Ned Price Is First Openly Gay State Department Spokperson

Contents:

• MEET THE FIRST OPENLY GAY STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKPERSON: 'NO HIGHER HONOR' THAN THIS WORK, HE SAYS
• STATE DEPARTMENT'S 1ST OPENLY GAY SPOKPERSON SENDS SIGNAL TO THE WORLD, ADVOT SAY
• THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S NED PRICE SPEAKS FOR AMERI. HE ALSO JT MA LGBTQ HISTORY.LOUD AND CLEARPHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/SHUTTERSTOCKNED PRICE JT BEME THE FIRST OUT-GAY SPOKPERSON FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT. TIM TEEMAN SURVEYS HIS REER TELLIGENCE—AND HOW G OUT HELPED UNLOCK A POWERFUL GAY VOICE.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JAN. 16, 2023 12:49AM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 08, 2021 4:53AM EST WHEN NED PRICE BEGAN WORK AT THE CIA 2006 AS AN TELLIGENCE ANALYST HE WAS NOT YET READY TO E OUT. PART OF THE PROCS OF APPLYG FOR THE JOB VOLVED UNRGOG A POLYGRAPH TT, WHICH PRICE THOUGHT MIGHT REVEAL THAT HE WAS GAY. THIS PART OF HIMSELF, THEN SIGNIFYG HIS MD A POTENTIAL FOR LEVERAGE AND BLACKMAIL, WOULD BE OUT THE OPEN AND ULD SPELL THE END OF HIS ASPIRATNS TO WORK TELLIGENCE.PRICE WAS ASKED BY HIS TERVIEWER IF THERE WAS ANYTHG THEY HAD NOT VERED THAT PRICE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT. PRICE SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN ASKED ABOUT HIS ROMANTIC LIFE. HIS TERVIEWER SAID HE DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT , THAT WAS NOT RELEVANT, AND BROUGHT THE TERVIEW TO AN END. THE WORKPLACE PRICE ENTERED SEEMED FAIRLY PROGRSIVE, BUT STILL TOOK HIM SOME TIME TO E OUT. TWO WEEKS AGO, PRICE MA HISTORY WHEN HE WAS APPOTED THE FIRST OUT-GAY SPOKPERSON AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT UNR S NEWLY APPOTED BIN-ERA CHIEF, ANTONY J. BLKEN. PRICE IS AMERI’S VOICE TO THE WORLD, SPEAKG OUT ON ALL AREAS OF TERNATNAL POLICY AND DIPLOMACY. AT ONE OF HIS FIRST BRIEFGS HE NMNED THE RECENT ANTI-LGBTQ CRACKDOWNS UNFOLDG AROUND A UNIVERSY ISTANBUL, TURKEY. PRICE TOLD REPORTERS, “WE ARE NCERNED BY TENTNS OF STUNTS AND OTHER MONSTRATORS AND STRONGLY NMN THE ANTI-LGBTQIA RHETORIC SURROUNDG THE MONSTRATNS.”LAST WEEK, PRINT BIN RELEASED A PRINTIAL MEMORANDUM, MAKG CLEAR HIS ADMISTRATN’S MMENT TO LGBTQ RIGHTS WORLDWI, SO EXPECT PRICE TO BE AS NFINTLY POTED AS HE WAS ABOUT THE ANTI-LGBTQ CRACKDOWN TURKEY AS AND WHEN THE OCSN ARIS. HE IS SETTLG TO THE LAYERED MEANGS OF HIS HISTORIC APPOTMENT, AND THE ADD POWER OF HIS WORDS WHEN HE SPEAKS UP ON BEHALF OF LGBTQ RIGHTS FOR AMERI. IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THANKS TO HIS HISTORY-MAKG APPOTMENT, PRICE HAS ALSO FOUND HIMSELF THE UNUAL POSN OF BEG NEWS HIMSELF. ONE SENS HE HAS NOT RELISHED THAT. HE CLED TO SPEAK TO A REPORTER ON THE RERD FOR THIS PROFILE, OFFERG ONLY ONE QUOTE TO THE DAILY BEAST. “THERE’S NO HIGHER HONOR THAN WORKG WH THE WOMEN AND MEN OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT. IN THIS ROLE, I’M SPEAKG ON THEIR BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF THE U.S. ERNMENT; THAT’S WHAT MAK PECIALLY THRILLG. I’D RATHER LET THEM, THEIR WORK, AND AMERI’S ROLE THE WORLD BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTN, WHICH IS WHY I’LL CLE TO MENT.”AFTER HIS REMARKS ON TURKEY, PRICE LOOKED AT HIS DIRECT MSAG AND AT TWTER TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYG ALL OVER THE WORLD. THERE WAS SOME VRL, BUT HE ALSO HEARD OM A NUMBER OF TURKISH LGBTQ PEOPLE, REACHG OUT TO SAY HOW MEANGFUL WAS TO HEAR THAT MSAGE AND OM SOMEONE WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THEIR MUNY.IN HIS NEW ROLE, PRICE HAS TO SPEAK FOR AMERI, NOT HIMSELF, BUT IS THE FORTUNATE POSN THAT HIS PERSONAL VIEWS AND THE PARTMENT THAT HE IS EMPLOYED TO SPEAK ABOUT ARE ALIGNED. “NED WAS THE MOST UNFLAPPABLE SPOKPERSON I WORKED WH.”PRICE’S REER BEGAN AT THE CIA, WHERE AS AN ANALYST HE SPENT SEVEN YEARS FOCED ON UNTER TERRORISM, AL QAEDA, AND S AFFILIAT AROUND THE WORLD. IN 2013, HE APPLIED SUCCSFULLY TO BE A SPOKPERSON AT THE CIA. ADVERTISEMENT ALONGSI HIS TALENT AND SKILLS, “RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME” SEEMS A DISTGUISHG FEATURE OF HIS REER MOV TO DATE. IN 2014, HE JOED THE NATNAL SECURY COUNCIL AS A DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC MUNITNS AND ASSISTANT PRS SECRETARY. IN JUNE 2015, THE WHE HOE APPOTED HIM A SPOKPERSON AND SENR DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC MUNITNS AT THE NSC. IN 2016— ANOTHER SE OF THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE—HE WAS APPOTED AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRINT, A ROLE HE REMAED UNTIL THE END OF THE OBAMA ADMISTRATN.AT THE NSC, PRICE REPORTED TO BEN RHOS, UNR OBAMA AN ASSISTANT TO THE PRINT AND PUTY NATNAL SECURY ADVISER FOR STRATEGIC MUNITNS. RHOS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT WAS “REMARKABLE HOW QUICKLY NED TRANSNED OM THE MDSET OF A CIA ANALYST AND PRS OFFICER TO SOMEONE WHO HAD TO VER LERALLY THE WHOLE WORLD AT THE WHE HOE, CLUDG THE PLITED TERSECTN OF NATNAL SECURY AND POLICS. SEND, AND MORE RELEVANTLY: NED WAS THE MOST UNFLAPPABLE SPOKPERSON I WORKED WH.”THE PAIR “ALT WH A TREMENDO ARRAY OF CRIS THOSE LAST TWO YEARS—ISIS, REFUGE, EBOLA, IRAN DEAL, RSIA AND UKRAE—AND NED WAS OFTEN BOTH THE SPOKPERSON FOR THOSE ISSU AS WELL AS THE GUY ORDATG U.S. ERNMENT AGENCI.” RHOS SAID.MAYBE WAS PRICE’S TELLIGENCE BACKGROUND, RHOS SAID, “BUT HE NEVER GOT RATTLED AND NEVER SEEMED TO GET TIRED. AS SOMEONE WHO WAS PLENTY EXHSTED BY THE END, I END UP LEGATG A TON OF STUFF TO NED. HE ALSO EXCELLED ON THE EBOLA TASK FORCE WORKG DIRECTLY WH (EBOLA CZAR, NOW BIN CHIEF OF STAFF) RONALD KLA, AND WORKED ON A DAILY BASIS WH PSAKI (JEN, NOW WHE HOE PRS SECRETARY) AND THEN WAS THE MS STRATEGIST FOR NATNAL SECURY ACTN WHICH JAKE SULLIVAN (NOW NATNAL SECURY ADVISER) AND I -CHAIRED. “I SHARED AN OFFICE SUE WH NED AND WORKED PRETTY LONG HOURS MYSELF, BUT HE WAS ALWAYS THERE WHEN I GOT TO WORK AND WHEN I LEFT.”