Ambassador hobbled for hosting LGBTI party? 2

Gay - Human Rights • Tags: , , ,

Kenya’s Daily Post claims that the US ambassador to Kenya,  Scott Gration,  was forced out for hosting an LGBTI pride party at the Embassy.

If so, it wouldn’t be very surprising. Diplomacy works in odd, some would say even Byzantine, ways. Washington’s support of gay rights around the world is well known. But the moment an ambassador nails his pro-gay colors to the mast in an environment that might be perceived as anti-gay, feathers are ruffled in the hosting country and, thus, in his home country.

So an ambassador is best advised to camouflage his support for gay rights in a country like Kenya or Uganda by, say, hosting an International Aids Day event which trawls in all sorts of players. But to single out the LGBTI community and show overt support? That’s tricky even if his own president has been unequivocal on the rights of gay and lesbian men and women.

Money quote:

Rumor has it that the envoy has been associating too much with the gay and lesbian community from the day president Obama supported the same sex marriage. It is alleged his association with the said community angered Kenya government officials who wrote a letter to the United States President Barrack Obama saying the ambassador was promoting bad culture to the African people.

Now, I am reminded about why I could never be a diplomat. The sophistry and  hypocrisy would drive me nuts.

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2 Comments

  1. My take – The use of homosexuality and blaming the gays, is all too conspicuous, as it happens Gration’s resignation occurred only a few hours after a party for the LGBT community had been held at the U.S. Embassy in Gigiri, at the behest of the Obama administration for Pride celebrations, worldwide. The Embassy held this as a first ever LGBT celebration of Pride, in Kenya, a country that must now grapple with the fact that it enjoys a good relationship with the USA, while it outlaws homosexuality as criminal. Kenyans admire the U.S. equality favoring President, Barack Obama, whose father was born in Kenya. http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2012/07/01/kenyan-media-plays-the-anti-gay-card-in-us-ambassadors-resignation/

  2. an indication that the Kenyan media is taking advantage of the timing and is fired up with an excuse to scapegoat using homosexuality by pointing its finger tacitly at the US government for its pro-equality stance.

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