Yes. The Department does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in any of its employment decisions. The same is true of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the other foreign affairs agencies of the federal government. This policy is laid out in Executive Order 13087, signed by President Clinton on May 28, 1998. E.O. 13087 established a uniform policy throughout the federal government that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce.

The security background check is conducted by agents of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). The background check consists of an interview with a DS agent, who will then contact the references you provide for further information. There is no routine question regarding an applicant's sexual orientation, and DS will not be concerned with your sexual orientation per se. However, there are specific, individual circumstances in which you could be asked directly about your sexual orientation, or in which it would be unavoidable to reveal it. For example, you could be asked about your personal relationships, people you have lived with, or associations or organizations to which you have belonged. You will also likely be asked to describe any close relationships with foreign nationals. If any of these circumstances involved your sexual orientation, you might be obliged to disclose your orientation.

During the medical evaluation, the physician may ask about your sexual activity, or about medication you are taking/have taken. You will also be asked if you have consulted a therapist or other mental health professional, and to explain the circumstances if you have. If the circumstances are linked to your sexual orientation, it is possible that you would have to disclose it.

In all cases, candor and honesty are essential. It is incumbent upon the applicant to be complete and forthcoming in providing relevant information for the evaluation process. Remember, being gay, lesbian or bisexual is not in itself an obstacle to employment with the State Department. Many of our recently hired members entered into government service completely out and were not denied entry as a result of being homosexual.

In addition, State policy is in line with federal law, which prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates a hostile or offensive work environment. Examples of sexual harassment include unwelcome demands, propositions, advances, teasing, dirty jokes, remarks or questions of a sexual nature, offensive gestures and touching, sexually demeaning words used to describe an individual, and the display in the workplace of sexually offensive objects or pictures.

That said, homophobia still exists the State Department as much as it does in society at large. Problems have occurred and difficulties continue for gay and lesbian employees. What is important is that a mechanism exists to assist employees when confronted with such unwanted harassment.

That said, there are risks in not being honest. If during the background investigation it was found that you were dishonest or deliberately falsified or misrepresented information in order to conceal your sexual orientation, that information could figure into a decision to withhold a security clearance.

Although this authority is broad, the right to order home a mission member is exercised sparingly, and Chiefs of Mission rarely intervene directly in the assignment process. Since being gay in itself is not a barrier to employment in the Foreign Service or to acquiring and maintaining a security clearance, the Ambassador cannot ask you to leave post merely for being (or on the suspicion of being) gay. However, there could be circumstances in which a person's conduct of his/her personal life (regardless of sexual orientation) could be considered detrimental to the ability of the mission to carry out its goals. Such circumstances would have to be considered on a case-by-case and post-by-post basis.

Your partner may reside with you in embassy-provided housing, at no cost. State Telegram 242724 of December 26, 2000, specifically includes unmarried partners within the definition of an employee's Members of Household (MOH), and provides guidance to Chiefs of Mission on how to accommodate MOHs and make them feel welcome at post, including assisting MOHs with obtaining visas and residence permits in accordance with local law, allowing MOHs to compete for local-hire positions within the embassy, and providing MOHs access to all post-sanctioned events and activities on the same basis as Eligible Family Members.

In December 2003, MOH provisions were included in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), the document that contains the regulations, policies, and procedures for the Department of State's operations. 3 FAM 4180 instructs Chiefs of Mission to: 1) assist MOHs, upon request, in obtaining appropriate residency permits and travel visas in accordance with local law; 2) include U.S. citizen MOHs in the Mission warden system; 3) consider MOHs, who can legally work in the respective country and have obtained any necessary work permits, for positions at post that are appropriate for their citizenship; 4) at the employee's request and with the MOH's authorization, include MOHs in post telephone and address listings; 5) include MOHs in all events sanctioned by posts on the same basis as Eligible Family Members (EFMs); and 6) allow MOHs to participate in local CLO and FLO sponsored activities and programs. It requires Department employees to: 1) declare all MOHs to the Chief of Mission; 2) ensure, to the best of their ability, that MOHs comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and any post policies applicable to the American community; 3) encourage MOHs to complete emergency locator cards for use by post; and 4) report foreign national MOHs in accordance with 3 FAM 4100 Appendix B.

Nevertheless, certain provisions of current federal employee benefits and compensation are already available to unmarried partners of federal employees:

• You can designate your partner as your beneficiary under the Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program. You can change your beneficiary at any time without the knowledge or consent of the previous beneficiary.
• You can designate your partner as your beneficiary for any unpaid compensation due you, such as accrued vacation. This designation remains valid until you change or revoke it and as long as you are employed with the Department of State.
• You can designate your partner as your beneficiary under the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). You can make this designation at any time.
• Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS, applicable to federal employees hired before 1984), you may designate your partner as your beneficiary for a lump sum refund of your retirement contributions to the retirement system. However, if anyone qualifies to receive survivor annuity benefits by law, retirement contributions cannot be refunded.
• The Federal Employees Family Friendly Leave Act (FEFFLA) permits eligible employees to use sick leave to provide care for a family member (defined as any individual related by blood or affinity, whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship) if that person is incapacitated because of physical or mental illness, injury, pregnancy, or childbirth; or requires assistance to go to medical, optical or dental examinations or treatments. FEFFLA also permits employees to use sick leave to make arrangements for and attend the funeral of a family member (as defined above). Employees can therefore use sick leave to care for or bereave a same-sex partner.

This information above was produced by Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), a State Department-recognized employee group. It reflects GLIFAA's understanding of current State Department policy regarding sexual orientation. This is not an official publication of the Department of State or any other Foriegn Affairs Agency.