— BEN RHOS “THIS MEANS NED IS THE RARE STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKPERSON WH REALLY CLOSE RELATNSHIPS AT THE WHE HOE WHICH WILL BE IMMENSELY EFUL TO HIM AND THE ADMISTRATN MORE BROADLY.” ADVERTISEMENT PRICE WENT TO THE WHE HOE AS A REER OFFICIAL, UNSURE OF WHAT HE WOULD FD. UNTIL THAT TIME HIS ENTIRE REER AS NFED TO THE CIA, A UNIVERSE AWAY OM THE POLICY STUT DOWNTOWN. HE FOUND THAT THE THEN-WHE HOE STAFF FERRED TO TELLIGENCE-MUNY REER PROFSNALS. PRICE HAD ALWAYS NSIRED HIMSELF TO BE PROGRSIVE, NOT PARTISAN—AND HIS WHE HOE LLEAGU WERE EHER REER OFFICIALS OR BEEN AROUND SCE THE BEGNG OF THE OBAMA MPAIGN; AND PRICE WAS PROUD TO WORK ALONGSI THEM ON FOREIGN POLICY AREAS SUCH AS CUBA, IRAQ, AND THE PARIS CLIMATE ACRDS (WHICH THE BIN ADMISTRATN JT RE-SIGNED AMERI BACK UP TO).AT THE OBAMA WHE HOE, FORMER PUTY PRS SECRETARY ERIC SCHULTZ TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, PRICE BED A EP KNOWLEDGE OF TOPICS WH A “SHARP SAVVY SEEG HOW THOSE ISSU WOULD PLAY OUT THE DOMTIC POLIL ENVIRONMENT. HE WAS VERY GOOD AT RRALLG NSC BURECRACY. HE KNEW THE WHE HOE WAS THE TIP OF THE SPEAR, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE NEVER GOT OUT AHEAD OF ANY PARTICULAR AGENCY. HE READS THE ROOM. HE MAK SURE HIS POT OF VIEW ACROSS, BUT NOT A BOMBASTIC OR UNPROFSNAL WAY. HE KEEPS MD THAT ERNMENT IS A LLABORATIVE ENTERPRISE. HE’S ALWAYS FIGHTG FOR THE GREATER GOOD. HE IS ALSO A GOOD IEND, FUN TO BE AROUND, AND KNOWS WHEN NOT TO TAKE HIMSELF TOO SERLY.”LIZ ALLEN, WHOSE CLOSE IENDSHIP WH PRICE BEGAN WHEN SHE WAS THE WHE HOE’S PUTY MUNITNS DIRECTOR, RELLED VERY TENSE WORKG DAYS TRAVELG THE WORLD WH THE PRINT, THE PRSURE OFFSET BY FUN NIGHTS OUT. PRICE’S EXPERTISE THE TELLIGENCE FIELD IS UPLED WH AN ABILY TO MUNITE “BETTER THAN ANYONE” ALLEN KNOWS AT THE TERSECTN OF BOTH ARENAS.ALLEN, WHO NOW WORKS PRIVATE MUNITNS NSULTG, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT PRICE MAY TAKE HIS WORK TENSELY SERLY, BUT ALSO HAS A “FAST, HILAR, SIGHTFUL, OBSERVATNAL W,” WHICH BROUGHT MUCH-NEED LEVY AT CHARGED MOMENTS. SHE SPEAKS AS WARMLY OF PRICE AS OTHER FORMER LLEAGU, NOTG HE IS A GENERO HOST WHO HOSTS “FUN, R WEEKEND BNCH THAT N LAST ALL DAY.” AT AFTER-WORK HAPPY HOURS FEATURG LLEAGU, STAFFERS, AND JOURNALISTS PRICE “N ENLIVEN A TABLE AND ROOM UNLIKE MANY OTHERS,” ALLEN SAID. PRICE AND HIS PARTNER, RICHARD HUDOCK, SENR DIRECTOR OF MUNITNS FOR NBC NEWS, HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS. ADVERTISEMENT PRICE’S FATHER WOULD TAKE HIS SON TO PROTTS, NOT THE BEACH, WHEN ON HOLIDAY.PRICE GREW UP DALLAS, FASCATED WH THE WORLD. HE WAS CHRISTENED EDWARD, BUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN “NED,” NEVER EDWARD OR ED. HIS GRANDFATHER HAD BEEN LLED EDWARD, AND HIS PARENTS THOUGHT THE NAME ALWAYS TOO FORMAL AND LLED THEIR SON NED. A TEACHER ONCE LLED HIM EDWARD, WAS SWIFTLY RRECTED, AND THE NAME WAS NEVER HEARD AGA.PRICE’S FATHER WAS AN ATTORNEY, HIS MOTHER WORKED AT THE DALLAS MM OF ART. FROM AN EARLY AGE PRICE TRAVELED TO PLAC NEAR AND FAR—GOG TO CUBA, AGED 17, FOR EXAMPLE—AND RATHER THAN GO TO BEACH AS OTHER FAI MIGHT ON VATN, PRICE’S FATHER WOULD FD WHATEVER PROTT WAS GOG ON AND TAKE HIS SON THERE. HIS FATHER WAS TERTED CIVIC ACTIVISM AND ENGAGEMENT, SPARKG HIS SON THE SAME. PRICE WAS EXTREMELY STUD AT SCHOOL AND LLEGE—WORKG SO HARD, PERHAPS, TO AVOID QUTNS ABOUT WHO HE WAS, AND ISSU HE DID NOT WANT TO BROACH AT THE TIME. HE WENT TO AN ALL-BOYS SCHOOL OM FIFTH TO 12TH GRA; HE MA HIS BT IENDS THE FIFTH, SIXTH, AND SEVENTH GRAS AND THEY REMA SOME OF HIS CLOST IENDS TODAY. SOME OF THOSE IENDS ARE ALSO GAY, AND AS AN ADULT PRICE REALIZED THEY WERE GOG THROUGH SIAR EXPERIENC AT THE SAME TIME MANIFTG DIFFERENT WAYS. THEY WERE ON THE SAME JOURNEY, BUT WH DIFFERENT PAC. THE SHARED EXPERIENCE HAS HELPED THEM UNRSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER, EVEN IF THEY ULD ONLY FALLY BE OPEN WH EACH OTHER MUCH LATER. “PRICE’S BT IEND OM SCHOOL ME OUT TO HIM. PRICE WAS SHOCKED, YET TOOK AS A SIGNAL THAT IF HIS BUDDY ULD MAKE THROUGH THIS THEN HE ULD TO. IT WAS A NECSARY, WELE KICK.” ADVERTISEMENT PRICE’S CLOSET FORMED EARLY, PART BEE OF OPPRSIVE MACHISMO OF THE BOYS’ SCHOOL. THERE WERE A UPLE OF KIDS AT SCHOOL OTHER PUPILS ASSUMED TO BE GAY BEE OF HOW THEY SPOKE, ACTED, OR WHAT THEY WORE. SEEG THE TNTS AND BULLYG THOSE KIDS ENDURED LEFT S HIBG MARK ON THE YOUNG PRICE.PRICE NTUED TO FEND AWAY THE TTH ABOUT HIMSELF THROUGHOUT LLEGE, WHERE HE HAD A GIRLIEND, AND THOUGHT TO HIMSELF HE ULD MAKE A HETEROSEXUAL LIFE WORK. THEN PRICE’S BT IEND OM SCHOOL ME OUT TO HIM. PRICE TOOK AS A SIGNAL THAT IF HIS BUDDY ULD MAKE THROUGH THIS THEN HE ULD TOO. IT WAS A NECSARY, WELE KICK.EVENTUALLY, HE ME OUT. IT WAS A PROCS FOR HIS PARENTS, AS N BE FOR SO MANY, BUT THEY—ED ALL THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE PRICE’S LIFE—WERE ACCEPTG AND LOVG. THE POLICE OFFICER ASKED PRICE: “YOU’RE NOT GAY, ARE YOU?”PRICE KNEW HE WANTED TO GO TO FOREIGN POLICY, BUT DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT UNTIL HE WENT GEETOWN UNIVERSY, WHERE HE STUDIED TERNATNAL RELATNS AT THE SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE. GRADUATG SUMMA CUM L, HE ARRIVED D.C. AUGT 2001. TEN DAYS TO HIS FIRST SEMTER, 9/11 HAPPENED. PRICE WATCHED THE PENTAGON BURN AND LATER SMOLR OM ON TOP OF ONE OF THE DORMS. IT CLARIFIED HIS TERMATN TO GO TO PUBLIC SERVICE. ADVERTISEMENT FIVE YEARS LATER, PRICE STARTED WORKG ERNMENT. HE WAS AAID OF BEG DISVERED TO BE GAY, HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS AND WHAT WASN’T NSIRED DISQUALIFYG WHEN ME TO A REER AT THE CIA AND NATNAL SECURY. OPENNS WAS ONLY JT BEG STUTNALIZED.DAVID K. JOHNSON’S BRILLIANT BOOK, THE LAVENR SRE, POWERFULLY SCRIBED THE PERSECUTN OF LBIANS AND GAY MEN THE FERAL ERNMENT THE 1950’S. UP UNTIL THE MID-1990S, IF YOU WERE OUT THE TELLIGENCE FIELD, YOU WERE ELIGIBLE FOR SECURY CLEARANCE—A PERSISTENT HANER OF A 1953 EXECUTIVE ORR, SIGNED BY THEN PRINT EISENHOWER, DIRECTG FERAL AGENCI TO VTIGATE EMPLOYE WHO MIGHT POSE SECURY RISKS. “‘SEXUAL PERVERSN,’ FOR HOMOSEXUALY, WAS NSIRED A FIREABLE OFFENSE,” AS SHANE HARRIS WROTE A 2015 DAILY BEAST ARTICLE, TAILG THE HISTORY OF LGBTQ PEOPLE WORKG THE SECURY SERVIC.IN 1995, THEN PRINT CLTON ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORR, EFFECTIVELY REVERSG THAT. “NO FERENCE NCERNG THE STANDARDS” FOR EMPLOYMENT, SAID, “MAY BE RAISED SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF THE SEXUAL ORIENTATN OF THE EMPLOYEE.”STILL A AFTER THAT, THE PACE OF CHANGE WAS SLOW. LGBTQ EMPLOYE LIKE PRICE WERE WARY OF G OUT, SEEG THEIR SEXUALY AND JOB UNEASY -EXISTENCE. THE SHADOW OF LAVENR PURG AND SECRECY STILL EXISTED, AND WAS MOST ACUTE THE SECURY SERVIC WHERE THERE WERE FEW BOSS FOSTERG AN CLIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, OR WHO EMPHASIZED ANIZATNAL STRENGTH DIVERSY, OR WHO PRRIZED DIVERSY TERMS OF RECMENT AND RETENTN.THE TURNG POT FOR PRICE WAS THE SIGHT OF A LANYARD—A NOT UNFAIAR SIGHT AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT WHERE ALL EMPLOYE WORE THEM, SYMBOLIZG DIFFERENT JOBS AND PARTMENTS. PRICE SAW STAFFERS OM THE CIA’S LGBTQ STAFF ASSOCIATN, ANGLE, WEAR LANYARDS WH THE GROUP’S NAME ON . IT GAVE HIM NFINCE, A SENSE THAT THE CIA WAS EVOLVG, TO SEE THAT WASN’T JT LGBTQ MEMBERS OF STAFF WEARG THE LANYARDS, BUT THEIR SUPPORTIVE STRAIGHT BOSS AND LLEAGU. WH THAT SAFETY , HE BEGAN TO TELL PEOPLE HE WAS GAY.ONE NIGHT AUGT 2011, HE WAS DRIVG TOO FAST HOME, EXCED TO HEAD OUT ON A FIRST DATE WH A GUY HE WAS LOOKG FORWARD TO GET TO KNOW. HE DID NOT NOTICE THE POLICE R BEHD HIM, S SIREN ON. ADVERTISEMENT “HE THEN WARNED ME TO STAY AWAY OM THE ‘PUBLIC BATHROOMS’ NEAR THE DISTRICT’S MERIDIAN HILL PARK. HE LGHED HEARTILY. I SAT THERE, HUIATED.”— NED PRICE AS PRICE SCRIBED A MONTH LATER THE WASHGTON POST, THE OFFICER RAN PRICE’S LICENSE AND TOOK HIM TO CTODY; AN ADMISTRATIVE GLCH AT THE D.C. DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICL MEANT PRICE’S NUMBER PLATE HAD E UP AS A LICENSE WHICH HAD BEEN SPEND. PRICE RELLED THAT HE WAS ALONE WH THE OFFICER AT THE POLICE STATN THAT NIGHT. THE OFFICER ASKED WHERE HE LIVED. PART OF PRICE’S ANSWER CLUD THE RMATN OF BEG CLOSE TO DUPONT CIRCLE, D.C.’S HISTORILLY GAY NEIGHBORHOOD.THE OFFICER ASKED PRICE: “YOU’RE NOT GAY, ARE YOU?”PRICE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO RPOND. FEELG TIMIDATED AND SRED AS WAS JT THE TWO OF THEM THERE, AND THE OFFICER SEEMED POSSIBLY HOMOPHOBIC, PRICE SAID NO, HE WAS NOT. “GOOD,” THE OFFICER REPLIED, “WH AN EXAGGERATED SIGH OF RELIEF,” PRICE WROTE THE POST. “HE THEN WARNED ME TO STAY AWAY OM THE ‘PUBLIC BATHROOMS’ NEAR THE DISTRICT’S MERIDIAN HILL PARK. HE LGHED HEARTILY. I SAT THERE, HUIATED.”PRICE STEWED AND AGONIZED ABOUT THE HOUR THAT TOOK FOR THE PS TO REALIZE THE CLERIL MIX-UP. AFTER PRICE HAD HIS CUFFS REMOVED, AND AS THE P WAS SAYG GOODBYE, PRICE TOLD HIM HE WAS GAY AND HAD TAKEN OFFENSE AT HIS REMARKS. “I DON’T RE IF YOU’RE GAY,” THE OFFICER TOLD HIM. “IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I REALIZED WHAT WAS REALLY EATG AT ME. IT HAD LS TO DO WH WHAT THE OFFICER ASKED AND MORE WH HOW I RPOND.”— NED PRICE ADVERTISEMENT “I LEFT THE STATN THAT EVENG DIGNANT ABOUT THE ORAL, NOT KNOWG WHETHER TO CHALK UP TO MERE THOUGHTLS REMARKS OR SOMETHG CLOSER TO A VLATN OF MY CIVIL RIGHTS,” PRICE WROTE. “IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I REALIZED WHAT WAS REALLY EATG AT ME. IT HAD LS TO DO WH WHAT THE OFFICER ASKED AND MORE WH HOW I RPOND.”PRICE DIDN’T INTIFY HIMSELF AS A CIA ANALYST THAT POST STORY, BUT WAS A LIBERATG MOMENT. TO WRE THE ARTICLE WAS A THARTIC EXPRSN OF HIS OPENNS. HE HAD NEVER DONE ANYTHG LIKE BEFORE; AS AN TELLIGENCE ANALYST UP TO THAT POT, THE ONLY THGS HE HAD WRTEN HAD BEEN SEEN BY PEOPLE WH SECURY CLEARANC, MOSTLY AT THE CIA. (AND THE DATE HE WAS SHG TO THAT NIGHT WENT AS WELL HE HAD HOPED; THEY WERE TOGETHER FOR THREE YEARS AND REMA IENDS.)THERE WERE OTHER CINTS OF PEOPLE AT WORK MAKG HOMOPHOBIC JOK OR G ANTI-GAY EPHETS HIS PRENCE NOT KNOWG PRICE HIMSELF WAS GAY. SUCH CINTS ARE SHARP NTRAST TO THE PROGRSIVE, OPEN-MD AND ABSOLUTELY WELG LLEAGU PRICE ENUNTERED AT THE OBAMA WHE HOE AND NOW AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT UNR BLKEN.AND YET, EVEN TODAY, ONE SENR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, “WE WOULD BE FOOLG OURSELV IF WE SAID THERE WAS PLETE OPENNS. THERE ARE CULTUR WH THE NATNAL SECURY MUNY THAT ARE NOT WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.” THE OPERATNAL SI OF THE CIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND REMAS, DOMATED BY A “GOOD OL’ BOY WORK,” WH WHICH SOME LGBTQ PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL ABLE TO BE OUT.BUT THE OFFICIAL WAS REFUL ALSO TO POT TO THE EXISTENCE OF GROUPS LIKE GLIFFA (GAYS AND LBIANS FOREIGN AFFAIRS AGENCI), AND THE NOW-GOOD FORTUNE TO HAVE A PRINT AND SECRETARY OF STATE WHO ARE SO PRO-LGBTQ DOMTILLY AND TERNATNALLY. BLKEN IMMEDIATELY REVERSED THE TMP ADMISTRATN DIRECTIVE NOT TO DISPLAY PRI FLAGS ON EMBASSI, AND THE NEW SECRETARY OF STATE, ADDRSG HIS WORKFORCE, MA CLEAR HE WANTS THE PARTMENT TO BE MORE DIVERSE, AND LOOK LIKE THE UNED STAT THAT IS REPRENTG. ADVERTISEMENT “HE KNOWS THE ROLE HE HAS IS BIGGER THAN ANY DIVIDUAL WHO FILLS AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME.”AT THE MOMENT OF TMP’S ELECTN, PRICE THOUGHT HE WOULD END HIS REER AT THE CIA. HE STAYED POST FOR A UPLE OF WEEKS, UNTIL PRICE REALIZED WORKG UNR THE TMP ADMISTRATN WOULD NOT WORK FOR HIM.IN FEBARY 2017, PRICE WROTE A STRONGLY WORD AND, AS TURNED OUT, DARKLY PROPHETIC WASHGTON POST ARTICLE TAILG HIS NCERNS OVER TMP’S ACTNS TOWARDS THE TELLIGENCE MUNY, AND WHY HE FELT HE HAD TO LEAVE THE CIA. HE RECEIVED BOTH PRAISE AND CRICISM WHEN WAS PUBLISHED.SOURC SAY THAT PRICE THOUGHT FOR SEVERAL DAYS WHETHER WAS RIGHT TO TAKE HIS NCERNS PUBLIC, ULTIMATELY CIDG TO DO SO BEE HE KNEW HE WAS FAR OM THE ONLY TELLIGENCE PROFSNAL TO SHARE THE NCERNS HE WROTE ABOUT. HE WAS GIVG VOICE TO THE WORRY AND TRATN OF LLEAGU WHO ULD NOT SPEAK OUT. WHATEVER THE PHBACK ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HE WANTED TO RAISE AWARENS OF TMP’S ATTACKS ON THE TELLIGENCE MUNY.A FEW YEARS THE RELATIVE POLIL WILRNS BECKONED; DURG THAT TIME PRICE FOUND HIMSELF MOST DRAWN TO ADVOCY AND FOREIGN POLICY (HE WAS A DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND