How Gay U.S. Ambassador Ruf Gifford Got Married, And Beme a Social Media Star

Contents:

• OPENLY GAY US AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK WEDS PARTNER 1ST UNTRY TO ALLOW GAY UNNS
• THE GAY U.S. AMBASSADOR WHO MOONLIGHTS AS A TV STAR
• OBAMA NOMAT TWO MORE OPENLY GAY AMBASSADORS
• THE SIX OPENLY GAY U.S. AMBASSADORS WERE TOGETHER ONE ROOM
• GAY US AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY MARCH BUDAPT PRI MARCH
• HOW GAY U.S. AMBASSADOR RUF GIFFORD GOT MARRIED, AND BEME A SOCIAL MEDIA STARHAPPSIN A NDID TERVIEW, RUF GIFFORD, THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK, TALKS ABOUT HIS AGONIZG G OUT, WHICH MA HIS HAPPS-FILLED WEDDG LAST WEEKEND ALL THE SWEETER.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 6:25PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 17, 2015 12:02AM EDT FACEBOOKTHE HAPPS IS DIBLE RUF GIFFORD’S VOICE.IT IS ALMOST A WEEK SCE THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK MARRIED HIS PARTNER OF SIX YEARS, DR. STEPHEN DEVCENT, AT COPENHAGEN CY HALL, WH A LAVISH RECEPTN AFTERWARD AT THE AMBASSADORIAL RINCE.THE MEN, BOTH GLOWG WH HAPPS AND JOY AND EXTREMELY HANDSOME, BEME SOCIAL MEDIA STARS AFTER GIFFORD, 41, SHARED IMAG OF THEIR SPECIAL DAY LAST SATURDAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.THERE WAS THE PICTURE THE R JT AFTER THEY GOT MARRIED. THERE WAS THE EXCHANGG OF THE RGS. THERE WAS THE HANDWRTEN NGRATULATORY MSAGE OM GIFFORD’S CLOSE IEND, PRINT OBAMA. THERE WERE THE FIREWORKS AT MIDNIGHT, ANIZED BY DEVCENT, 56, FOR HIS HBAND (THEY’RE HIS FAVORE THGS, AS WELL AS FRENCH I, WHICH DEVCENT ALSO ARRANGED TO HAVE SERVED AT MIDNIGHT). “IT’S BEEN AN AMAZG WEEK,” GIFFORD TELLS THE DAILY BEAST, SOUNDG STILL GENUELY OVERE BY THE OVERWHELMGLY CELEBRATORY AND POSIVE PUBLIC RPONSE TO HIS NUPTIALS.“ITS CREDIBLY EMOTNAL. IT’S BEEN WONRFUL, AND SOMETHG WE’VE BEEN PLANNG ON DOG FOR QUE SOME TIME BUT LIFE GETS THE WAY.”THE WEDDG WAS A LTLE MORE THAN A YEAR THE PLANNG, AND THE UPLE VED 110 OF THEIR CLOST AMERIN IENDS AND AROUND 50 OF THEIR CLOST DANISH IENDS TO A “REALLY, REALLY WONRFUL CELEBRATN. IT WAS MORE ABOUT LOVE, FAY, AND ACCEPTANCE THAN ANYTHG ELSE.”GIFFORD ADDS WAS ALSO AN HOMAGE TO DENMARK, WHICH, 26 YEARS AGO, TOOK THE THEN-BOLD STEP TO ALLOW SAME-SEX UPL TO REGISTER AS DOMTIC PARTNERS—BEG THE FIRST UNTRY THE WORLD TO DO SO.“WHEN THE LORD MAYOR MENTNED THAT THE ROOM, WHICH IS SOMETHG AMERINS DON’T KNOW, THERE WAS ALMOST A PHYSIL GASP,” SAYS GIFFORD.“I’VE BEEN OVERWHELMED BY LETTERS, EMAILS, AND FACEBOOK MSAG OVER THE URSE OF THE LAST FEW DAYS,” HE ADDS. “I GOT ONE OM A DANISH GAY UPLE, ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET MARRIED. HE SAID THAT HE REMEMBERED BACK THEN, EVEN HERE, THERE WERE ANGRY PEOPLE STANDG OUTSI CY HALL, OR TABLOIDS WANTG TO TAKE PICTUR OF THE CRAZY GAYS.”THE REASON THE GENTLEMAN WROTE THE LETTER, HE SAID, WAS THAT WAS SO WONRFUL TO SEE SOCIETY CHANGE, EVEN A FAMOLY LIBERAL PLACE LIKE DENMARK.GIFFORD SAID A UPLE OF MOMENTS PARTICULARLY MOVED HIM ON HIS BIG DAY. “THE MOST PERSONALLY ‘MOMENTIT’ MOMENT WAS STANDG THE TENT WHICH WE HAD BUILT ON OUR BACKYARD, LOOKG AROUND THE ROOM, SEEG SO MANY IENDS OM ALL PARTS OF OUR LIFE.“ALL OF THEM ARE REALLY GOOD IENDS AND ALL OF THEM WERE LGHG. I SAID MY TOAST THAT I WISHED NOTHG MORE THAN FOR THE 16-YEAR-OLD RUF TO SEE THIS ROOM, BEE FOR MANY OF WHO GREW UP THE 1980S THE IA THAT THIS ULD BE OUR REALY WAS PLETELY UNTHKABLE. TO SEE THE LOVE THE ROOM WAS CREDIBLY SPECIAL.”WELL, I SAY, THE GUTLIST WAS VERY SWANKY, AND CLUD THE CROWN PRCE AND PRCS OF DENMARK.GIFFORD LGHS, BUT SISTS, “THERE WAS NOT A SGLE PERSON VED WHO WAS NOT A PERSONAL IEND. WE HAD 10 AMBASSADORS, BUT THEY’RE ALL PERSONAL IENDS. THE CROWN PRCE AND PRCS ARE OUR AGE, AND WE’VE ACTUALLY BEE IENDS WH THEM, SO MA SENSE.“I REALLY FELT VERY STRONGLY WE DIDN’T WANT TO VE PEOPLE WHO ULDN’T LGH WH . THAT WAS MY LM TT FOR VG SOMEBODY. I WANTED SOMEONE TO DANCE TO A DJ, AND ENJOY FIREWORKS AND DRK WE AND ALL THE RT.“EVERYBODY I KNEW WHO WAS THERE ULD DO THAT. IT WAS A LTLE B FANCY AND THEN A LTLE B NOT. WE ALL HAD NTS, UNCL, AND S THERE WHO ARE ANYTHG BUT FANCY, AND ULD NOT BE MORE UPSET AT HAVG TO RENT A CHEAP TUXEDO COPENHAGEN. THEY WERE THERE ALONGSI AMBASSADORS, ROYALTY, AND ALL THE RT. IT WAS A GREAT GROUP AND EVERYONE GELLED REALLY WELL.”THE LETTER OM OBAMA, FOR WHOM GIFFORD HAS WORKED FOR ALMOST NE YEARS, WAS ON ONE HAND “WONRFULLY VALIDATG AS I RPECT HIM A TREMENDO AMOUNT. THEN YOU TAKE A STEP BACK AND THK, ‘HERE WE ARE, A GAY UPLE GETTG MARRIED, AND WE’RE GETTG A HANDWRTEN LETTER OM THE PRINT.’“COULD WE HAVE IMAGED JT A FEW YEARS AGO THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE? WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT I THK, TAKE A LTLE B OF PERSPECTIVE, AND JT LOVE THE PROGRS THAT WE’VE MA—AS A UNTRY, AS AMERINS, BUT ALSO THE WORLD SO MANY WAYS. YOU TRY NOT TO GET TOO FLOWERY ABOUT . THERE’S SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE. BUT THE MOMENT WAS SO BETIFUL, WAS JT PERFECT.”***THE DAY WAS EVEN MORE SPECIAL FOR GIFFORD BEE HIS FAY WAS ALL THERE, AND—MANY YEARS PREVLY—G TO TERMS WH HIS OWN SEXUALY, G OUT, AND HIS FAY G TO TERMS WH HIS HOMOSEXUALY, WERE ALL FAR OM EASY.“WE GREW UP SMALL TOWN (MANCHTER-BY-THE-SEA) MASSACHETTS, WHICH OF URSE IS PROGRSIVE, BUT BACK THEN WE DIDN’T KNOW ANY GAY PEOPLE,” GIFFORD TELLS ME. “IT WASN’T A RELIG THG, WAS MORE OF A CULTURAL BIAS SOME WAYS. I’M NOT A PARENT, BUT PARENTS WANT NOTHG MORE THAN FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO BE HAPPY, AND MY PARENTS DIDN’T UNRSTAND ME.