Welcome to the GLIFAA website

GLIFAA is the officially-recognized organization representing the concerns of gay and lesbian personnel and their families in the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and other foreign affairs agencies and offices in the U.S. Government. We were founded in 1992 by fewer than a dozen employees who faced official harassment and potential loss of their jobs simply because of their sexual orientation. We have since grown to hundreds of Foreign Service, Civil Service, and contract personnel and their families serving in Washington, throughout the U.S., and at U.S. embassies and missions around the world. We are proud of our tremendous progress since those early days, but there is still much to do.

We are an entirely volunteer organization, and we rely on the dues paid by our members for our important advocacy and outreach efforts. If you are interested in joining, please see our Membership Page for information and an application.

Foreign Service Journal

The Foreign Service Journal has published several articles relating to the status of Members of Houshold in the Foreign Service. Read "Not Quite Family: Members of Household at State" by Bob Guldin and "Speaking Out: Achieving Full Diversity in the Foreign Service" by Ajit Joshi. FSJ also published a letter from Christian Charette describing his  partner's experience as an MOH in Rabat. Read "Diversity and MOH Policy". Most recently, FSJ published another "Speaking Out" column"Member of Household Policy: Failing Our Families" by Ambassador Michael Guest. FSJ supports broader efforts in the U.S. and around the world to bring about greater respect for the rights of sexual minorities.

Contact

Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA)
P.O. Box 18774
Washington, DC 20036-8774
GLIFAA@yahoo.com