December 2016
The brief – a collaboration of Center for American Progress and Victory Institute – looks at the impact of President Obama’s appointment of six openly gay ambassadors and one special envoy, which has led to unprecedented visibility of the LGBTQ community within the federal government. In interviews, three of these ambassadors and their staff reflect on how the appointment of openly LGBTQ officials, particularly in high-visibility roles like ambassadorships, impacted the advancement of LGBTQ equality at home and abroad. Their observations encompassed changes in the workplace climate for LGBTQ people, internal policies related to LGBTQ federal employees, and the impact on local LGBTQ communities in-country.