So the Obama administration is sending an openly gay man to serve as America’s ambassador to New Zealand. This is apparently meant to be a statement to the world of Obama’s deep commitment to gay rights both at home and abroad, coinciding as it does with what is being billed as a major speech by the president on gay issues on Saturday night. Sorry — but I’m not impressed. New Zealand is about as progressive as a country can be on this issue. Homosexuals cannot marry their partners in New Zealand, but they can enter into civil unions marked by the same rights and entitlements as a marriage. No one in New Zealand is going to bat an eye at the news that our new emissary is gay, and no one in this country is likely to care much either — this will not be the first openly gay ambassador in American history. If the Obama administration wants to make a statement and impress upon the world their fundamental rejection of the forces of bigotry and homophobia, how about sending a gay ambassador to Pakistan or Saudi Arabia? And now that the president has cleared the way for the same-sex partners of our foreign service officers to participate in programs available to spouses, how about sending him with his partner? That would be impressive, and would likely be as warmly received by Republicans as by Democrats.
