Comments on: The Other Don’t Ask Don’t Tell http://www.undiplomatic.net/2009/01/27/the-other-dont-ask-dont-tell/ Bringing foreign policy back, girl. Those other countries don't know how to act. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:24:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Alison http://www.undiplomatic.net/2009/01/27/the-other-dont-ask-dont-tell/#comment-12483 Alison Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:46:26 +0000 http://www.undiplomatic.net/?p=2532#comment-12483 I agree that concerns about what a foreign government might think of our HR policies should not play a part in this decision. After all, no one is objecting to Secretary Clinton's appointment based on the Saudis' views on women's rights, are they? We must lead by example. Digger is right that Clinton has usually been a friend of the LGBT community. I suspect that if she doesn't change the rules, it will be because the decision is made over her head. President Obama managed to alienate a number of his gay supporters before even being inaugurated - I don't doubt his commitment to equal rights, but I think it might be trumped by his commitment to national "unity." The transition team made it pretty clear that they want to avoid the mistakes of the Clinton administration, which probably includes the spending of precious political capital right out of the gate on the issue of gay rights. I agree that concerns about what a foreign government might think of our HR policies should not play a part in this decision. After all, no one is objecting to Secretary Clinton’s appointment based on the Saudis’ views on women’s rights, are they? We must lead by example.

Digger is right that Clinton has usually been a friend of the LGBT community. I suspect that if she doesn’t change the rules, it will be because the decision is made over her head. President Obama managed to alienate a number of his gay supporters before even being inaugurated - I don’t doubt his commitment to equal rights, but I think it might be trumped by his commitment to national “unity.” The transition team made it pretty clear that they want to avoid the mistakes of the Clinton administration, which probably includes the spending of precious political capital right out of the gate on the issue of gay rights.

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