MUNITNS AT NATNAL SECURY ACTN, AND AN NBC NEWS NTRIBUTOR). AS AN ADJUNCT PROFSOR, HE FOUND TEACHG AT HIS ALMA MATER, GEETOWN, MOST FULFILLG OF ALL. FOR PRICE, TEACHG IS A PRACTIL PURSU. HE HASN’T WRTEN A PHD, OR A LONG DISSERTATN ON TERNATNAL POLICS, BUT HIS STUNTS WANTED TO DISCS POLICY WH SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN THEIR SHO 15 OR SO YEARS PRR.AND THEN BIN WON, AND THIS ETERNAL PUBLIC SERVANT RE-FOUND AN OLD LLG. PRICE’S PREV EXPERIENC WORKG FOR THE OBAMA ADMISTRATN MEANT HE KNEW MANY PRCIPALS THE BIN-HARRIS TRANSN TEAM, LIKE DIRECTOR OF NATNAL TELLIGENCE AVRIL HA, JAKE SULLIVAN, AND BLKEN. ADVERTISEMENT WHEN PRICE WAS ASKED BY MEMBERS OF THE G ADMISTRATN WHAT HE WANTED TO DO, HE SAID HE WANTED TO GO BACK TO ERNMENT AND BE A PUBLIC SERVANT AGA. IT WAS BLKEN WHO RAISED THE IA OF PRICE BEG THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S SPOKPERSON.OFFICIALS AND STAFFERS AT STATE FEEL THE TMP ADMISTRATN DID TREMENDO DAMAGE TO THE TELLIGENCE MUNY, ATTACKG AND UNRMG STUTNALLY, AS WELL AS PUBLICLY DOUBTG AND EVEN REJECTG THE TELLIGENCE THEY RECEIVED. “YOU N REBUILD STUTNS AND HIRE PEOPLE. YOU N DO REVIEWS, AND APPOT OMBUDSMEN FOR ANALYTIC TEGRY AND EMPOWER SPECTORS GENERAL. BUT REPROGRAMMG THE ATTUS OF LNS OF AMERINS IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.”— STATE DEPARTMENT SOURCE THE RELENTLS MONIZATN BY TMP OF TELLIGENCE PROFSNALS HAS UNRMED A MORE GENERAL PUBLIC TST. AS ONE OFFICIAL PUT , “YOU N REBUILD STUTNS AND HIRE PEOPLE. YOU N DO REVIEWS, AND APPOT OMBUDSMEN FOR ANALYTIC TEGRY AND EMPOWER SPECTORS GENERAL. BUT REPROGRAMMG THE ATTUS OF LNS OF AMERINS IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.”WH THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE TMP ERA HAS LED TO “IMMENSE ATROPHY” AND A “HOLLOWG OUT” ONE OFFICIAL SAID, WH LARGE NUMBERS OF VANCI AT A SENR LEVEL TRADNALLY HELD BY REER AMBASSADORS AND OLR MEMBERS OF STAFF WH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS JUNR, ENTRY LEVEL POSNS—MEANG A TWNED CRISIS WH THE ANIZATN LACKG THOSE WH VALUABLE LONG-VIEW EXPERIENCE, AND NEWER BLOOD NECSARY TO SEE THE STATE DEPARTMENT TO THE FUTURE.ADD TO ALL THAT, AMERIN DIPLOMATIC FLUENCE HAS WANED AROUND THE WORLD. THERE WILL, ONE SOURCE SAID, NEED TO BE A GREE OF HUY HOW AMERI TRI TO REGA S SEAT AT MANY TABL. “IT’S NOTHG WE N’T EVENTUALLY OVERE, BUT WON’T BE A PROCS THAT WE PLETE THE FIRST WEEK, FIRST MONTH OR EVEN YEAR. THIS WILL BE A LONG-TERM PROCS.” ADVERTISEMENT “I WAED FOR A MORE FORTABLE, OPPORTUNE MOMENT. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HOWEVER, THE MOMENT IS OPPORTUNE. WHAT MATTERS MOST IS BEG ABLE TO SPEAK THE TTH REGARDLS.”— NED PRICE PRICE HAS BEEN ON THE JOB FOR AROUND TWO WEEKS, WH A CLUTCH OF BRIEFGS UNR HIS BELT. THE JURY MAY STILL BE OUT ON HIM, BUT AT THIS HONEYMOON STAGE LLEAGU SAY HE HAS FOUND CREDIBLY REWARDG NOT ONLY TO BE BACK ERNMENT BUT ALSO SURROUND BY THOSE WH EP EXPERIENCE POLICY, DIPLOMACY, AND SECURY.WHILE THERE WAS “AN IMPORTANT SYMBOLISM” PRICE’S LGBTQ HISTORY-MAKG APPOTMENT, “NED IS NEVER ONE TO MAKE ABOUT HIMSELF,” SAID ERIC SCHULTZ. “HE KNOWS THE ROLE HE HAS IS BIGGER THAN ANY DIVIDUAL WHO FILLS AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME. HE UNRSTANDS THE GOAL IS TO REPAIR AND REBUILD THE RELATNSHIPS THE UNTRY HAS AROUND THE WORLD.” THE TMP ERA, SCHULTZ SAID, HAD LED TO “A HOLLOWG OUT OF THE PARTMENT, AND A TRAGIC FOUR YEARS WHICH AMERI HAD ABDITED S ROLE AS A MORAL LEAR THE WORLD. IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO DIG OURSELV OUT OF THAT HOLE.”“I THK NED REALLY UNRSTANDS THE FACT THAT HIM STANDG AT THAT PODIUM IS A REPRENTATN OF THE BT U.S. VALU—CLN, REPRENTATN, AND PERSONAL EEDOM,” LIZ ALLEN SAID. “WHILE HE KNOWS ‘’S NOT ABOUT HIM’ HE UNRSTANDS WHAT HIS APPOTMENT REPRENTS, AND HE N ALSO SPEAK THORATIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE U.S. ERNMENT AND OF SELF.” “IT’S QUE POWERFUL ANKLY TO WATCH SOMEONE GET UP AND BE THAT EXAMPLE, WHILE TO HIM HE IS JT DOG HIS JOB, DAY-, DAY-OUT. I THK RPONSIBILY DRIV HIM, AND HE TERNALIZ THAT RPONSIBILY.”— LIZ ALLEN PRICE TAK BEG “A SYMBOL AND EXAMPLE TO THE RT OF THE WORLD REGARDLS OF THE WORDS G OUT OF HIS MOUTH” VERY SERLY, SAID ALLEN. “IT’S QUE POWERFUL ANKLY TO WATCH SOMEONE GET UP AND BE THAT EXAMPLE, WHILE TO HIM HE IS JT DOG HIS JOB, DAY-, DAY-OUT. I THK THAT A SENSE OF RPONSIBILY DRIV HIM, AND HE TERNALIZ THAT RPONSIBILY.” ADVERTISEMENT IN THE 2011 WASHGTON POST ARTICLE, WHERE PRICE MULLED HIS UNSETTLG ENUNTER WH THE P AND HIS IAL NIAL OF HIS OWN SEXUALY, HE WROTE, “I WOULD HAVE BEEN SATISFIED WH MYSELF, HAD I UNFLCHGLY ADMTED WHO I WAS RPONSE TO THE OFFICER’S QUTN. BUT I WAED; I WAED FOR A MORE FORTABLE, OPPORTUNE MOMENT. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HOWEVER, THE MOMENT IS OPPORTUNE. WHAT MATTERS MOST IS BEG ABLE TO SPEAK THE TTH REGARDLS. IN ADDN TO A UPLE OF TRAFFIC TICKETS, THAT’S WHAT I TOOK AWAY OM THAT POLICE STATN.” SO Y, PRICE IS READY TO FIGHT FOR WHAT HE BELIEV —AND NOW WH THE ADD FLEX OF HAVG ONE OF AMERI’S MOST POWERFUL POLIL STUTNS RIGHT BEHD HIM.ALLEN CL TO SPECULATE WHAT HER IEND AND FORMER LLEAGUE MIGHT DO NEXT, BUT SHE BELIEV “THE SKY’S THE LIM” FOR SOMEONE WH SUCH AN EMBRACG KNOWLEDGE OF POLICY AND POLICS. SHE HOP HIS FUTURE VOLV SERVG ERNMENT—IF PRICE NTU TO WISH TO DO SO—BEE HE HAS BEEN SO EFFECTIVE AT TO DATE.“HE’S A TERRIFIC POST RIGHT NOW,” SAID SCHULTZ. “I’M SURE HE HAS AN EVEN BRIGHTER FUTURE AHEAD, ALTHOUGH HE’S MORE FOCED ON DOG THE JOB ONT OF HIM RATHER THAN THKG LONG TERM DOWN THE ROAD.” SCHULTZ LGHED. “I WOULD NEVER BET AGAST NED PRICE.” TIM TEEMAN
• STATE DEPARTMENT’S OPENLY GAY SPOKPERSON NED PRICE HOLDS FIRST PRS BRIEFG: WATCH LIVE

MEET THE FIRST OPENLY GAY STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKPERSON: 'NO HIGHER HONOR' THAN THIS WORK, HE SAYS

Ned Price ma history as the first openly gay spokperson for the State Department when he was appoted two weeks ago, to serve unr Secretary Anthony Blken. Price wrote how after he was acced of drivg wh a spend license and placed unr arrt (the rult of an admistrative error), the officer asked him if we was gay.

