GLIFAA Friends

GLIFAA has a proud history of successfully working with allies.

When Secretary Clinton took office, GLIFAA and our allies were ready. We immediately presented her a letter signed by over 2,200 current and former employees of foreign affairs agencies that delivered a simple message: "no colleague of ours is a second-class colleague, and no colleague's family is a second-class family." Thanks to our allies, the message was heard loud and clear, and Secretary Clinton ordered the Department's definition of "Eligible Family Member" (EFM) be revised. This is a huge success - but much remains to be done in order to fully remove discrimination from our workforce.
 
Help us work for equality!
 
GLIFAA remains one of the most active LGBT organizations of Federal Government personnel. Many of our friends have asked how they can support our efforts. When you sign up for GLIFAA Friends, we can keep you updated on our advocacy and provide ideas about how you can help. Don't worry — we won't overload you with emails, we'll just touch base from time to time.
 
Among our biggest priorities will be passage of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (DPBO) and the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).
 
DPBO would extend equal benefits -- including those related to pensions, access to health insurance, and family medical leave -- to the same-sex partners of U.S. federal government personnel. The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) would allow LGBT Americans the right to sponsor their partners for immigration in the same manner allowed to married heterosexual partners. Many heterosexual employees in the Foreign Service meet their future spouses while serving overseas, but GLIFAA members with foreign partners cannot live in the United States again unless they leave their partner behind. This injustice is particularly cruel to retirees who, after a lifetime of service to their nation, must find an alternate country that will accept them with their partners.
 
We will keep you informed as DPBO, UAFA, and other pro-equality pieces of legislation reach critical points in the legislative process.
 
A simple 30-second phone call or a short email to a Member of Congress can make a huge difference, especially at critical junctures in the process. In some cases, everyone can help. At other times, those who vote in certain Congressional districts may have an out-sized opportunity to make a more profound impact.
 
You can invite your colleagues, family, and friends to join the GLIFAA Friends — just have them visit this website.
 
Our goal is to sign up allies in every Congressional district. The bigger our team grows, the more our voice will be heard. We greatly appreciate your willingness to help your LGBT friends and colleagues. As with any private advocacy efforts, outreach to your legislators will need to be made on your own time from your home computer or your personal phone.