First openly gay UK ambassador 'proud' to be Israel | The Tim of Israel

Contents:

• THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE BEG AN AMBASSADOR TO AN ANTI-GAY COUNTRY WHEN YOU'RE A LBIAN
• FIRST OPENLY GAY UK AMBASSADOR ‘PROUD’ TO BE ISRAEL
• MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE
• MARK GOODG OBE, NEW BRISH AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND, IS OPENLY GAY AND MARRIED
• UK APPOTS OUT GAY AMBASSADOR TO CAMBODIA
• MALAYSIA CUTS SHORT MIC FT AFTER BRISH BAND SLAMS ANTI-GAY LAWS, SGER KISS MALE BANDMATE

THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE BEG AN AMBASSADOR TO AN ANTI-GAY COUNTRY WHEN YOU'RE A LBIAN

Although bans on homosexualy were lifted for the foreign servic Bra and Ameri the early 1990s, prejudice and stigma often lgered and has taken two s for out gay reer diplomats to rise through the ranks to such senr posns. 'World is Changg'Davidson is at the foreont of the first generatn of ambassadors who are openly gay, and often also now married, to reprent their untri. State of Idaho)—or, to give the full name, Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia and largt worldwi LGBTI solidary event is held every May 17—to memorate the World Health Organizatn's cisn 1990 to classify homosexualy as a mental disorr—and the 2017 theme is "fay" all s also will be marked this year by the release om prison the U.

Davidson and Chang, 35 first beme advertent gay role mols 2014 Cha—where they both were prevly posted—after their marriage nducted at the Brish embassy Beijg provoked a viral firtorm on social media.

FIRST OPENLY GAY UK AMBASSADOR ‘PROUD’ TO BE ISRAEL

In Bangkok, the ambassador has opened the doors to their home for the welg receptn for the ternatnal gay and lbian group ILGA, ftoong his 90-year-old home rabow flags for a night. "It also clus many iends, gay and straight, who have supported on this journey and will play a role raisg Elt a lovg, diverse muny.

"Havg a high-profile out gay Brish ambassador Bangkok—here wh his hband and child—monstrat that LGBTI people n take up such a role wh the support of their own fai.

If Stt and I n provi a unterbalance to that as a gay uple livg what are perceived as regular, normal married liv, that's all to the good.

MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE

Poonkasetwattana, who is executive director of APCOM, an Asia-Pacific muny work that advot for the rights, health and well-beg of sexual mori, echoed that noted that while Thailand is a tolerant society, even scribed by some as a gay "paradise", there are still ser challeng, cludg discrimatn agast transgenr people, sensatnalized and mockg verage of LGBTI news the media, the endurg surge of HIV/aids, and no regnn of the legal rights of same-sex partners. "The ambassador is an out gay man who unrstands the stggl faced by LGBTI people and has given strong support to our work, " he said.

"He don't let the opportuny pass to highlight that he is gay wh a fay Bangkok and this learship is extremely valuable to remd those ernment about LGBTI rights the regn.

MARK GOODG OBE, NEW BRISH AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND, IS OPENLY GAY AND MARRIED

Legislatn that allowed same-sex upl to marry on Brish diplomatic terrory untri where gay unns are held their weddg at the ambassador's rince Beijg 2014 what Davidson said was tend to be a "low-key" ceremony wh jt 60 guts.

UK APPOTS OUT GAY AMBASSADOR TO CAMBODIA

Dpe Thailand's reputatn as a generally welg haven for gays and lbians, the kgdom do not allow or regnize same-sex marriage unns, so he uld not arrive on the ual spoal documents. After growg up small town Northern Ireland, and studyg law at Try College, Cambridge, Davidson joed the FCO 1985 wh apparently impecble qualifitns—except he was hidg his gay inty om an stutn that emed homosexualy a "character fect" and sack-able "offence" until 1991.

JAKARTA, May 23 (Rters) - Indonia summoned Bra's ambassador on Monday to expla the raisg of a lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) flag at s embassy, and urged foreign missns to rpect lol "sensivi" followg a backlash among nservativ.

MALAYSIA CUTS SHORT MIC FT AFTER BRISH BAND SLAMS ANTI-GAY LAWS, SGER KISS MALE BANDMATE

Barrg the sharia-led provce of Aceh, homosexualy is not illegal Indonia, the world's largt Mlim-majory untry, although is generally nsired rabow LGBT flag was flown alongsi the Brish flag at the untry's embassy Jakarta on May 17 to mark the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, acrdg an Instagram post by the 212 Brotherhood, an fluential nservative Islamic movement, a statement said the flag sullied the "sacred valu of Indonia" Faizasyah, foreign mistry spokperson, nfirmed Brish ambassador Owen Jenks had been summoned. A 2020 survey by the Pew Rearch Center also showed that 80% of Indonians believe homosexualy "should not be accepted by society" week, Indonia's chief secury mister said a revisn of the crimal beg liberated by parliament clud some articl aimed at the LGBT muny, a move backed by some nservative remarks followed a backlash over a popular podst that was forced to scrap an episo this month which a gay uple was terviewed. Fally, BuzzFeed News jok that perhaps this is all down to a Rsian plot to STOP GAYS TALKING.

There is pole, awkward one mentns the unrlyg reason for the tensn: Never before has a Brish ambassador given an terview about beg lbian or gay.

There is a small clutch of out Brish LGBT envoys, and one, David Quarrey – the ambassador to Israel – has mentned beg gay an Israeli newspaper. It has taken 25 years for this to even be nceivable – and isn’t until the end of the terview that the real reason for Gough’s anxns 1991, the Foreign Office emed homosexualy a “character fect”. You uld not get a job there if you were gay and if you did and were found out, you would lose .