“THEIR FN OF HAPPS WAS VERY NARROW. IT WAS A SUBURBAN LIFTYLE, BETIFUL HOE, WONRFUL KIDS: THOSE SORTS OF THGS THAT WEREN’T GOG TO BE MY REALY. WHAT’S FUNNY IS THAT WASN’T GOG TO BE MY REALY BACK THEN. TODAY THEORETILLY ULD BE.”BACK THEN, BEG GAY WAS “VERY FAR” OM WHAT GIFFORD’S PARENTS BELIEVED HAPPS WAS. “I THK I WAS A REAL CHALLENGE TO THEM. THEY REALLY HAD TO SHIFT THEIR MDSET, BUT THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO DO THAT WORK.”TO THAT END, THE ENTIRE FAY, EXCEPT RUF, WENT TO THERAPY, “WHICH IS WONRFUL. AS A TTAMENT TO MY PARENTS THEY HAD SO MUCH WORK TO DO TO FIGURE OUT SI THEMSELV, BUT THEY DIDN’T ASK ME TO CHANGE WHICH WAS THE MOST WONRFUL PART. THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO CHANGE.”IT WAS HARD, GIFFORD SAYS. “THERE WERE LOTS OF TEARS, LOTS OF DRAMA, LOTS OF SADNS, AND OCSNAL FIGHTG.”COMG OUT WAS A “HUGE CHALLENGE,” HE ADDS. “I ME OUT WHEN I WAS 18, MY HMEN YEAR AT BROWN UNIVERSY. IT WAS A HUGE STGGLE. I HAD NO GAY ROLE MOLS. THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS YOU KNOW YOU’RE ATTRACTED TO MEN—I WAS OM A VERY EARLY AGE—BUT YOU DON’T INTIFY AS GAY, BEE THAT WAS REPRENTED SOCIETY A WAY THAT WAS UNRELATABLE TO ME. IT WASN’T UNTIL I GOT TO LLEGE WHERE YOU MEET PEOPLE WHO… JT SEEMED TO MAKE MORE SENSE.”GIFFORD’S VOICE HARNS. “I WAS RIDDLED WH SELF-HATRED AND SELF-DOUBT, AND A LACK OF ANY UNRSTANDG OF WHAT MY LIFE WOULD BE LIKE THE FUTURE. THERE WERE MANY, MANY DAYS WHEN YOU DIDN’T WANT TO WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNG, BUT YOU N’T EVEN IMAGE THOSE DAYS NOW—THEY SEEM LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME.”DO HE MEAN HE NTEMPLATED SUICI? “NOT ANY SER WAY, I THK THAT’S TOO DRAMATIC. BUT THE TENSE PRSN WAS REAL. IT WAS LERALLY WANTG TO PE YOUR BODY. AND BEE EVERYTHG YOU’RE THKG AND FEELG WAS WRONG, WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THAT?”TODAY, HE THKS THIS WAS ALL JT A PRODUCT OF GROWG UP THE TIME HE DID, AND NOT A CY, “NOT A PLACE WHERE THE NCEPT OF DIFFERENCE WAS CELEBRATED. I GREW UP A TOWN WHERE BEG NORMAL WAS VERY SPECIFIC AND IMPORTANT. “MANCHTER-BY-THE-SEA IS A WONRFUL TOWN. IT HAS EVOLVED TREMENDOLY SCE I GREW UP THERE. I GO BACK THERE NOW AND I’M CERTA A YOUNG GAY KID MIGHT THK DIFFERENTLY, BUT ’S A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE TO WHAT WAS THEN.”GIFFORD’S JOURNEY TO SELF-ACCEPTANCE, WAS, HE SAYS, “ONE OF THOSE THGS THAT ALLOWED ME TO GROW AS A HUMAN BEG. IT FELT LIKE I HAD TO FIGHT FOR MYSELF AND FIGHT FOR MY OWN WAY, AND THAT WAS GOOD FOR ME TO GET OUTSI OF MY FORT ZONE. IT WAS A CHALLENGE, BUT I LOOK BACK NOW AND ’S BEEN THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE, WONRFUL JOURNEY.”THE PRENCE OF HIS PARENTS, THREE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND EVERY ONE OF HIS NIEC AND NEPHEWS AT HIS WEDDG SHOWED HIM JT HOW FAR THE WHOLE FAY HAD E.HIS FATHER HAD JT EMAILED GIFFORD AND DEVCENT WHEN WE SPOKE, AND GIFFORD READ ME HIS MOVG MSAGE.HE WROTE, AMONG OTHER THGS: “AMIDST ALL THE CRAZY PUBLICY I WANT TO AT LEAST REMD MYSELF THAT THE MAGIL THREE DAYS ARE A WONRFUL LOVE STORY… THIS WEEKEND WAS A WONRFUL EXPRSN OF YOUR VOTN AND LOVE.“ANY RELATNSHIP’S BEDROCK IS TST, RPECT, AND MUNITN AS THE WILL SECURE THE OVERLYG LOVE… I’M ENORMOLY GRATEFUL FOR OUR ENTIRE FAY OF THREE GENERATNS WHICH SAW FIRST-HAND THIS AMAZG EXPERIENCE, AGA WH THAT RNERSTONE OF LOVE.“THANKS FOR THE MEMORI, WHICH WILL BE STAED FOR A LONG TIME. XO, FATHER AND FATHER--LAW.”SIAR EMAILS HAVE E OM HIS SIBLGS, AND GIFFORD HAS ALSO SPOKEN TO HIS MOTHER WHO EXPRSED SIAR JOY.“IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR MY FAY TO HAVE GONE ON THIS JOURNEY,” HE SAYS. “MY MOM AND DAD WILL SAY MY G OUT BROANED THEIR HORIZONS, AND BROANED THEIR UNRSTANDG A LTLE B MORE ABOUT LOVE, PASSN, ACCEPTANCE, AND DIVERSY—ALL THOSE WONRFUL THGS ABOUT LIFE. IT IS ONE OF MOST IMPORTANT THGS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THEM.”***AFTER HIS TORMENTED TEENAGE YEARS, LLEGE TURNED OUT TO BE LIBERATG FOR GIFFORD, HE SAYS. “YOU SPREAD YOUR WGS, START DATG, FD YOUR PLACE THE WORLD, MAKE ENORMO MISTAK, FALL FLAT ON YOUR FACE OM TIME TO TIME.”DIPLOMACY DID NOT TERT GIFFORD AT THAT STAGE. “MY FATHER WAS A BANKER OM BOSTON, AND I WANTED TO BE ANYTHG BUT A BANKER OM BOSTON.” HE MOVED STEAD TO LOS ANGEL, WH HIS THEN-BOYIEND, TO WORK FILM. “IT WAS REALLY A SIRE TO PAVE MY OWN WAY, AND MY SEXUALY WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.”BY 2004 HE WAS FEELG “VERY UNSPIRED. I HAD THE KD OF FANTASY MY HEAD THAT I WOULD MOVE TO HOLLYWOOD AND MAKE OSR-WNG MOVI, BUT—AND I TAKE NOTHG AWAY OM THE—I WAS WORKG ON BIG-BUDGET FAY EDI, LIKE DR DOLTLE 2, GARFIELD, AND DADDY DAYRE. I FELT A NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE.”GIFFORD QU HIS JOB AND MPAIGNED FOR JOHN KERRY, HIS THEN-HOME STATE SENATOR AND IRONILLY NOW HIS BOSS AS SECRETARY OF STATE.NO ONE HIS FAY HAD EVER N FOR OFFICE, BUT FELT TO GIFFORD POLICS WAS UNR DISCSN AROUND THE DNER TABL OF MASSACHETTS, CLUDG HIS OWN.IN 1992, AGED 18, HE WENT TO BROWN TO REGISTER TO VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME, A “VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT,” AND HE TALKED TO HIS FATHER ABOUT THAT YEAR’S ELECTN BATTLE BETWEEN BILL CLTON AND GEE BH. “POLICS WAS ALWAYS MY BLOOD, AND ALWAYS WILL BE—ONCE ’S PART OF S HARD TO GET AWAY. I LOVE .” (AS AN AMBASSADOR, HE SAYS HE MT EXERCISE POLIL IMPARTIALY AND NOT REVEAL IF HE IS FOR CLTON, SANRS, OR A.N. OTHER.)A ROLE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FUNDRAISG BLOSSOMED CALIFORNIA, AND THEN GIFFORD WORKED POLIL NSULTANCY. “THEN I MET BARACK OBAMA JANUARY 2007 AND CHANGED MY LIFE.”GIFFORD HAD JT E OM A MEETG WH HILLARY CLTON’S FANCE DIRECTOR WHO HAD OFFERED HIM A JOB CALIFORNIA FOR HER 2008 MPAIGN, AND WAS AT A PARTY TED KENNEDY WAS HOSTG TO CELEBRATE THE DEMOCRATS TAKG THE HOE AND SENATE 2006.GIFFORD SPOKE TO OBAMA FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. “THERE WAS TALK ABOUT HIM NNG FOR PRINT BUT HE HADN’T CLARED YET. IN THOSE MOMENTS, I SAID, ‘THIS IS MY GUY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.’ I SAID ‘NO’ TO THE CLTON MPAIGN AND KEPT MY FGERS CROSSED THAT OBAMA WOULD LL TO OFFER ME THE SAME JOB.” THAT HAPPENED, BUT FOR LS MONEY, “BUT WAS WORTH TO ME.”TO GIFFORD, OBAMA WAS “EVERYTHG I WANTED TO ELECT POLILLY, BUT ALSO WHO HE REPRENTED AS A HUMAN BEG. I WANTED TO SHOW BOTH MY PARENTS, WHO WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED , THAT WE ULD HAVE ELECTED AN AIN-AMERIN PRINT WH ‘HSE’ AS A MIDDLE NAME, AND ALSO SHOW THE RT OF THE WORLD THAT TOO.”GIFFORD WAS ALSO GAY, SO WASN’T HE TRATED—AS MANY LGBTS WERE—WH, ONCE HE WAS ELECTED, HOW LONG TOOK OBAMA TO “EVOLVE” ON EQUALY?“I TSTED… I FULLY UNRSTOOD… I WAS WORKG FOR HIM FOR THE ENTIRE TIME WHEN ALL THAT TRATN WH ALL THE NDIDAT AROUND MARRIAGE EQUALY WAS THERE.“TLY HOW I FELT, BACK THEN AND HOW I FEEL NOW, IS THAT I TSTED HIM, AND TSTED HIM AND THE PROCS WHERE HE WOULD GET TO WHERE WE NEED HIM TO BE. AM I TRATED AT TIM WH THE PACE TOOK? ABSOLUTELY. ITS IMPOSSIBLE AS A GAY MAN KNOWG WHAT IS RIGHT, THERE’S NO QUTN.“IT’S TRATG AT TIM THAT TAK AS LONG AS DO, BUT YOU KNOW YOUR HEART THAT ’S GONNA HAPPEN.”SO WHY DID OBAMA TAKE SO LONG—WAS GENUE NER-BATG, OR WAS HE PRO-EQUALY ALL THE WAY ALONG BUT TOO WORRIED ABOUT THE POLIL FALLOUT IF HE SAID SO?