Sec. 5. Issuance of apology
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/bill/116/hr/8809/ih/section-5A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Secretary of State Kerry delivered the following apology on January 9, 2017: Throughout my career, including as Secretary of State, I have stood strongly in support of the LGBTI community, recognizing that respect for human rights must include respect for all individuals. LGBTI employees serve as proud members of the State Department and valued colleagues dedicated to the service of our country. For the last several years, the Department has pressed for the families of LGBTI officers to have the same protections overseas as families of other officers.
In 2015, to further promote LGBTI rights throughout the world, I appointed the first ever Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons. In the past—as far back as the 1940s, but continuing for decades—the Department of State was among many public and private employers that discriminated against employees and job applicants on the basis of perceived sexual orientation, forcing some employees to resign or refusing to hire certain applicants in the first place. These actions were wrong then, just as they would be wrong today.
On behalf of the Department, I apologize to those who were impacted by the practices of the past and reaffirm the Department’s steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion for all our employees, including members of the LGBTI community. . Congress hereby offers a formal apology for its responsibility in encouraging the Lavender Scare and similar policies at the Department of State, as these policies were in part a response to congressional investigations into sex perversion of Federal employees , reports on the employment of moral perverts by Government Agencies , and hearings or pressure otherwise placed on the Department of State through the legislative process.