STATE DEPARTMENT'S 1ST OPENLY GAY SPOKPERSON SENDS SIGNAL TO THE WORLD, ADVOT SAY

I hated briefly before mtg another offense: I lied to a policeman, tellg him, no, I was not gay, " Price wrote. Diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, and tersex (LGBTQI+) persons around the world. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg ma history by beg the first publicly-out gay Cabet secretary approved by the Senate.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S NED PRICE SPEAKS FOR AMERI. HE ALSO JT MA LGBTQ HISTORY.LOUD AND CLEARPHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/SHUTTERSTOCKNED PRICE JT BEME THE FIRST OUT-GAY SPOKPERSON FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT. TIM TEEMAN SURVEYS HIS REER TELLIGENCE—AND HOW G OUT HELPED UNLOCK A POWERFUL GAY VOICE.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JAN. 16, 2023 12:49AM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 08, 2021 4:53AM EST WHEN NED PRICE BEGAN WORK AT THE CIA 2006 AS AN TELLIGENCE ANALYST HE WAS NOT YET READY TO E OUT. PART OF THE PROCS OF APPLYG FOR THE JOB VOLVED UNRGOG A POLYGRAPH TT, WHICH PRICE THOUGHT MIGHT REVEAL THAT HE WAS GAY. THIS PART OF HIMSELF, THEN SIGNIFYG HIS MD A POTENTIAL FOR LEVERAGE AND BLACKMAIL, WOULD BE OUT THE OPEN AND ULD SPELL THE END OF HIS ASPIRATNS TO WORK TELLIGENCE.PRICE WAS ASKED BY HIS TERVIEWER IF THERE WAS ANYTHG THEY HAD NOT VERED THAT PRICE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT. PRICE SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN ASKED ABOUT HIS ROMANTIC LIFE. HIS TERVIEWER SAID HE DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT , THAT WAS NOT RELEVANT, AND BROUGHT THE TERVIEW TO AN END. THE WORKPLACE PRICE ENTERED SEEMED FAIRLY PROGRSIVE, BUT STILL TOOK HIM SOME TIME TO E OUT. TWO WEEKS AGO, PRICE MA HISTORY WHEN HE WAS APPOTED THE FIRST OUT-GAY SPOKPERSON AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT UNR S NEWLY APPOTED BIN-ERA CHIEF, ANTONY J. BLKEN. PRICE IS AMERI’S VOICE TO THE WORLD, SPEAKG OUT ON ALL AREAS OF TERNATNAL POLICY AND DIPLOMACY. AT ONE OF HIS FIRST BRIEFGS HE NMNED THE RECENT ANTI-LGBTQ CRACKDOWNS UNFOLDG AROUND A UNIVERSY ISTANBUL, TURKEY. PRICE TOLD REPORTERS, “WE ARE NCERNED BY TENTNS OF STUNTS AND OTHER MONSTRATORS AND STRONGLY NMN THE ANTI-LGBTQIA RHETORIC SURROUNDG THE MONSTRATNS.”LAST WEEK, PRINT BIN RELEASED A PRINTIAL MEMORANDUM, MAKG CLEAR HIS ADMISTRATN’S MMENT TO LGBTQ RIGHTS WORLDWI, SO EXPECT PRICE TO BE AS NFINTLY POTED AS HE WAS ABOUT THE ANTI-LGBTQ CRACKDOWN TURKEY AS AND WHEN THE OCSN ARIS. HE IS SETTLG TO THE LAYERED MEANGS OF HIS HISTORIC APPOTMENT, AND THE ADD POWER OF HIS WORDS WHEN HE SPEAKS UP ON BEHALF OF LGBTQ RIGHTS FOR AMERI. IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THANKS TO HIS HISTORY-MAKG APPOTMENT, PRICE HAS ALSO FOUND HIMSELF THE UNUAL POSN OF BEG NEWS HIMSELF. ONE SENS HE HAS NOT RELISHED THAT. HE CLED TO SPEAK TO A REPORTER ON THE RERD FOR THIS PROFILE, OFFERG ONLY ONE QUOTE TO THE DAILY BEAST. “THERE’S NO HIGHER HONOR THAN WORKG WH THE WOMEN AND MEN OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT. IN THIS ROLE, I’M SPEAKG ON THEIR BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF THE U.S. ERNMENT; THAT’S WHAT MAK PECIALLY THRILLG. I’D RATHER LET THEM, THEIR WORK, AND AMERI’S ROLE THE WORLD BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTN, WHICH IS WHY I’LL CLE TO MENT.”AFTER HIS REMARKS ON TURKEY, PRICE LOOKED AT HIS DIRECT MSAG AND AT TWTER TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYG ALL OVER THE WORLD. THERE WAS SOME VRL, BUT HE ALSO HEARD OM A NUMBER OF TURKISH LGBTQ PEOPLE, REACHG OUT TO SAY HOW MEANGFUL WAS TO HEAR THAT MSAGE AND OM SOMEONE WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THEIR MUNY.IN HIS NEW ROLE, PRICE HAS TO SPEAK FOR AMERI, NOT HIMSELF, BUT IS THE FORTUNATE POSN THAT HIS PERSONAL VIEWS AND THE PARTMENT THAT HE IS EMPLOYED TO SPEAK ABOUT ARE ALIGNED. “NED WAS THE MOST UNFLAPPABLE SPOKPERSON I WORKED WH.”PRICE’S REER BEGAN AT THE CIA, WHERE AS AN ANALYST HE SPENT SEVEN YEARS FOCED ON UNTER TERRORISM, AL QAEDA, AND S AFFILIAT AROUND THE WORLD. IN 2013, HE APPLIED SUCCSFULLY TO BE A SPOKPERSON AT THE CIA. ADVERTISEMENT ALONGSI HIS TALENT AND SKILLS, “RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME” SEEMS A DISTGUISHG FEATURE OF HIS REER MOV TO DATE. IN 2014, HE JOED THE NATNAL SECURY COUNCIL AS A DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC MUNITNS AND ASSISTANT PRS SECRETARY. IN JUNE 2015, THE WHE HOE APPOTED HIM A SPOKPERSON AND SENR DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC MUNITNS AT THE NSC. IN 2016— ANOTHER SE OF THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE—HE WAS APPOTED AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRINT, A ROLE HE REMAED UNTIL THE END OF THE OBAMA ADMISTRATN.AT THE NSC, PRICE REPORTED TO BEN RHOS, UNR OBAMA AN ASSISTANT TO THE PRINT AND PUTY NATNAL SECURY ADVISER FOR STRATEGIC MUNITNS. RHOS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT WAS “REMARKABLE HOW QUICKLY NED TRANSNED OM THE MDSET OF A CIA ANALYST AND PRS OFFICER TO SOMEONE WHO HAD TO VER LERALLY THE WHOLE WORLD AT THE WHE HOE, CLUDG THE PLITED TERSECTN OF NATNAL SECURY AND POLICS. SEND, AND MORE RELEVANTLY: NED WAS THE MOST UNFLAPPABLE SPOKPERSON I WORKED WH.”THE PAIR “ALT WH A TREMENDO ARRAY OF CRIS THOSE LAST TWO YEARS—ISIS, REFUGE, EBOLA, IRAN DEAL, RSIA AND UKRAE—AND NED WAS OFTEN BOTH THE SPOKPERSON FOR THOSE ISSU AS WELL AS THE GUY ORDATG U.S. ERNMENT AGENCI.” RHOS SAID.MAYBE WAS PRICE’S TELLIGENCE BACKGROUND, RHOS SAID, “BUT HE NEVER GOT RATTLED AND NEVER SEEMED TO GET TIRED. AS SOMEONE WHO WAS PLENTY EXHSTED BY THE END, I END UP LEGATG A TON OF STUFF TO NED. HE ALSO EXCELLED ON THE EBOLA TASK FORCE WORKG DIRECTLY WH (EBOLA CZAR, NOW BIN CHIEF OF STAFF) RONALD KLA, AND WORKED ON A DAILY BASIS WH PSAKI (JEN, NOW WHE HOE PRS SECRETARY) AND THEN WAS THE MS STRATEGIST FOR NATNAL SECURY ACTN WHICH JAKE SULLIVAN (NOW NATNAL SECURY ADVISER) AND I -CHAIRED. “I SHARED AN OFFICE SUE WH NED AND WORKED PRETTY LONG HOURS MYSELF, BUT HE WAS ALWAYS THERE WHEN I GOT TO WORK AND WHEN I LEFT.”