“I N’T REALLY MENT ON ,” SAYS GIFFORD. “I DON’T REALLY THK ABOUT THAT PART ANY MORE ANYWAY. IT’S MORE ABOUT WHERE WE GOT.”THE SEEDS OF GIFFORD’S AMBASSADORIAL LIFE WERE SOWN WHEN HE WAS THE FANCE DIRECTOR OF OBAMA’S RE-ELECTN MPAIGN 2012.TAPPED TO MEET ABOUT POSSIBLE JOBS THE SEND ADMISTRATN, GIFFORD NEVER THOUGHT AN AMBASSADORIAL JOB WOULD BE THE OFFG: HE WAS 38, AND AMBASSADORS SEEMED MUCH OLR. BUT HE WAS OFFERED HIS CURRENT JOB, AND STILL HAS GOOSEBUMPS THKG ABOUT THAT MEETG.HE RELLS JAM HORMEL’S FIGHT 1997—NOMATED BY CLTON TO BE THE U.S.’S FIRST OPENLY GAY AMBASSADOR (TO LUXEMBOURG), “BUT BLOCKED BY A SENATE BEE HE WAS EMED UNF TO SERVE OVERSEAS BEE HE WAS GAY.” CLTON EVENTUALLY OVER-RO THE SENATE, AND HORMEL TOOK UP THE POSTG 1999.TIM HAVE FORTUNATELY CHANGED AND, FOR GIFFORD, “THIS JOB IS REALLY AS GOOD AS GETS, ’S REALLY WONRFUL.”***GIFFORD MET DEVCENT WASHGTON 2009. “THE ATTRACTN WAS IMMEDIATE, THE NNECTN WAS IMMEDIATE, LIFE JT GETS THE WAY OF THAT.”WHAT HE MEANS IS THE UPLE HAVE MA THEIR RELATNSHIP WORK SPE THE OPPOSG GEOGRAPHIL PULLS OF THEIR JOBS.DEVCENT WAS, AND STILL IS, A VETERARIAN BASED PROVCETOWN (PECIALLY DURG THE SUMMER), WHO WAS DOG A FELLOWSHIP THE STATE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY MET.WHEN GIFFORD HAD TO MOVE TO CHIGO FOR THE RE-ELECTN MPAIGN, THERE WAS MORE MUTG. ODDLY THIS MA BOTH MEN REALIZE HOW MUCH THEY MEANT TO EACH OTHER.“WE SPENT EVERY SGLE WEEKEND TOGETHER EXCEPT TWO,” SAYS GIFFORD. “ON THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN I HAD TO TAKE THE L TO O’HARE OR HE HAD TO TAKE THE METRO TO NATNAL, DIDN’T FEEL LIKE A CHORE. IT WAS SOMETHG GOOD AND HAPPY.”THEY MOVED TO COPENHAGEN THE FALL OF 2013, AND STILL DEVCENT WORKS THE SUMMER PROVCETOWN. IT’S HARD FOR DEVCENT TO QUALIFY AS A VET DENMARK— WOULD MEAN SENTIALLY RETURNG TO SCHOOL—BUT HE HAS TAKEN ON ROL WH ANIZATNS LIKE THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND, ON PROJECTS VOLVG ELEPHANTS AI AND POLAR BEARS GREENLAND.IS THEIR 15-YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE AN ISSUE?“IT’S ALWAYS SORT OF AN ISSUE PRACTILLY,” SAYS GIFFORD. “IT’S ONE OF ISSU YOU ASK YOURSELF, ‘DO THIS MAKE ANY SENSE THAT HE’S ALMOST 15 YEARS OLR THAN I AM.”HE DON’T LOOK , I SAY.“IN SOME WAYS THAT’S THE PROBLEM,” SAYS GIFFORD. “WHEN PEOPLE MEET HIM, THEY THK I’M OLR THAN HIM.” HE LGHS. “IT’S SORT OF NOT ABOUT THAT. AT SOME POT YOU’RE JT PATIBLE, AND ’S JT GOOD. IT’S JT HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM.“WHEN WE FIRST MET, OUR IENDS SAID TO BOTH OF , ‘HE’S 15 YEARS OLR,’ OR ‘HE’S 15 YEARS YOUNGER. IS THIS REALLY REAL OR JT A FUN THG?’ THOSE SORTS OF MENTS STOP HAPPENG REALLY QUE QUICKLY. YOU JT MAKE WORK, AND THAT PART HAS BEEN FANTASTIC.”GIFFORD’S FUTURE, HE ADMS, IS A B OF A MYSTERY.“I’M A POLIL APPOTEE OF THE PRINT SO WHEN HE’S DONE, THEORETILLY I’M DONE. THE NEXT PRINT ULD EXTEND ME FOR A LTLE B LONGER, BUT THE JOBS ARE CREDIBLY SOUGHT AFTER, AND I FULLY ANTICIPATE SOMETIME EARLY 2017 THAT WE WILL LEAVE HERE. FOR ME, I’LL BE A 42-YEAR-OLD RETIRED AMBASSADOR. THAT’S A STRANGE NCEPT BEE I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO MY OLD LE OF WORK. AND I WILL NOT.”GIFFORD STILL OWNS A HOME LOS ANGEL, BUT DOUBTS THE MEN WILL GO THERE. HE SE THIS POTENTIAL PERD OF CHANGE AS AN OPPORTUNY.“IS A REER POLICS OR THE PRIVATE SECTOR? WHAT CY? WE LOVE LIVG EUROPE, DO WE WANT TO STAY? WE THK A LOT ABOUT LONDON AND NEW YORK, OR MAYBE HOME BOSTON. WE’LL SEE. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT TOGETHER THE URSE OF THE NEXT YEAR, AND THE MEANTIME ENJOY THIS CREDIBLE LIFE AND WORK WE’RE DOG RIGHT NOW.”AS THE FS OVER HIS WEDDG SHOWED, GIFFORD HAS BEE A FIGUREHEAD HIMSELF. “IT’S STRANGE, I N NEVER REALLY VIEW MYSELF THAT WAY. I FULLY UNRSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYG ATTENTN, AND WH THAT A GREAT RPONSIBILY TO REPRENT YOURSELF AS A GAY MAN WHO IS A PUBLIC FIGURE.“WHAT I E AS MY GUIDG PRCIPLE, ULTIMATELY, IS JT TO BE HONT, AND WHEN I SAY THAT I MEAN TO LET PEOPLE , TO LET THEM KNOW HOW I’M FEELG, TO LET THEM TO OUR LIV.“I DON’T NSIR MYSELF AN ACTIVIST, BUT I DO BELIEVE JT SAYG STEPHEN’S NAME ANY TIME I’M DOG A TELEVISN TERVIEW IS A SORT OF ACTIVISM AND OF SELF, THE SENSE ’S CREATG A SENSE OF NORMALCY AROUND THE NCEPT OF HOMOSEXUALY.”EVEN LIBERAL DENMARK, GIFFORD IS STOPPED NUMERO TIM ON THE STREET NOT ONLY BY GAY MEN AND WOMEN, BUT PEOPLE WHO THANK HIM FOR BEG PUBLIC AND OUT, “WHICH MAK YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH MATTERS. IT’S PLETELY EMOTNAL FOR ME.”HE SAYS HE ULD NOT HAVE IMAGED THAT THE SELFIE SHOT THE R, WH THE MEN SHOWG THE WEDDG RGS ON THEIR FGERS, GOT 55,000 FACEBOOK LIK AND THOANDS OF MENTS. “IT’S JT WONRFUL.”FIVE DAYS AFTER HIS WEDDG, GIFFORD SAYS HE STILL NEEDS TO PROCS ALL. “THE ONLY THG I KNOW IS THAT DO FEEL CREDIBLY MAGIL. IF I THK OF ONE WORD TO SCRIBE THE LAST FEW DAYS WOULD BE ‘GRATU.’”IT’S TOO SOON TO SAY IF THE UPLE WANT CHILDREN, GIFFORD SAYS WOULDN’T BE ANYTHG THEY WOULD UNRTAKE BEFORE LEAVG COPENHAGEN, “AND NEHER OF ARE GETTG ANY YOUNGER, SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT TO ACUNT.” HOWEVER, GIFFORD SAYS HE LOV AGEG, “OTHER THAN THE FACT YOUR BODY HURTS A LTLE B MORE.”THERE WILL NOT BE AN IMMEDIATE HONEYMOON, BUT THE MEN MAY JET OFF SOMEWHERE WARM WHEN THE NORTHERN EUROPEAN DAYS AND NIGHTS BEE BTER THE WTER.WHEN I ASK GIFFORD HOW HE IS FEELG FIVE DAYS ON OM ALL THE HULLABALOO, HE SAYS TO LOOK AT THE VIO OF HIS WEDDG NIGHT FIREWORKS SURPRISE.“IT FEELS LIKE THIS OVERWHELMG EMOTN, AND OVERWHELMG POSIVY. AND I JT FEEL HUMBLED, CREDIBLE GRATU, AND I FEEL AS BLSED AS I EVER HAVE MY LIFE THIS JOB, THIS UNTRY, REPRENTG THE UNTRY I LOVE, DOG WHAT I LOVE TO DO MORE THAN ANYTHG THE WORLD—AND, OF URSE MOST IMPORTANTLY, WH THE MAN THAT I LOVE.“I DON’T KNOW HOW GETS ANY BETTER THAN THIS. THAT WE’LL FIGURE OUT THE DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS TO E. FOR NOW I’M GOG TO RELISH THIS AND ENJOY , BEE ’S A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT OUR LIV.”TO THAT END, AS YOU READ THIS, GIFFORD AND DEVCENT WILL BE HAVG A LICLY QUIET WEEKEND.“ON MY AMBASSADOR’S LENDAR, EVERY 15 MUT IS ACUNTED FOR, OM 8 O’CLOCK THE MORNG TO LATE AT NIGHT. BUT THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG ON THE LENDAR. WE ARE TAKG BOTH DAYS OFF. THAT MEANS SLEEPG LATE, TAKG THE DOG (ARGOS, A NEARLY 4-YEAR-OLD GOLN RETRIEVER) FOR A WALK, AND EATG LEFTOVER KE—WHICH THERE IS TONS OF.” TIM TEEMAN
• OPENLY GAY US AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK WEDS PARTNER

