Sec. Of State Kerry Formally Apologizes To State LGBT Staffers For Decades Of Discrimination

With less than two weeks left in the Obama administration, Secretary of State John Kerry took yet another opportunity to acknowledge and promote LGBT inclusion by formally apologizing to State department staffers for past discrimination due to their sexual orientation.

Here's the full statement as posted on the State department's website:

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 past 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.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

Sec. of State John Kerry on Russia: The President "has all options on the table."

Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia's decision was a "brazen act of aggression" and that US President Barack Obama was "considering all options" before responding to the situation.

"This is not, or should not be East-West, Russia-United States, Russia versus Europe: this is about the people of Ukraine, people who stood up against snipers firing at them from the roofs, who are fighting against the tyranny of having political opposition put in jail," said Mr Kerry.

"And President Putin, I think, needs to think carefully about Russia's real interests here. You know Russia may be able to invade Crimea, but in the end, Russia will isolate itself," he added.

(via The Telegraph)

Sec. of State Kerry: Fatigue from war does not absolve us from our responsibility

It would seem that some sort of strike against Syria is imminent. Whether it is with or without Congress' involvment, we'll see...

From the New York Post:

The US has evidence that Syrian poison gas killed at least 1,429 people - including 426 children, Secretary of State John Kerry said today in an impassioned plea for action against the Assad regime.

Previous estimates, even from anti-Assad rebel groups, ranged from a few hundred to 1,300 fatal victims of the August 21 assault.

Kerry said Assad’s forces were at the site of the attack for three days beforehand, making preparations – even telling supporters to prepare for the attack by putting on gas masks.

He said the US had evidence that the rockets came from regime-controlled areas.

Kerry also says a senior regime official confirmed that the weapons were used and was afraid it would be discovered.

Kerry also revealed that after the US learned of last week’s attack, “I personally called the foreign minister of Syria, and I said to him, ‘If, as you say, your nation has nothing to hide then let the United Nations in immediately and give the inspectors the unfettered access, so they have the opportunity to tell your story.’”

“Instead, for four days, they shelled the neighborhood in order to destroy evidence, bombarding block after black at a rate four times higher than they had over the previous 10 days,” Kerry added.

“And, when the UN inspectors finally gained access, that access -- as we now know -- was restricted and controlled.”

The report cites human and satellite intelligence that it says backs up publicly available videos and other evidence of the ghastly massacre.