— BEN RHOS “THIS MEANS NED IS THE RARE STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKPERSON WH REALLY CLOSE RELATNSHIPS AT THE WHE HOE WHICH WILL BE IMMENSELY EFUL TO HIM AND THE ADMISTRATN MORE BROADLY.” ADVERTISEMENT PRICE WENT TO THE WHE HOE AS A REER OFFICIAL, UNSURE OF WHAT HE WOULD FD. UNTIL THAT TIME HIS ENTIRE REER AS NFED TO THE CIA, A UNIVERSE AWAY OM THE POLICY STUT DOWNTOWN. HE FOUND THAT THE THEN-WHE HOE STAFF FERRED TO TELLIGENCE-MUNY REER PROFSNALS. PRICE HAD ALWAYS NSIRED HIMSELF TO BE PROGRSIVE, NOT PARTISAN—AND HIS WHE HOE LLEAGU WERE EHER REER OFFICIALS OR BEEN AROUND SCE THE BEGNG OF THE OBAMA MPAIGN; AND PRICE WAS PROUD TO WORK ALONGSI THEM ON FOREIGN POLICY AREAS SUCH AS CUBA, IRAQ, AND THE PARIS CLIMATE ACRDS (WHICH THE BIN ADMISTRATN JT RE-SIGNED AMERI BACK UP TO).AT THE OBAMA WHE HOE, FORMER PUTY PRS SECRETARY ERIC SCHULTZ TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, PRICE BED A EP KNOWLEDGE OF TOPICS WH A “SHARP SAVVY SEEG HOW THOSE ISSU WOULD PLAY OUT THE DOMTIC POLIL ENVIRONMENT. HE WAS VERY GOOD AT RRALLG NSC BURECRACY. HE KNEW THE WHE HOE WAS THE TIP OF THE SPEAR, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE NEVER GOT OUT AHEAD OF ANY PARTICULAR AGENCY. HE READS THE ROOM. HE MAK SURE HIS POT OF VIEW ACROSS, BUT NOT A BOMBASTIC OR UNPROFSNAL WAY. HE KEEPS MD THAT ERNMENT IS A LLABORATIVE ENTERPRISE. HE’S ALWAYS FIGHTG FOR THE GREATER GOOD. HE IS ALSO A GOOD IEND, FUN TO BE AROUND, AND KNOWS WHEN NOT TO TAKE HIMSELF TOO SERLY.”LIZ ALLEN, WHOSE CLOSE IENDSHIP WH PRICE BEGAN WHEN SHE WAS THE WHE HOE’S PUTY MUNITNS DIRECTOR, RELLED VERY TENSE WORKG DAYS TRAVELG THE WORLD WH THE PRINT, THE PRSURE OFFSET BY FUN NIGHTS OUT. PRICE’S EXPERTISE THE TELLIGENCE FIELD IS UPLED WH AN ABILY TO MUNITE “BETTER THAN ANYONE” ALLEN KNOWS AT THE TERSECTN OF BOTH ARENAS.ALLEN, WHO NOW WORKS PRIVATE MUNITNS NSULTG, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT PRICE MAY TAKE HIS WORK TENSELY SERLY, BUT ALSO HAS A “FAST, HILAR, SIGHTFUL, OBSERVATNAL W,” WHICH BROUGHT MUCH-NEED LEVY AT CHARGED MOMENTS. SHE SPEAKS AS WARMLY OF PRICE AS OTHER FORMER LLEAGU, NOTG HE IS A GENERO HOST WHO HOSTS “FUN, R WEEKEND BNCH THAT N LAST ALL DAY.” AT AFTER-WORK HAPPY HOURS FEATURG LLEAGU, STAFFERS, AND JOURNALISTS PRICE “N ENLIVEN A TABLE AND ROOM UNLIKE MANY OTHERS,” ALLEN SAID. PRICE AND HIS PARTNER, RICHARD HUDOCK, SENR DIRECTOR OF MUNITNS FOR NBC NEWS, HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS. ADVERTISEMENT PRICE’S FATHER WOULD TAKE HIS SON TO PROTTS, NOT THE BEACH, WHEN ON HOLIDAY.PRICE GREW UP DALLAS, FASCATED WH THE WORLD. HE WAS CHRISTENED EDWARD, BUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN “NED,” NEVER EDWARD OR ED. HIS GRANDFATHER HAD BEEN LLED EDWARD, AND HIS PARENTS THOUGHT THE NAME ALWAYS TOO FORMAL AND LLED THEIR SON NED. A TEACHER ONCE LLED HIM EDWARD, WAS SWIFTLY RRECTED, AND THE NAME WAS NEVER HEARD AGA.PRICE’S FATHER WAS AN ATTORNEY, HIS MOTHER WORKED AT THE DALLAS MM OF ART. FROM AN EARLY AGE PRICE TRAVELED TO PLAC NEAR AND FAR—GOG TO CUBA, AGED 17, FOR EXAMPLE—AND RATHER THAN GO TO BEACH AS OTHER FAI MIGHT ON VATN, PRICE’S FATHER WOULD FD WHATEVER PROTT WAS GOG ON AND TAKE HIS SON THERE. HIS FATHER WAS TERTED CIVIC ACTIVISM AND ENGAGEMENT, SPARKG HIS SON THE SAME. PRICE WAS EXTREMELY STUD AT SCHOOL AND LLEGE—WORKG SO HARD, PERHAPS, TO AVOID QUTNS ABOUT WHO HE WAS, AND ISSU HE DID NOT WANT TO BROACH AT THE TIME. HE WENT TO AN ALL-BOYS SCHOOL OM FIFTH TO 12TH GRA; HE MA HIS BT IENDS THE FIFTH, SIXTH, AND SEVENTH GRAS AND THEY REMA SOME OF HIS CLOST IENDS TODAY. SOME OF THOSE IENDS ARE ALSO GAY, AND AS AN ADULT PRICE REALIZED THEY WERE GOG THROUGH SIAR EXPERIENC AT THE SAME TIME MANIFTG DIFFERENT WAYS. THEY WERE ON THE SAME JOURNEY, BUT WH DIFFERENT PAC. THE SHARED EXPERIENCE HAS HELPED THEM UNRSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER, EVEN IF THEY ULD ONLY FALLY BE OPEN WH EACH OTHER MUCH LATER. “PRICE’S BT IEND OM SCHOOL ME OUT TO HIM. PRICE WAS SHOCKED, YET TOOK AS A SIGNAL THAT IF HIS BUDDY ULD MAKE THROUGH THIS THEN HE ULD TO. IT WAS A NECSARY, WELE KICK.” ADVERTISEMENT PRICE’S CLOSET FORMED EARLY, PART BEE OF OPPRSIVE MACHISMO OF THE BOYS’ SCHOOL. THERE WERE A UPLE OF KIDS AT SCHOOL OTHER PUPILS ASSUMED TO BE GAY BEE OF HOW THEY SPOKE, ACTED, OR WHAT THEY WORE. SEEG THE TNTS AND BULLYG THOSE KIDS ENDURED LEFT S HIBG MARK ON THE YOUNG PRICE.PRICE NTUED TO FEND AWAY THE TTH ABOUT HIMSELF THROUGHOUT LLEGE, WHERE HE HAD A GIRLIEND, AND THOUGHT TO HIMSELF HE ULD MAKE A HETEROSEXUAL LIFE WORK. THEN PRICE’S BT IEND OM SCHOOL ME OUT TO HIM. PRICE TOOK AS A SIGNAL THAT IF HIS BUDDY ULD MAKE THROUGH THIS THEN HE ULD TOO. IT WAS A NECSARY, WELE KICK.EVENTUALLY, HE ME OUT. IT WAS A PROCS FOR HIS PARENTS, AS N BE FOR SO MANY, BUT THEY—ED ALL THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE PRICE’S LIFE—WERE ACCEPTG AND LOVG. THE POLICE OFFICER ASKED PRICE: “YOU’RE NOT GAY, ARE YOU?”PRICE KNEW HE WANTED TO GO TO FOREIGN POLICY, BUT DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT UNTIL HE WENT GEETOWN UNIVERSY, WHERE HE STUDIED TERNATNAL RELATNS AT THE SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE. GRADUATG SUMMA CUM L, HE ARRIVED D.C. AUGT 2001. TEN DAYS TO HIS FIRST SEMTER, 9/11 HAPPENED. PRICE WATCHED THE PENTAGON BURN AND LATER SMOLR OM ON TOP OF ONE OF THE DORMS. IT CLARIFIED HIS TERMATN TO GO TO PUBLIC SERVICE. ADVERTISEMENT FIVE YEARS LATER, PRICE STARTED WORKG ERNMENT. HE WAS AAID OF BEG DISVERED TO BE GAY, HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS AND WHAT WASN’T NSIRED DISQUALIFYG WHEN ME TO A REER AT THE CIA AND NATNAL SECURY. OPENNS WAS ONLY JT BEG STUTNALIZED.DAVID K. JOHNSON’S BRILLIANT BOOK, THE LAVENR SRE, POWERFULLY SCRIBED THE PERSECUTN OF LBIANS AND GAY MEN THE FERAL ERNMENT THE 1950’S. UP UNTIL THE MID-1990S, IF YOU WERE OUT THE TELLIGENCE FIELD, YOU WERE ELIGIBLE FOR SECURY CLEARANCE—A PERSISTENT HANER OF A 1953 EXECUTIVE ORR, SIGNED BY THEN PRINT EISENHOWER, DIRECTG FERAL AGENCI TO VTIGATE EMPLOYE WHO MIGHT POSE SECURY RISKS. “‘SEXUAL PERVERSN,’ FOR HOMOSEXUALY, WAS NSIRED A FIREABLE OFFENSE,” AS SHANE HARRIS WROTE A 2015 DAILY BEAST ARTICLE, TAILG THE HISTORY OF LGBTQ PEOPLE WORKG THE SECURY SERVIC.IN 1995, THEN PRINT CLTON ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORR, EFFECTIVELY REVERSG THAT. “NO FERENCE NCERNG THE STANDARDS” FOR EMPLOYMENT, SAID, “MAY BE RAISED SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF THE SEXUAL ORIENTATN OF THE EMPLOYEE.”STILL A AFTER THAT, THE PACE OF CHANGE WAS SLOW. LGBTQ EMPLOYE LIKE PRICE WERE WARY OF G OUT, SEEG THEIR SEXUALY AND JOB UNEASY -EXISTENCE. THE SHADOW OF LAVENR PURG AND SECRECY STILL EXISTED, AND WAS MOST ACUTE THE SECURY SERVIC WHERE THERE WERE FEW BOSS