OPENLY GAY US AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK WEDS PARTNER 1ST UNTRY TO ALLOW GAY UNNS

Netflix has released "I Am the Ambassador" for onle streamg, the documentary seri that follwos the reer of the openly gay U. Ambassador to Denmark has married his partner the Sndavian untry that beme the first natn to allow gay upl to formalize their unns 1989. Envoy sce September 2013, is a strong gay rights advote and often appears wh Stephen DeVcent, a 56-year-old veterarian, at his si.

Gifford, a 41-year-old Boston native, wrote on Twter: "26 yrs ago the se of 1st legal gay unns the world. Ambassador to Denmark has married his partner the Sndavian untry that beme the first natn to allow gay upl to formalize their unns Gifford, the U.

Ambassador to Denmark, was big news to have an openly gay man serve his untry the European natn. Now, more than six months later, Danish gay publitn Out and About, has featured Gifford, 39, and his partner, 54-year-old Stephen DeVcent, on s ver.

THE GAY U.S. AMBASSADOR WHO MOONLIGHTS AS A TV STAR

In the four-page story, which is only available PDF format (and Danish), Gifford, talks wh wrer Henrik Sallg about his personal experienc as a gay man and how tough was g out an environment where the only way to happs was to get a wife, kids, and a also Ruf Gifford reveals how his fay had to face their son and brother beg gay and how the fay cid to enter therapy, realizg that wasn't their son who had a problem, but themselv. He's been nsistently open about beg gay, and often refers to his personal story of g out a time when dog so effectively led out rol polil learship. "Admtedly, Gifford's posn as an openly gay U.

Ambassador is not, on s own, headle-grabbg material a hyper-progrsive, gay-iendly Sndavian natn that has long had a iendly relatnship wh the U. "It volv talkg about [LGBT] issu a way that is meangful -- and I don't mean jt announcg the fact that I'm gay, although that is part of . It's beg out and talkg about [beg gay] a way that isn't provotive.

