Tag: Ambassador

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U.S. Ambassador To Zambia Recalled Over LGBTQ Rights

(image via Pexels)
The United States has recalled its ambassador to Zambia in the aftermath of comments he made about the jailing of a gay couple in the southern African nation. The two men – Steven Samba and Japhet Chataba – were arrested for having consensual relations in a private hotel room. They were found guilty of “crimes against the order of nature” and sentenced to 15 years in prison last month. Across much of Africa, homosexuality is considered taboo and having same-sex relations is illegal. The punishment for such crimes can range from imprisonment to the death penalty.
(image via Google Maps)
Ambassador Daniel Foote criticized the ruling by the country’s high court saying, “I was personally horrified to read about the sentencing of two men, who had a consensual relationship, which hurt absolutely no one.” Foote’s official statement also made mention of the $500 million in annual assistance Zambia receives from the United States saying, “In these countries where we contribute resources, this includes partnering in areas of mutual interest, and holding the recipient government accountable for its responsibilities under this partnership.” In an interview with Sky News, President Edgar Lungu defended his country’s homophobic laws saying, “Even animals don’t do it, so why should we be forced to do it?…because we want to be smart, civilized and advanced and so on.” “If there are such countries which will allow bestiality, let them do it but not here,” he added.

Foote’s comments chafed Zambian leaders and led to threats of violence against the ambassador causing him to cancel appearances at World AIDS Day events. Reuters reports that President Lungu wrote of his displeasure to the Trump administration which ultimately led to Foote being recalled. An embassy source told Reuters, “Since Lungu says he does not want to work with Foote, there was no point of him remaining. Also, don’t forget that there are security issues.” “The U.S. cannot be paying a salary to someone who cannot work because the hosts don’t want him,” added a second source. Bloomberg News adds that the U.S. currently has no plans to send a replacement for Foote any time soon. It’s worth noting that Zambia is the beneficiary of nearly $500 million each year in financial aid from the United States.

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House Dems Demand EU Ambassador Resign Over Ukraine Involvement

NBC News reports that a dozen House Democrats have called for Donald Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, to resign in the aftermath of reports regarding his role in the ongoing Ukraine scandal.

The calls for his ouster come as Sondland prepares to be deposed Tuesday by House committees as part of their impeachment inquiry into the president. The list includes one presidential candidate — Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio.

Sondland, a Trump political appointee, has emerged as a central player in Trump’s bid to persuade Ukraine’s new government to commit publicly to investigate corruption and the president’s political opponents.

Text messages given to Congress show Sondland and another diplomat explicitly tying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s willingness to announce an investigation to whether he would be granted a coveted White House visit.

Sondland, a Republican megadonor, came by his ambassadorship after donating over $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee. He’s spent the bulk of his life developing high-end, luxury hotels. Because, that’s what qualifies you to be an ambassador for the United States, yes? (photo: GordonSondlandPortrait.png” by EdiTHORial is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Trump’s Openly Gay Nominee Confirmed As U.S. Ambassador To Germany

Richard Grenell during Senate confirmation hearing

By a vote of 56-42, openly gay nominee Richard Grenell has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador to Germany making him the most high-profile openly gay appointee in the Trump administration.

From Chris Johnson at The Washington Blade:

Grenell — who has faced Democratic opposition over mean tweets he made about the appearance of women and other comments downplaying the significance of Russia’s influence in the 2016 election — was confirmed by a largely party line vote of 56-42.

Among the Democrats who joined Republicans in voting to confirm Grenell were Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Claire McCaskill (D-M0). All Republicans present voted for Grenell’s confirmation.

Both of the senators from Grenell’s home state of California — Sen. Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein — voted “no” on his confirmation.

First nominated by President Trump in September, Grenell’s confirmation means an openly gay person high-profile seat in the administration and serve as U.S. envoy to the world’s fourth largest national economy.

Resistance to Grenell’s nomination came in part due to comments he made on Twitter years ago about the appearance of women, including Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Callista Gingrich and Rachel Maddow.

He has since deleted the comments online and apologized, but in the context of the #MeToo movement today the comments became a flashpoint anew.

Grenell famously resigned from the Mitt Romney presidential campaign in 2012 after only two weeks as a foreign policy adviser due to pressure from conservatives over his sexuality.

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When That Extramarital Affair Pays Off

Newt and Callista Gingrich

CNN is reporting that Callista Gingrich, wife of former Speaker of the House Newt and serial adulterer Newt Gingrich, is the front runner to become the next ambassador to the Vatican.

According to White House officials, the decision to nominate Gingrich has been made, the only issue left to decide is when to make the official announcement. The only snag at the moment appears to be pending approval from the Office of Government Ethics.

The White House hopes to formally nominate Gingrich as soon as this week.

Gingrich has shared in interviews that she considers herself a devout Catholic, saying she has “always been a very spiritual person.”

You may recall that the “very spiritual” Callista Gingrich testified in 1999 during divorce proceedings that she had been having a six year affair with Newt Gingrich while he was married to his second wife, Marianne.

#SanctityOfMarriage #Spiritual #DevoutCatholic

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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President Obama nominates gay man for ambassador to Australia

John Berry, the former director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, was nominated Friday as U.S. ambassador to Australia, the White House announced on Friday

The Washington Blade notes that Berry would be the first openly gay ambassador to a G-20 country.

His nomination needs to be confirmed by the Senate.

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President Obama names two openly gay men to ambassadorships

President Obama has named two openly gay men to prominent ambassadorships: Rufus Gifford as Ambassador to Denmark, and also named James Costos as Ambassador to Spain.

Background from the White House:

Rufus Gifford tapped for US Ambassador to Denmark

Rufus Gifford most recently served as Finance Chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. He served as Finance Director for Obama for America from 2011 to 2012, and as Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011. From 2008 to 2009, he was the California Finance Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, after working as a political consultant in California from 2004 to 2008.

From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Gifford was Creative Executive for Davis Entertainment, an independent film company based in Los Angeles.

He is currently a Federal Club Member of the Human Rights Campaign and a Partner in Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund. He received a B.A. from Brown University.

James Costos tapped for US Ambassador to Spain

James Costos is Vice President of Global Licensing and Retail for Home Box Office (HBO).

Before joining HBO in 2006, he was President and CEO of Eight Cylinders, Inc., an entertainment marketing and licensing agency.

Previously, from 2002 to 2004, he was head of Promotions and Consumer Products at Revolution Studios in California.

He began his career in New York as a fashion and retail executive. From 2001 to 2002, he was Vice President of Retail for Hermes in New York, and from 1991 to 2001, he was Vice President of Retail Operations for Tod’s in New York.

Mr. Costos currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States. He received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

Nominations to ambassadorships must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

I personally think it would rock to be US Ambassador to either Spain or Denmark.  Great gigs.

(from Towleroad)