John Kirby: LGBTQ+ Rights Are A ‘Core Part’ Of American Foreign Policy
During a press briefing on Tuesday, the coordinator of strategic communications for the National Security Council, John Kirby, stated that LGBTQ+ rights are “human rights” and are a “core part” of U.S. foreign policy.
“LGBTQ+ rights are human rights . . . we’re never going to shy away or be bashful about speaking up for those rights or for individuals to live as they deem fit . . . and that’s a core part of our foreign policy.”
John Kirby
His comments garnered severe backlash from internet users and pundits alike, who trashed the former Pentagon spokesman for the claim. “Look where it has gotten our military — Weak and woke” one Twitter user wrote. Many cited growing concerns over the recent friendliness seen between U.S. adversaries Russia and China, noting that now isn’t the time to fixate on promoting LGBTQ+ ideology worldwide.
Since 2014 many U.S. embassies around the globe flew the pride flag — because after gay marriage became legal on a national level, an international statement had to be made about some Americans’ sexual preferences.
The “watershed moment,” according to The Guardian, came in 2011 when then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton called LGBT rights “one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time” while at the United Nations in Geneva.
These actions set in motion a number of initiatives to promote the ideology worldwide.
“Embassies have been opening their doors to gay rights activists, hosting events and supporting local advocacy work. The State Department has since spent $12M on the efforts in over 50 countries through the Global Equality Fund, an initiative launched to fund the new work.”
The Guardian — 2014
In 2021, several Jamaican news outlets covered a small group of locals who had gathered outside the American embassy to protest the flying of the LGBTQ+ flag. One man called it an “insult” to his country.
Numerous countries still outlaw same-sex marriage and transgender identities for cultural or religious purposes, but those are the very nations American foreign policy seems to be most focused on.