"Given their high profile, DeVcent says he appreciat that he and Gifford are asked about their relatnship, bee "gay youth or a grandmother or parent somewhere" n see them together and hear their rpons. Gifford reunts a story of nng to a Frenchman who liv Copenhagen:"The man had been at the para and he said to me somethg like, 'Who would have thought that the Uned Stat of Ameri was gog to be the only untry marchg the Copenhagen Gay Pri Para? Print Obama Friday nomated two addnal openly gay U.

OBAMA NOMAT TWO MORE OPENLY GAY AMBASSADORS

"Last week the Whe Hoe nomated another gay man, Daniel Baer, currently a puty assistant secretary of state for the Bure of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, to serve as the ambassador to the Organizatn for Secury and Cooperatn Europe. There was a time when you uld be thrown out of the foreign service for beg openly gay.

In 1997, when the first gay U. Ambassador, Jam Hormel, was nomated, many senators opposed him bee of his than 20 years later, six gay U. They discsed their varied experienc around the world beg reprentativ not only of Ameri, but the gay muny.

THE SIX OPENLY GAY U.S. AMBASSADORS WERE TOGETHER ONE ROOM

When Print Obama nomated Brewster 2013, a Roman Catholic rdal the Domin Republic referred to him g an anti-gay slur. But Baer mend big victori like the Uned Natns beatg back Rsian opposn to givg benefs to all spo of gay U. Staffers the dience was the State Department’s new LGBT envoy, reer foreign service officer Randy Berry, who officially starts the job April the event, we asked him how feels to be the first ever tasked as the pot person on gay issu around the world.

Showed his mettle appotg that untry's first gay ambassador, Jam Hormel, 1999. Great Bra lifted a ban on homosexuals the Foreign Office only 1991 unr Prime Mister John Major.

An anizatn for Amerin LGBTQ members of the State Department, cludg Ambassadors, is the Gay and Lbians Foreign Affairs Agenci (GLIFAA). The openly gay lear has bee a well-known figure the LGBTQ movement Poland, even as the lg party has gaed ternatnal headl for s anti-LGBTQ stanc.

GAY US AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY MARCH BUDAPT PRI MARCH

He said he did not know of a sgle gay person his village.

