec flrlulrdsoq pu€ fi11enbe Jo reJJo sIqJ
pel1un eq] ul erues faql ellqa saulunoc JeI{}o uro.g sieuroldrpSo sreuped SutztuSoce:
ur luaurgudeg a1€ls aql Surpeel Jeprsuoc ol nof ISe o,4A 'senssl oseql ol uoqlppe uI
'1cy eBeu;eIN Jo esueJeq
eqlJo lurds ro reilol eql o1f.ru.r1uoc ere oloqu se8ueqc eqlJo ouoN '(ut)OtO uorleln8sg
pszrprcpuels a3r^ros u8rerog eql ul nlCg ueJo uolllugop eI{} repun sreugud cl}seuop
xes-eurcs Jo uorsnlcul eq1 q8norqt pessarppe ,(lluercgge eq lq8$r se8ueqc eseqlJo ,(ue141
sOSdJo sreuued cllseruop xes-elu€s
roJ sI ICfl,(q per(olue 1€ql ol elqeruduroc lsod 1e
lueurfolduro roJ snl€}s lelluereJord r
'S'n oql uI oJeq/!\esle ut s8utlsod
"ro uol8uHs?,{A.
o] SOSC Surr(uudurocc? sJeuped c4seurop u;oq-rfrero; xes-eues JoJ pu€ 's8ut1sod
s€esJo1o ol sOSd Surfueduroccu sJeuuud crlseurop xes-elu€s -ro3 poddns esrl r
cqseurop xos-eru'S
sosd,o s:euped -r:L1:Ty::ffi:1,'ffi"X ,
xes-eur€s rog r(resseceu ueqa lsod urog c€Aaperu pu€ uollence,te,{cue8reurg r
sOS.iIJo s.rsuped cqseurop xos-elues JoJ sess€lc ssouell]ceJJo
fssequre pue 'selpnls €eJu 'sesselc a8en8uel 11u Surpnlcur '3ururer1 o1 sseccv r
sOSd Jo sreuped cllsoruop xes-elu€s JoJ sJopJo IeA€4 uI uolsnlcul r
:seesJe1o sleo8 fcqod uecueuy goddns oq/v\ esoqlJo el€Joru pue f1e;es aq]
ur ecuoJeJJrp e eleru plno,/y\ seare fcrlod eseqtr ur drqsrepeel JnoA 'uolJcu leuotsse:8uo3
elnbe.r lou plno^\ pue se8ueqc ,fto1u1n8er Iuluelul q8noqi pelpuBq eq u€c qcqlY\Jo II?
,suJecuoc crs€q eseql Sursserppe ur olrl€ll1ul eql o{e} o} nor{ e8rn e,tr '.{ru1erce5 tuupulN
"lauuosred pegrlenb ul€leJ pu€ lcerile ol IIeJ feur lueurgedeq e1e15
eq1 'se4rnbew eseql8ur,(peue; lnor{llr!\ 's;euued cqsotuop otll roloc o} sure;3ord lgeueq
ea,(oldrue puelxe serueduroc 00S eungoggo r{luoieur eq} eJeql\'.lo1cas s1u.r.ud oq} uI pasn
secrlcerd lueurfoldure lseq eql r{lllr r$Fed aoleq 1r seceld se4r-ledstp oseq} o} uoque}}eul
'ses.(o1due JSD'I;o sreuged oql ol slgeueq
lsed s,luetugedeq alels oql'requnC
pue 'uorlcelord'8urure4 puelxe l\ou suorleu Jol{lo rtueur'Suueeq uo4€lruguoc suol}€leH
'sellrur€J
rfrerog e1€uas rnof 3o uorsses Jo,rsu€ puu uollsenb eqt Supnp pelou nof sy
1eq1 Surlcelord pue ,{.l1unoc rreql 8un:as ueel\}eq ecloqc e}eunpoJun u€ o>l€ru o} slelcgJo
,1ue3r11e1ur
pue sosc papeeu pue 'pelecrpop ecroJ plnoc lueu4earl elqulrnbs Jo >lcel eql
secJnosoJ pue f1e;es uoa,An'leq ecloqc Surualq8ul e
Surleerc - uorlencele ut\o Jreql JoJ elqrsuodser,,{llercueug e.te sreuged xos-eul€s 'perepro
are not FSOs, these individuals lead dedicated lives of service, and deserve the
opportunity to provide for their families'

During your confirmation hearing, you pledged to examine current policies relating to
lesbian and gay employees at the State Department. As you work to advance America's
national security and exemplify this great country's values around the world, we hope
you will follow through on this pledge and also work to fully support your diverse
workforce. Madam Seuetary, we would be pleased to work with you in addressing these
matters and look forward to your response. If you have any questions, please contact
Amber Shipley of Rep. Baldwin's staff at 202-225-2906.

Sincerely,

n uss Feingold
U.S. Senator

Member of Congress U.S. Senator