FOSTERG AN CLIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE, OR WHO EMPHASIZED ANIZATNAL STRENGTH DIVERSY, OR WHO PRRIZED DIVERSY TERMS OF RECMENT AND RETENTN.THE TURNG POT FOR PRICE WAS THE SIGHT OF A LANYARD—A NOT UNFAIAR SIGHT AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT WHERE ALL EMPLOYE WORE THEM, SYMBOLIZG DIFFERENT JOBS AND PARTMENTS. PRICE SAW STAFFERS OM THE CIA’S LGBTQ STAFF ASSOCIATN, ANGLE, WEAR LANYARDS WH THE GROUP’S NAME ON . IT GAVE HIM NFINCE, A SENSE THAT THE CIA WAS EVOLVG, TO SEE THAT WASN’T JT LGBTQ MEMBERS OF STAFF WEARG THE LANYARDS, BUT THEIR SUPPORTIVE STRAIGHT BOSS AND LLEAGU. WH THAT SAFETY , HE BEGAN TO TELL PEOPLE HE WAS GAY.ONE NIGHT AUGT 2011, HE WAS DRIVG TOO FAST HOME, EXCED TO HEAD OUT ON A FIRST DATE WH A GUY HE WAS LOOKG FORWARD TO GET TO KNOW. HE DID NOT NOTICE THE POLICE R BEHD HIM, S SIREN ON. ADVERTISEMENT “HE THEN WARNED ME TO STAY AWAY OM THE ‘PUBLIC BATHROOMS’ NEAR THE DISTRICT’S MERIDIAN HILL PARK. HE LGHED HEARTILY. I SAT THERE, HUIATED.”— NED PRICE AS PRICE SCRIBED A MONTH LATER THE WASHGTON POST, THE OFFICER RAN PRICE’S LICENSE AND TOOK HIM TO CTODY; AN ADMISTRATIVE GLCH AT THE D.C. DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICL MEANT PRICE’S NUMBER PLATE HAD E UP AS A LICENSE WHICH HAD BEEN SPEND. PRICE RELLED THAT HE WAS ALONE WH THE OFFICER AT THE POLICE STATN THAT NIGHT. THE OFFICER ASKED WHERE HE LIVED. PART OF PRICE’S ANSWER CLUD THE RMATN OF BEG CLOSE TO DUPONT CIRCLE, D.C.’S HISTORILLY GAY NEIGHBORHOOD.THE OFFICER ASKED PRICE: “YOU’RE NOT GAY, ARE YOU?”PRICE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO RPOND. FEELG TIMIDATED AND SRED AS WAS JT THE TWO OF THEM THERE, AND THE OFFICER SEEMED POSSIBLY HOMOPHOBIC, PRICE SAID NO, HE WAS NOT. “GOOD,” THE OFFICER REPLIED, “WH AN EXAGGERATED SIGH OF RELIEF,” PRICE WROTE THE POST. “HE THEN WARNED ME TO STAY AWAY OM THE ‘PUBLIC BATHROOMS’ NEAR THE DISTRICT’S MERIDIAN HILL PARK. HE LGHED HEARTILY. I SAT THERE, HUIATED.”PRICE STEWED AND AGONIZED ABOUT THE HOUR THAT TOOK FOR THE PS TO REALIZE THE CLERIL MIX-UP. AFTER PRICE HAD HIS CUFFS REMOVED, AND AS THE P WAS SAYG GOODBYE, PRICE TOLD HIM HE WAS GAY AND HAD TAKEN OFFENSE AT HIS REMARKS. “I DON’T RE IF YOU’RE GAY,” THE OFFICER TOLD HIM. “IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I REALIZED WHAT WAS REALLY EATG AT ME. IT HAD LS TO DO WH WHAT THE OFFICER ASKED AND MORE WH HOW I RPOND.”— NED PRICE ADVERTISEMENT “I LEFT THE STATN THAT EVENG DIGNANT ABOUT THE ORAL, NOT KNOWG WHETHER TO CHALK UP TO MERE THOUGHTLS REMARKS OR SOMETHG CLOSER TO A VLATN OF MY CIVIL RIGHTS,” PRICE WROTE. “IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I REALIZED WHAT WAS REALLY EATG AT ME. IT HAD LS TO DO WH WHAT THE OFFICER ASKED AND MORE WH HOW I RPOND.”PRICE DIDN’T INTIFY HIMSELF AS A CIA ANALYST THAT POST STORY, BUT WAS A LIBERATG MOMENT. TO WRE THE ARTICLE WAS A THARTIC EXPRSN OF HIS OPENNS. HE HAD NEVER DONE ANYTHG LIKE BEFORE; AS AN TELLIGENCE ANALYST UP TO THAT POT, THE ONLY THGS HE HAD WRTEN HAD BEEN SEEN BY PEOPLE WH SECURY CLEARANC, MOSTLY AT THE CIA. (AND THE DATE HE WAS SHG TO THAT NIGHT WENT AS WELL HE HAD HOPED; THEY WERE TOGETHER FOR THREE YEARS AND REMA IENDS.)THERE WERE OTHER CINTS OF PEOPLE AT WORK MAKG HOMOPHOBIC JOK OR G ANTI-GAY EPHETS HIS PRENCE NOT KNOWG PRICE HIMSELF WAS GAY. SUCH CINTS ARE SHARP NTRAST TO THE PROGRSIVE, OPEN-MD AND ABSOLUTELY WELG LLEAGU PRICE ENUNTERED AT THE OBAMA WHE HOE AND NOW AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT UNR BLKEN.AND YET, EVEN TODAY, ONE SENR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, “WE WOULD BE FOOLG OURSELV IF WE SAID THERE WAS PLETE OPENNS. THERE ARE CULTUR WH THE NATNAL SECURY MUNY THAT ARE NOT WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.” THE OPERATNAL SI OF THE CIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND REMAS, DOMATED BY A “GOOD OL’ BOY WORK,” WH WHICH SOME LGBTQ PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL ABLE TO BE OUT.BUT THE OFFICIAL WAS REFUL ALSO TO POT TO THE EXISTENCE OF GROUPS LIKE GLIFFA (GAYS AND LBIANS FOREIGN AFFAIRS AGENCI), AND THE NOW-GOOD FORTUNE TO HAVE A PRINT AND SECRETARY OF STATE WHO ARE SO PRO-LGBTQ DOMTILLY AND TERNATNALLY. BLKEN IMMEDIATELY REVERSED THE TMP ADMISTRATN DIRECTIVE NOT TO DISPLAY PRI FLAGS ON EMBASSI, AND THE NEW SECRETARY OF STATE, ADDRSG HIS WORKFORCE, MA CLEAR HE WANTS THE PARTMENT TO BE MORE DIVERSE, AND LOOK LIKE THE UNED STAT THAT IS REPRENTG. ADVERTISEMENT “HE KNOWS THE ROLE HE HAS IS BIGGER THAN ANY DIVIDUAL WHO FILLS AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME.”AT THE MOMENT OF TMP’S ELECTN, PRICE THOUGHT HE WOULD END HIS REER AT THE CIA. HE STAYED POST FOR A UPLE OF WEEKS, UNTIL PRICE REALIZED WORKG UNR THE TMP ADMISTRATN WOULD NOT WORK FOR HIM.IN FEBARY 2017, PRICE WROTE A STRONGLY WORD AND, AS TURNED OUT, DARKLY PROPHETIC WASHGTON POST ARTICLE TAILG HIS NCERNS OVER TMP’S ACTNS TOWARDS THE TELLIGENCE MUNY, AND WHY HE FELT HE HAD TO LEAVE THE CIA. HE RECEIVED BOTH PRAISE AND CRICISM WHEN WAS PUBLISHED.SOURC SAY THAT PRICE THOUGHT FOR SEVERAL DAYS WHETHER WAS RIGHT TO TAKE HIS NCERNS PUBLIC, ULTIMATELY CIDG TO DO SO BEE HE KNEW HE WAS FAR OM THE ONLY TELLIGENCE PROFSNAL TO SHARE THE NCERNS HE WROTE ABOUT. HE WAS GIVG VOICE TO THE WORRY AND TRATN OF LLEAGU WHO ULD NOT SPEAK OUT. WHATEVER THE PHBACK ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HE WANTED TO RAISE AWARENS OF TMP’S ATTACKS ON THE TELLIGENCE MUNY.A FEW YEARS THE RELATIVE POLIL WILRNS BECKONED; DURG THAT TIME PRICE FOUND HIMSELF MOST DRAWN TO ADVOCY AND FOREIGN POLICY (HE WAS A DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND MUNITNS AT NATNAL SECURY ACTN, AND AN NBC NEWS NTRIBUTOR). AS AN ADJUNCT PROFSOR, HE FOUND TEACHG AT HIS ALMA MATER, GEETOWN, MOST FULFILLG OF ALL. FOR PRICE, TEACHG IS A PRACTIL PURSU. HE HASN’T WRTEN A PHD, OR A LONG DISSERTATN ON TERNATNAL POLICS, BUT HIS STUNTS WANTED TO DISCS POLICY WH SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN THEIR SHO 15 OR SO YEARS PRR.AND THEN BIN WON, AND THIS ETERNAL PUBLIC SERVANT RE-FOUND AN OLD LLG. PRICE’S PREV EXPERIENC WORKG FOR THE OBAMA ADMISTRATN MEANT HE KNEW MANY PRCIPALS THE BIN-HARRIS TRANSN TEAM, LIKE DIRECTOR OF NATNAL TELLIGENCE AVRIL HA, JAKE SULLIVAN, AND BLKEN. ADVERTISEMENT WHEN PRICE WAS ASKED BY MEMBERS OF THE G ADMISTRATN WHAT HE WANTED TO DO, HE SAID HE WANTED TO GO BACK TO ERNMENT AND BE A PUBLIC SERVANT AGA. IT WAS BLKEN WHO RAISED THE IA OF PRICE BEG THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S SPOKPERSON.OFFICIALS AND STAFFERS AT STATE FEEL THE TMP ADMISTRATN DID TREMENDO DAMAGE TO THE TELLIGENCE MUNY, ATTACKG AND UNRMG STUTNALLY, AS WELL AS PUBLICLY DOUBTG AND EVEN REJECTG THE TELLIGENCE THEY RECEIVED. “YOU N REBUILD STUTNS AND HIRE PEOPLE. YOU N DO REVIEWS, AND APPOT OMBUDSMEN FOR ANALYTIC TEGRY AND EMPOWER SPECTORS GENERAL. BUT REPROGRAMMG THE ATTUS OF LNS OF AMERINS IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.”