HOW GAY U.S. AMBASSADOR RUF GIFFORD GOT MARRIED, AND BEME A SOCIAL MEDIA STARHAPPSIN A NDID TERVIEW, RUF GIFFORD, THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK, TALKS ABOUT HIS AGONIZG G OUT, WHICH MA HIS HAPPS-FILLED WEDDG LAST WEEKEND ALL THE SWEETER.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 6:25PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 17, 2015 12:02AM EDT FACEBOOKTHE HAPPS IS DIBLE RUF GIFFORD’S VOICE.IT IS ALMOST A WEEK SCE THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK MARRIED HIS PARTNER OF SIX YEARS, DR. STEPHEN DEVCENT, AT COPENHAGEN CY HALL, WH A LAVISH RECEPTN AFTERWARD AT THE AMBASSADORIAL RINCE.THE MEN, BOTH GLOWG WH HAPPS AND JOY AND EXTREMELY HANDSOME, BEME SOCIAL MEDIA STARS AFTER GIFFORD, 41, SHARED IMAG OF THEIR SPECIAL DAY LAST SATURDAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.THERE WAS THE PICTURE THE R JT AFTER THEY GOT MARRIED. THERE WAS THE EXCHANGG OF THE RGS. THERE WAS THE HANDWRTEN NGRATULATORY MSAGE OM GIFFORD’S CLOSE IEND, PRINT OBAMA. THERE WERE THE FIREWORKS AT MIDNIGHT, ANIZED BY DEVCENT, 56, FOR HIS HBAND (THEY’RE HIS FAVORE THGS, AS WELL AS FRENCH I, WHICH DEVCENT ALSO ARRANGED TO HAVE SERVED AT MIDNIGHT). “IT’S BEEN AN AMAZG WEEK,” GIFFORD TELLS THE DAILY BEAST, SOUNDG STILL GENUELY OVERE BY THE OVERWHELMGLY CELEBRATORY AND POSIVE PUBLIC RPONSE TO HIS NUPTIALS.“ITS CREDIBLY EMOTNAL. IT’S BEEN WONRFUL, AND SOMETHG WE’VE BEEN PLANNG ON DOG FOR QUE SOME TIME BUT LIFE GETS THE WAY.”THE WEDDG WAS A LTLE MORE THAN A YEAR THE PLANNG, AND THE UPLE VED 110 OF THEIR CLOST AMERIN IENDS AND AROUND 50 OF THEIR CLOST DANISH IENDS TO A “REALLY, REALLY WONRFUL CELEBRATN. IT WAS MORE ABOUT LOVE, FAY, AND ACCEPTANCE THAN ANYTHG ELSE.”GIFFORD ADDS WAS ALSO AN HOMAGE TO DENMARK, WHICH, 26 YEARS AGO, TOOK THE THEN-BOLD STEP TO ALLOW SAME-SEX UPL TO REGISTER AS DOMTIC PARTNERS—BEG THE FIRST UNTRY THE WORLD TO DO SO.“WHEN THE LORD MAYOR MENTNED THAT THE ROOM, WHICH IS SOMETHG AMERINS DON’T KNOW, THERE WAS ALMOST A PHYSIL GASP,” SAYS GIFFORD.“I’VE BEEN OVERWHELMED BY LETTERS, EMAILS, AND FACEBOOK MSAG OVER THE URSE OF THE LAST FEW DAYS,” HE ADDS. “I GOT ONE OM A DANISH GAY UPLE, ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET MARRIED. HE SAID THAT HE REMEMBERED BACK THEN, EVEN HERE, THERE WERE ANGRY PEOPLE STANDG OUTSI CY HALL, OR TABLOIDS WANTG TO TAKE PICTUR OF THE CRAZY GAYS.”THE REASON THE GENTLEMAN WROTE THE LETTER, HE SAID, WAS THAT WAS SO WONRFUL TO SEE SOCIETY CHANGE, EVEN A FAMOLY LIBERAL PLACE LIKE DENMARK.GIFFORD SAID A UPLE OF MOMENTS PARTICULARLY MOVED HIM ON HIS BIG DAY. “THE MOST PERSONALLY ‘MOMENTIT’ MOMENT WAS STANDG THE TENT WHICH WE HAD BUILT ON OUR BACKYARD, LOOKG AROUND THE ROOM, SEEG SO MANY IENDS OM ALL PARTS OF OUR LIFE.“ALL OF THEM ARE REALLY GOOD IENDS AND ALL OF THEM WERE LGHG. I SAID MY TOAST THAT I WISHED NOTHG MORE THAN FOR THE 16-YEAR-OLD RUF TO SEE THIS ROOM, BEE FOR MANY OF WHO GREW UP THE 1980S THE IA THAT THIS ULD BE OUR REALY WAS PLETELY UNTHKABLE. TO SEE THE LOVE THE ROOM WAS CREDIBLY SPECIAL.”WELL, I SAY, THE GUTLIST WAS VERY SWANKY, AND CLUD THE CROWN PRCE AND PRCS OF DENMARK.GIFFORD LGHS, BUT SISTS, “THERE WAS NOT A SGLE PERSON VED WHO WAS NOT A PERSONAL IEND. WE HAD 10 AMBASSADORS, BUT THEY’RE ALL PERSONAL IENDS. THE CROWN PRCE AND PRCS ARE OUR AGE, AND WE’VE ACTUALLY BEE IENDS WH THEM, SO MA SENSE.“I REALLY FELT VERY STRONGLY WE DIDN’T WANT TO VE PEOPLE WHO ULDN’T LGH WH . THAT WAS MY LM TT FOR VG SOMEBODY. I WANTED SOMEONE TO DANCE TO A DJ, AND ENJOY FIREWORKS AND DRK WE AND ALL THE RT.“EVERYBODY I KNEW WHO WAS THERE ULD DO THAT. IT WAS A LTLE B FANCY AND THEN A LTLE B NOT. WE ALL HAD NTS, UNCL, AND S THERE WHO ARE ANYTHG BUT FANCY, AND ULD NOT BE MORE UPSET AT HAVG TO RENT A CHEAP TUXEDO COPENHAGEN. THEY WERE THERE ALONGSI AMBASSADORS, ROYALTY, AND ALL THE RT. IT WAS A GREAT GROUP AND EVERYONE GELLED REALLY WELL.”THE LETTER OM OBAMA, FOR WHOM GIFFORD HAS WORKED FOR ALMOST NE YEARS, WAS ON ONE HAND “WONRFULLY VALIDATG AS I RPECT HIM A TREMENDO AMOUNT. THEN YOU TAKE A STEP BACK AND THK, ‘HERE WE ARE, A GAY UPLE GETTG MARRIED, AND WE’RE GETTG A HANDWRTEN LETTER OM THE PRINT.’“COULD WE HAVE IMAGED JT A FEW YEARS AGO THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE? WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT I THK, TAKE A LTLE B OF PERSPECTIVE, AND JT LOVE THE PROGRS THAT WE’VE MA—AS A UNTRY, AS AMERINS, BUT ALSO THE WORLD SO MANY WAYS. YOU TRY NOT TO GET TOO FLOWERY ABOUT . THERE’S SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE. BUT THE MOMENT WAS SO BETIFUL, WAS JT PERFECT.”***THE DAY WAS EVEN MORE SPECIAL FOR GIFFORD BEE HIS FAY WAS ALL THERE, AND—MANY YEARS PREVLY—G TO TERMS WH HIS OWN SEXUALY, G OUT, AND HIS FAY G TO TERMS WH HIS HOMOSEXUALY, WERE ALL FAR OM EASY.“WE GREW UP SMALL TOWN (MANCHTER-BY-THE-SEA) MASSACHETTS, WHICH OF URSE IS PROGRSIVE, BUT BACK THEN WE DIDN’T KNOW ANY GAY PEOPLE,” GIFFORD TELLS ME. “IT WASN’T A RELIG THG, WAS MORE OF A CULTURAL BIAS SOME WAYS. I’M NOT A PARENT, BUT PARENTS WANT NOTHG MORE THAN FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO BE HAPPY, AND MY PARENTS DIDN’T UNRSTAND ME.“THEIR FN OF HAPPS WAS VERY NARROW. IT WAS A SUBURBAN LIFTYLE, BETIFUL HOE, WONRFUL KIDS: THOSE SORTS OF THGS THAT WEREN’T GOG TO BE MY REALY. WHAT’S FUNNY IS THAT WASN’T GOG TO BE MY REALY BACK THEN. TODAY THEORETILLY ULD BE.”BACK THEN, BEG GAY WAS “VERY FAR” OM WHAT GIFFORD’S PARENTS BELIEVED HAPPS WAS. “I THK I WAS A REAL CHALLENGE TO THEM. THEY REALLY HAD TO SHIFT THEIR MDSET, BUT THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO DO THAT WORK.”TO THAT END, THE ENTIRE FAY, EXCEPT RUF, WENT TO THERAPY, “WHICH IS WONRFUL. AS A TTAMENT TO MY PARENTS THEY HAD SO MUCH WORK TO DO TO FIGURE OUT SI THEMSELV, BUT THEY DIDN’T ASK ME TO CHANGE WHICH WAS THE MOST WONRFUL PART. THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO CHANGE.”IT WAS HARD, GIFFORD SAYS. “THERE WERE LOTS OF TEARS, LOTS OF DRAMA, LOTS OF SADNS, AND OCSNAL FIGHTG.”COMG OUT WAS A “HUGE CHALLENGE,” HE ADDS. “I ME OUT WHEN I WAS 18, MY HMEN YEAR AT BROWN UNIVERSY. IT WAS A HUGE STGGLE. I HAD NO GAY ROLE MOLS. THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS YOU KNOW YOU’RE ATTRACTED TO MEN—I WAS OM A VERY EARLY AGE—BUT YOU DON’T INTIFY AS GAY, BEE THAT WAS REPRENTED SOCIETY A WAY THAT WAS UNRELATABLE TO ME. IT WASN’T UNTIL I GOT TO LLEGE WHERE YOU MEET PEOPLE WHO… JT SEEMED TO MAKE MORE SENSE.”GIFFORD’S VOICE HARNS. “I WAS RIDDLED WH SELF-HATRED AND SELF-DOUBT, AND A LACK OF ANY UNRSTANDG OF WHAT MY LIFE WOULD BE LIKE THE FUTURE. THERE WERE MANY, MANY DAYS WHEN YOU DIDN’T WANT TO WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNG, BUT YOU N’T EVEN IMAGE THOSE DAYS NOW—THEY SEEM LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME.”DO HE MEAN HE NTEMPLATED SUICI? “NOT ANY SER WAY, I THK THAT’S TOO DRAMATIC. BUT THE TENSE PRSN WAS REAL. IT WAS LERALLY WANTG TO PE YOUR BODY. AND BEE EVERYTHG YOU’RE THKG AND FEELG WAS WRONG, WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THAT?”TODAY, HE THKS THIS WAS ALL JT A PRODUCT OF GROWG UP THE TIME HE DID, AND NOT A CY, “NOT A PLACE WHERE THE NCEPT OF DIFFERENCE WAS CELEBRATED. I GREW UP A TOWN WHERE BEG NORMAL WAS VERY SPECIFIC AND IMPORTANT. “MANCHTER-BY-THE-SEA IS A WONRFUL TOWN. IT HAS EVOLVED TREMENDOLY SCE I GREW UP THERE. I GO BACK THERE NOW AND I’M CERTA A YOUNG GAY KID MIGHT THK DIFFERENTLY, BUT ’S A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE TO WHAT WAS THEN.”GIFFORD’S JOURNEY TO SELF-ACCEPTANCE, WAS, HE SAYS, “ONE OF THOSE THGS THAT ALLOWED ME TO GROW AS A HUMAN BEG. IT FELT LIKE I HAD TO FIGHT FOR MYSELF AND FIGHT FOR MY OWN WAY, AND THAT WAS GOOD FOR ME TO GET OUTSI OF MY FORT ZONE. IT WAS A CHALLENGE, BUT I LOOK BACK NOW AND ’S BEEN THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE, WONRFUL JOURNEY.”THE PRENCE OF HIS PARENTS, THREE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND EVERY ONE OF HIS NIEC AND NEPHEWS AT HIS WEDDG SHOWED HIM JT HOW FAR THE WHOLE FAY HAD E.HIS FATHER HAD JT EMAILED GIFFORD AND DEVCENT WHEN WE SPOKE, AND GIFFORD READ ME HIS MOVG MSAGE.HE WROTE, AMONG OTHER THGS: “AMIDST ALL THE CRAZY PUBLICY I WANT TO AT LEAST REMD MYSELF THAT THE MAGIL THREE DAYS ARE A WONRFUL LOVE STORY… THIS WEEKEND WAS A WONRFUL EXPRSN OF YOUR VOTN AND LOVE.“ANY RELATNSHIP’S BEDROCK IS TST, RPECT, AND MUNITN AS THE WILL SECURE THE OVERLYG LOVE… I’M ENORMOLY GRATEFUL FOR OUR ENTIRE FAY OF THREE GENERATNS WHICH SAW FIRST-HAND THIS AMAZG EXPERIENCE, AGA WH THAT RNERSTONE OF LOVE.“THANKS FOR THE MEMORI, WHICH WILL BE STAED FOR A LONG TIME. XO, FATHER AND FATHER--LAW.”SIAR EMAILS HAVE E OM HIS SIBLGS, AND GIFFORD HAS ALSO SPOKEN TO HIS MOTHER WHO EXPRSED SIAR JOY.“IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR MY FAY TO HAVE GONE ON THIS JOURNEY,” HE SAYS. “MY MOM AND DAD WILL SAY MY G OUT BROANED THEIR HORIZONS, AND BROANED THEIR UNRSTANDG A LTLE B MORE ABOUT LOVE, PASSN, ACCEPTANCE, AND DIVERSY—ALL THOSE WONRFUL THGS ABOUT LIFE. IT IS ONE OF MOST IMPORTANT THGS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THEM.”***AFTER HIS TORMENTED TEENAGE YEARS, LLEGE TURNED OUT TO BE LIBERATG FOR GIFFORD, HE SAYS. “YOU SPREAD YOUR WGS, START DATG, FD YOUR PLACE THE WORLD, MAKE ENORMO MISTAK, FALL FLAT ON YOUR FACE OM TIME TO TIME.”DIPLOMACY DID NOT TERT GIFFORD AT THAT STAGE. “MY FATHER WAS A BANKER OM BOSTON, AND I WANTED TO BE ANYTHG BUT A BANKER OM BOSTON.” HE MOVED STEAD TO LOS ANGEL, WH HIS THEN-BOYIEND, TO WORK FILM. “IT WAS REALLY A SIRE TO PAVE MY OWN WAY, AND MY SEXUALY WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.”BY 2004 HE WAS FEELG “VERY UNSPIRED. I HAD THE KD OF FANTASY MY HEAD THAT I WOULD MOVE TO HOLLYWOOD AND MAKE OSR-WNG MOVI, BUT—AND I TAKE NOTHG AWAY OM THE—I WAS WORKG ON BIG-BUDGET FAY EDI, LIKE DR DOLTLE 2, GARFIELD, AND DADDY DAYRE. I FELT A NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE.”GIFFORD QU HIS JOB AND MPAIGNED FOR JOHN KERRY, HIS THEN-HOME STATE SENATOR AND IRONILLY NOW HIS BOSS AS SECRETARY OF STATE.NO ONE HIS FAY HAD EVER N FOR OFFICE, BUT FELT TO GIFFORD POLICS WAS UNR DISCSN AROUND THE DNER TABL OF MASSACHETTS, CLUDG HIS OWN.IN 1992, AGED 18, HE WENT TO BROWN TO REGISTER TO VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME, A “VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT,” AND HE TALKED TO HIS FATHER ABOUT THAT YEAR’S ELECTN BATTLE BETWEEN BILL CLTON AND GEE BH. “POLICS WAS ALWAYS MY BLOOD, AND ALWAYS WILL BE—ONCE ’S PART OF S HARD TO GET AWAY. I LOVE .” (AS AN AMBASSADOR, HE SAYS HE MT EXERCISE POLIL IMPARTIALY AND NOT REVEAL IF HE IS FOR CLTON, SANRS, OR A.N. OTHER.)A ROLE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FUNDRAISG BLOSSOMED CALIFORNIA, AND THEN GIFFORD WORKED POLIL NSULTANCY. “THEN I MET BARACK OBAMA JANUARY 2007 AND CHANGED MY LIFE.”GIFFORD HAD JT E OM A MEETG WH HILLARY CLTON’S FANCE DIRECTOR WHO HAD OFFERED HIM A JOB CALIFORNIA FOR HER 2008 MPAIGN, AND WAS AT A PARTY TED KENNEDY WAS HOSTG TO CELEBRATE THE DEMOCRATS TAKG THE HOE AND SENATE 2006.GIFFORD SPOKE TO OBAMA FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. “THERE WAS TALK ABOUT HIM NNG FOR PRINT BUT HE HADN’T CLARED YET. IN THOSE MOMENTS, I SAID, ‘THIS IS MY GUY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.’ I SAID ‘NO’ TO THE CLTON MPAIGN AND KEPT MY FGERS CROSSED THAT OBAMA WOULD LL TO OFFER ME THE SAME JOB.” THAT HAPPENED, BUT FOR LS MONEY, “BUT WAS WORTH TO ME.”TO GIFFORD, OBAMA WAS “EVERYTHG I WANTED TO ELECT POLILLY, BUT ALSO WHO HE REPRENTED AS A HUMAN BEG. I WANTED TO SHOW BOTH MY PARENTS, WHO WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED , THAT WE ULD HAVE ELECTED AN AIN-AMERIN PRINT WH ‘HSE’ AS A MIDDLE NAME, AND ALSO SHOW THE RT OF THE WORLD THAT TOO.”GIFFORD WAS ALSO GAY, SO WASN’T HE TRATED—AS MANY LGBTS WERE—WH, ONCE HE WAS ELECTED, HOW LONG TOOK OBAMA TO “EVOLVE” ON EQUALY?“I TSTED… I FULLY UNRSTOOD… I WAS WORKG FOR HIM FOR THE ENTIRE TIME WHEN ALL THAT TRATN WH ALL THE NDIDAT AROUND MARRIAGE EQUALY WAS THERE.“TLY HOW I FELT, BACK THEN AND HOW I FEEL NOW, IS THAT I TSTED HIM, AND TSTED HIM AND THE PROCS WHERE HE WOULD GET TO WHERE WE NEED HIM TO BE. AM I TRATED AT TIM WH THE PACE TOOK? ABSOLUTELY. ITS IMPOSSIBLE AS A GAY MAN KNOWG WHAT IS RIGHT, THERE’S NO QUTN.“IT’S TRATG AT TIM THAT TAK AS LONG AS DO, BUT YOU KNOW YOUR HEART THAT ’S GONNA HAPPEN.”SO WHY DID OBAMA TAKE SO LONG—WAS GENUE NER-BATG, OR WAS HE PRO-EQUALY ALL THE WAY ALONG BUT TOO WORRIED ABOUT THE POLIL FALLOUT IF HE SAID SO?“I N’T REALLY MENT ON ,” SAYS GIFFORD. “I DON’T REALLY THK ABOUT THAT PART ANY MORE ANYWAY. IT’S MORE ABOUT WHERE WE GOT.”THE SEEDS OF GIFFORD’S AMBASSADORIAL LIFE WERE SOWN WHEN HE WAS THE FANCE DIRECTOR OF OBAMA’S RE-ELECTN MPAIGN 2012.TAPPED TO MEET ABOUT POSSIBLE JOBS THE SEND ADMISTRATN, GIFFORD NEVER THOUGHT AN AMBASSADORIAL JOB WOULD BE THE OFFG: HE WAS 38, AND AMBASSADORS SEEMED MUCH OLR. BUT HE WAS OFFERED HIS CURRENT JOB, AND STILL HAS GOOSEBUMPS THKG ABOUT THAT MEETG.HE RELLS JAM HORMEL’S FIGHT 1997—NOMATED BY CLTON TO BE THE U.S.’S FIRST OPENLY GAY AMBASSADOR (TO LUXEMBOURG), “BUT BLOCKED BY A SENATE BEE HE WAS EMED UNF TO SERVE OVERSEAS BEE HE WAS GAY.” CLTON EVENTUALLY OVER-RO THE SENATE, AND HORMEL TOOK UP THE POSTG 1999.TIM HAVE FORTUNATELY CHANGED AND, FOR GIFFORD, “THIS JOB IS REALLY AS GOOD AS GETS, ’S REALLY WONRFUL.”