— STATE DEPARTMENT SOURCE THE RELENTLS MONIZATN BY TMP OF TELLIGENCE PROFSNALS HAS UNRMED A MORE GENERAL PUBLIC TST. AS ONE OFFICIAL PUT , “YOU N REBUILD STUTNS AND HIRE PEOPLE. YOU N DO REVIEWS, AND APPOT OMBUDSMEN FOR ANALYTIC TEGRY AND EMPOWER SPECTORS GENERAL. BUT REPROGRAMMG THE ATTUS OF LNS OF AMERINS IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.”WH THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE TMP ERA HAS LED TO “IMMENSE ATROPHY” AND A “HOLLOWG OUT” ONE OFFICIAL SAID, WH LARGE NUMBERS OF VANCI AT A SENR LEVEL TRADNALLY HELD BY REER AMBASSADORS AND OLR MEMBERS OF STAFF WH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS JUNR, ENTRY LEVEL POSNS—MEANG A TWNED CRISIS WH THE ANIZATN LACKG THOSE WH VALUABLE LONG-VIEW EXPERIENCE, AND NEWER BLOOD NECSARY TO SEE THE STATE DEPARTMENT TO THE FUTURE.ADD TO ALL THAT, AMERIN DIPLOMATIC FLUENCE HAS WANED AROUND THE WORLD. THERE WILL, ONE SOURCE SAID, NEED TO BE A GREE OF HUY HOW AMERI TRI TO REGA S SEAT AT MANY TABL. “IT’S NOTHG WE N’T EVENTUALLY OVERE, BUT WON’T BE A PROCS THAT WE PLETE THE FIRST WEEK, FIRST MONTH OR EVEN YEAR. THIS WILL BE A LONG-TERM PROCS.” ADVERTISEMENT “I WAED FOR A MORE FORTABLE, OPPORTUNE MOMENT. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HOWEVER, THE MOMENT IS OPPORTUNE. WHAT MATTERS MOST IS BEG ABLE TO SPEAK THE TTH REGARDLS.”— NED PRICE PRICE HAS BEEN ON THE JOB FOR AROUND TWO WEEKS, WH A CLUTCH OF BRIEFGS UNR HIS BELT. THE JURY MAY STILL BE OUT ON HIM, BUT AT THIS HONEYMOON STAGE LLEAGU SAY HE HAS FOUND CREDIBLY REWARDG NOT ONLY TO BE BACK ERNMENT BUT ALSO SURROUND BY THOSE WH EP EXPERIENCE POLICY, DIPLOMACY, AND SECURY.WHILE THERE WAS “AN IMPORTANT SYMBOLISM” PRICE’S LGBTQ HISTORY-MAKG APPOTMENT, “NED IS NEVER ONE TO MAKE ABOUT HIMSELF,” SAID ERIC SCHULTZ. “HE KNOWS THE ROLE HE HAS IS BIGGER THAN ANY DIVIDUAL WHO FILLS AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME. HE UNRSTANDS THE GOAL IS TO REPAIR AND REBUILD THE RELATNSHIPS THE UNTRY HAS AROUND THE WORLD.” THE TMP ERA, SCHULTZ SAID, HAD LED TO “A HOLLOWG OUT OF THE PARTMENT, AND A TRAGIC FOUR YEARS WHICH AMERI HAD ABDITED S ROLE AS A MORAL LEAR THE WORLD. IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO DIG OURSELV OUT OF THAT HOLE.”“I THK NED REALLY UNRSTANDS THE FACT THAT HIM STANDG AT THAT PODIUM IS A REPRENTATN OF THE BT U.S. VALU—CLN, REPRENTATN, AND PERSONAL EEDOM,” LIZ ALLEN SAID. “WHILE HE KNOWS ‘’S NOT ABOUT HIM’ HE UNRSTANDS WHAT HIS APPOTMENT REPRENTS, AND HE N ALSO SPEAK THORATIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE U.S. ERNMENT AND OF SELF.” “IT’S QUE POWERFUL ANKLY TO WATCH SOMEONE GET UP AND BE THAT EXAMPLE, WHILE TO HIM HE IS JT DOG HIS JOB, DAY-, DAY-OUT. I THK RPONSIBILY DRIV HIM, AND HE TERNALIZ THAT RPONSIBILY.”— LIZ ALLEN PRICE TAK BEG “A SYMBOL AND EXAMPLE TO THE RT OF THE WORLD REGARDLS OF THE WORDS G OUT OF HIS MOUTH” VERY SERLY, SAID ALLEN. “IT’S QUE POWERFUL ANKLY TO WATCH SOMEONE GET UP AND BE THAT EXAMPLE, WHILE TO HIM HE IS JT DOG HIS JOB, DAY-, DAY-OUT. I THK THAT A SENSE OF RPONSIBILY DRIV HIM, AND HE TERNALIZ THAT RPONSIBILY.” ADVERTISEMENT IN THE 2011 WASHGTON POST ARTICLE, WHERE PRICE MULLED HIS UNSETTLG ENUNTER WH THE P AND HIS IAL NIAL OF HIS OWN SEXUALY, HE WROTE, “I WOULD HAVE BEEN SATISFIED WH MYSELF, HAD I UNFLCHGLY ADMTED WHO I WAS RPONSE TO THE OFFICER’S QUTN. BUT I WAED; I WAED FOR A MORE FORTABLE, OPPORTUNE MOMENT. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HOWEVER, THE MOMENT IS OPPORTUNE. WHAT MATTERS MOST IS BEG ABLE TO SPEAK THE TTH REGARDLS. IN ADDN TO A UPLE OF TRAFFIC TICKETS, THAT’S WHAT I TOOK AWAY OM THAT POLICE STATN.” SO Y, PRICE IS READY TO FIGHT FOR WHAT HE BELIEV —AND NOW WH THE ADD FLEX OF HAVG ONE OF AMERI’S MOST POWERFUL POLIL STUTNS RIGHT BEHD HIM.ALLEN CL TO SPECULATE WHAT HER IEND AND FORMER LLEAGUE MIGHT DO NEXT, BUT SHE BELIEV “THE SKY’S THE LIM” FOR SOMEONE WH SUCH AN EMBRACG KNOWLEDGE OF POLICY AND POLICS. SHE HOP HIS FUTURE VOLV SERVG ERNMENT—IF PRICE NTU TO WISH TO DO SO—BEE HE HAS BEEN SO EFFECTIVE AT TO DATE.“HE’S A TERRIFIC POST RIGHT NOW,” SAID SCHULTZ. “I’M SURE HE HAS AN EVEN BRIGHTER FUTURE AHEAD, ALTHOUGH HE’S MORE FOCED ON DOG THE JOB ONT OF HIM RATHER THAN THKG LONG TERM DOWN THE ROAD.” SCHULTZ LGHED. “I WOULD NEVER BET AGAST NED PRICE.” TIM TEEMAN

Jt over two s ago, Print Bill Clton had to e a recs appotment to stall the first openly gay U. Now, on Tuday, the State Department's new openly gay spokperson will hold his first daily prs the voice of the Bin admistratn on the world stage, whose words will be analyzed foreign pals and provi directn for U.

Diplomats overseas, will be a gay man is unremarkable, which is self a remarkable also sends a potent msage to foreign LGBTQ activists, pecially those fightg untri where same-sex relatnships are still crimalized. "It's credibly important for queer people untri where homosexualy and queerns is a ath sentence, " said Innanoshe Richard Akon, a Nigerian LGBT rights activist and wrer.

STATE DEPARTMENT’S OPENLY GAY SPOKPERSON NED PRICE HOLDS FIRST PRS BRIEFG: WATCH LIVE

"It really seems like forever ago, and the untry has changed so many ways and even large swaths of the world have changed, " said Michael Gut, a reer diplomat who beme the first openly gay ambassador nfirmed by the Senate, ls than three years after Hormel's appotment. Bh before retirg om the Foreign then, there have been 14 openly gay U. Probably won't even know necsarily that someone that posn is gay bee our untry has e a long way regnizg that is one factor many how a person is ma up, " said Gut, who worked on the Bin transn.

2018 after sufferg a homophobic attack his hometown central Nigeria, agreed, tellg ABC News, "Hopefully this will be the begng of a more humane and kr approach to LGBTQ people om all around the world who are sperate for refuge. Part of the procs of applyg for the job volved unrgog a polygraph tt, which Price thought might reveal that he was gay.