***GIFFORD MET DEVCENT WASHGTON 2009. “THE ATTRACTN WAS IMMEDIATE, THE NNECTN WAS IMMEDIATE, LIFE JT GETS THE WAY OF THAT.”WHAT HE MEANS IS THE UPLE HAVE MA THEIR RELATNSHIP WORK SPE THE OPPOSG GEOGRAPHIL PULLS OF THEIR JOBS.DEVCENT WAS, AND STILL IS, A VETERARIAN BASED PROVCETOWN (PECIALLY DURG THE SUMMER), WHO WAS DOG A FELLOWSHIP THE STATE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY MET.WHEN GIFFORD HAD TO MOVE TO CHIGO FOR THE RE-ELECTN MPAIGN, THERE WAS MORE MUTG. ODDLY THIS MA BOTH MEN REALIZE HOW MUCH THEY MEANT TO EACH OTHER.“WE SPENT EVERY SGLE WEEKEND TOGETHER EXCEPT TWO,” SAYS GIFFORD. “ON THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN I HAD TO TAKE THE L TO O’HARE OR HE HAD TO TAKE THE METRO TO NATNAL, DIDN’T FEEL LIKE A CHORE. IT WAS SOMETHG GOOD AND HAPPY.”THEY MOVED TO COPENHAGEN THE FALL OF 2013, AND STILL DEVCENT WORKS THE SUMMER PROVCETOWN. IT’S HARD FOR DEVCENT TO QUALIFY AS A VET DENMARK— WOULD MEAN SENTIALLY RETURNG TO SCHOOL—BUT HE HAS TAKEN ON ROL WH ANIZATNS LIKE THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND, ON PROJECTS VOLVG ELEPHANTS AI AND POLAR BEARS GREENLAND.IS THEIR 15-YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE AN ISSUE?“IT’S ALWAYS SORT OF AN ISSUE PRACTILLY,” SAYS GIFFORD. “IT’S ONE OF ISSU YOU ASK YOURSELF, ‘DO THIS MAKE ANY SENSE THAT HE’S ALMOST 15 YEARS OLR THAN I AM.”HE DON’T LOOK , I SAY.“IN SOME WAYS THAT’S THE PROBLEM,” SAYS GIFFORD. “WHEN PEOPLE MEET HIM, THEY THK I’M OLR THAN HIM.” HE LGHS. “IT’S SORT OF NOT ABOUT THAT. AT SOME POT YOU’RE JT PATIBLE, AND ’S JT GOOD. IT’S JT HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM.“WHEN WE FIRST MET, OUR IENDS SAID TO BOTH OF , ‘HE’S 15 YEARS OLR,’ OR ‘HE’S 15 YEARS YOUNGER. IS THIS REALLY REAL OR JT A FUN THG?’ THOSE SORTS OF MENTS STOP HAPPENG REALLY QUE QUICKLY. YOU JT MAKE WORK, AND THAT PART HAS BEEN FANTASTIC.”GIFFORD’S FUTURE, HE ADMS, IS A B OF A MYSTERY.“I’M A POLIL APPOTEE OF THE PRINT SO WHEN HE’S DONE, THEORETILLY I’M DONE. THE NEXT PRINT ULD EXTEND ME FOR A LTLE B LONGER, BUT THE JOBS ARE CREDIBLY SOUGHT AFTER, AND I FULLY ANTICIPATE SOMETIME EARLY 2017 THAT WE WILL LEAVE HERE. FOR ME, I’LL BE A 42-YEAR-OLD RETIRED AMBASSADOR. THAT’S A STRANGE NCEPT BEE I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO MY OLD LE OF WORK. AND I WILL NOT.”GIFFORD STILL OWNS A HOME LOS ANGEL, BUT DOUBTS THE MEN WILL GO THERE. HE SE THIS POTENTIAL PERD OF CHANGE AS AN OPPORTUNY.“IS A REER POLICS OR THE PRIVATE SECTOR? WHAT CY? WE LOVE LIVG EUROPE, DO WE WANT TO STAY? WE THK A LOT ABOUT LONDON AND NEW YORK, OR MAYBE HOME BOSTON. WE’LL SEE. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT TOGETHER THE URSE OF THE NEXT YEAR, AND THE MEANTIME ENJOY THIS CREDIBLE LIFE AND WORK WE’RE DOG RIGHT NOW.”AS THE FS OVER HIS WEDDG SHOWED, GIFFORD HAS BEE A FIGUREHEAD HIMSELF. “IT’S STRANGE, I N NEVER REALLY VIEW MYSELF THAT WAY. I FULLY UNRSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYG ATTENTN, AND WH THAT A GREAT RPONSIBILY TO REPRENT YOURSELF AS A GAY MAN WHO IS A PUBLIC FIGURE.“WHAT I E AS MY GUIDG PRCIPLE, ULTIMATELY, IS JT TO BE HONT, AND WHEN I SAY THAT I MEAN TO LET PEOPLE , TO LET THEM KNOW HOW I’M FEELG, TO LET THEM TO OUR LIV.“I DON’T NSIR MYSELF AN ACTIVIST, BUT I DO BELIEVE JT SAYG STEPHEN’S NAME ANY TIME I’M DOG A TELEVISN TERVIEW IS A SORT OF ACTIVISM AND OF SELF, THE SENSE ’S CREATG A SENSE OF NORMALCY AROUND THE NCEPT OF HOMOSEXUALY.”EVEN LIBERAL DENMARK, GIFFORD IS STOPPED NUMERO TIM ON THE STREET NOT ONLY BY GAY MEN AND WOMEN, BUT PEOPLE WHO THANK HIM FOR BEG PUBLIC AND OUT, “WHICH MAK YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH MATTERS. IT’S PLETELY EMOTNAL FOR ME.”HE SAYS HE ULD NOT HAVE IMAGED THAT THE SELFIE SHOT THE R, WH THE MEN SHOWG THE WEDDG RGS ON THEIR FGERS, GOT 55,000 FACEBOOK LIK AND THOANDS OF MENTS. “IT’S JT WONRFUL.”FIVE DAYS AFTER HIS WEDDG, GIFFORD SAYS HE STILL NEEDS TO PROCS ALL. “THE ONLY THG I KNOW IS THAT DO FEEL CREDIBLY MAGIL. IF I THK OF ONE WORD TO SCRIBE THE LAST FEW DAYS WOULD BE ‘GRATU.’”IT’S TOO SOON TO SAY IF THE UPLE WANT CHILDREN, GIFFORD SAYS WOULDN’T BE ANYTHG THEY WOULD UNRTAKE BEFORE LEAVG COPENHAGEN, “AND NEHER OF ARE GETTG ANY YOUNGER, SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT TO ACUNT.” HOWEVER, GIFFORD SAYS HE LOV AGEG, “OTHER THAN THE FACT YOUR BODY HURTS A LTLE B MORE.”THERE WILL NOT BE AN IMMEDIATE HONEYMOON, BUT THE MEN MAY JET OFF SOMEWHERE WARM WHEN THE NORTHERN EUROPEAN DAYS AND NIGHTS BEE BTER THE WTER.WHEN I ASK GIFFORD HOW HE IS FEELG FIVE DAYS ON OM ALL THE HULLABALOO, HE SAYS TO LOOK AT THE VIO OF HIS WEDDG NIGHT FIREWORKS SURPRISE.“IT FEELS LIKE THIS OVERWHELMG EMOTN, AND OVERWHELMG POSIVY. AND I JT FEEL HUMBLED, CREDIBLE GRATU, AND I FEEL AS BLSED AS I EVER HAVE MY LIFE THIS JOB, THIS UNTRY, REPRENTG THE UNTRY I LOVE, DOG WHAT I LOVE TO DO MORE THAN ANYTHG THE WORLD—AND, OF URSE MOST IMPORTANTLY, WH THE MAN THAT I LOVE.“I DON’T KNOW HOW GETS ANY BETTER THAN THIS. THAT WE’LL FIGURE OUT THE DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS TO E. FOR NOW I’M GOG TO RELISH THIS AND ENJOY , BEE ’S A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT OUR LIV.”TO THAT END, AS YOU READ THIS, GIFFORD AND DEVCENT WILL BE HAVG A LICLY QUIET WEEKEND.“ON MY AMBASSADOR’S LENDAR, EVERY 15 MUT IS ACUNTED FOR, OM 8 O’CLOCK THE MORNG TO LATE AT NIGHT. BUT THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG ON THE LENDAR. WE ARE TAKG BOTH DAYS OFF. THAT MEANS SLEEPG LATE, TAKG THE DOG (ARGOS, A NEARLY 4-YEAR-OLD GOLN RETRIEVER) FOR A WALK, AND EATG LEFTOVER KE—WHICH THERE IS TONS OF.” TIM TEEMAN

But never any gays. “We are the most homophobic untry on the map of Europe the EU, ” said Biedroń. Forty-seven percent said “homosexualy should not be accepted by society, ” when the Pew Rearch Center nducted a poll, between 2015 and 2016.

OPENLY GAY US AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK WEDS PARTNER

Dpe all this, Biedroń, cid to enter activism, -foundg the Campaign Agast Homophobia 2001. Bis I knew I’m the ‘only gay the village.