265:
on the issue of discrimination against gay employees and specifically the benefits denied to same-sex partners of department employees. He remarked, "I've felt compelled to choose between obligations to my partner – who is my family – and service to my country. That anyone should have to
208:
During his tenure as ambassador, Guest was outspoken against public corruption, which he said had impeded
Romania's development since the fall of communism. At the same time, his ambassadorship was characterized by strong relations between the U.S. and Romania. Romania committed troops to support
236:
awarded him the
Romanian "Order for Faithful Service in the Rank of Grand Cross" in appreciation for his "high professionalism, dedication to his mission ... and for his personal contribution to the strengthening of the Romanian-American partnership." In April 2003, the
280:
Also in 2008, Guest co-founded the
Council for Global Equity (a coalition of human rights and LGBT advocacy organizations seeking U.S. support for LGBT-fair policies abroad), for which he is a senior adviser.
153:
on
September 18, 2001, and took up his duties on September 24, 2001. His partner Alex Nevarez was acknowledged by Powell at the swearing-in ceremony in the State Department Diplomatic Reception Room.
241:
recognized him with a
Leadership Award, which honors individuals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender people. In 2004, the
291:
In early 2016, at a
Council for Global Equity reception in Washington, D.C., Guest spoke against the anti-immigrant "hateful rhetoric" that Republican candidates had been using on the
245:
awarded him the
Charles E. Cobb, Jr. award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development due to his leadership in increasing trade between the U.S. and Romania. In June 2006, the
370:
696:
716:
711:
325:
315:
249:
awarded him the
Christian Herter Award for Constructive Dissent, for his advocacy on behalf of equality for State Department gay and lesbian employees.
157:
rights groups viewed Guest's appointment, and Powell's remarks, as historic and indicative of greater recognition of gay State
Department employees and
292:
194:
570:
205:
of the Penal Code, which criminalised public manifestations of homosexuality, was repealed shortly before Guest's arrival as ambassador in 2001.
299:
246:
38:
658:
50:
378:
238:
303:
593:
122:
491:
392:
320:
174:
411:
146:
261:. At his retirement ceremony on November 20, 2007, in the Treaty Room, Guest publicly criticized Secretary of State
20:
706:
258:
193:
after the Senate failed to confirm his nomination. Guest resided together with
Nevarez at the residence of the
266:
make that choice is a stain on the Secretary's leadership and a shame for this institution and our country."
701:
691:
516:
578:
158:
686:
371:"Concerned Women for America – Powell Acknowledges Homosexual Partner of Ambassador, Post Says"
668:
242:
162:
95:
620:
542:
438:"Gay Ambassador Resigns Over State Department's Discrimination Against Gay and Lesbian Employees"
186:
232:
Before Guest's departure from Romania at the end of his duties in 2003, then Romanian President
548:
285:
598:
270:
262:
257:
Guest retired from the State Department, where he last served as a dean at the Department's
221:
and intensified negotiations that would eventually lead to the country's accession into the
464:
395:. National Lesbian and Gay Task Force. Common Dreams. September 25, 2001. Archived from
651:
226:
222:
83:
71:
680:
437:
396:
274:
190:
182:
150:
233:
210:
202:
178:
177:
officer since 1981, Guest was the first publicly gay man to be confirmed by the
37:
201:
until 2004 when his appointment came to an end. Romania's last anti-gay law,
344:
198:
165:
groups expressed opposition to Guest's appointment and to Powell's gesture.
469:
138:
142:
273:
reported that Guest had been selected as a member of President-elect
181:
and serve as a U.S. Ambassador. The first publicly gay ambassador,
377:. Culture and Family Institute. September 20, 2001. Archived from
302:
Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the
218:
214:
154:
393:"Bush Appoints Openly Gay Man as U.S. Ambassador to Romania"
298:
In November 2020, Guest was named a volunteer member of the
594:"Michael Guest: Anti-immigrant rhetoric 'painful to hear'"
316:
Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA)
137:(born 1957) is an American diplomat who served as a
118:
110:
105:
89:
77:
67:
48:
28:
492:"Clinton looks to loyalists for State Dept. staff"
543:"Former gay ambassador launches new rights group"
149:. Guest was sworn in by U.S. Secretary of State
504:One notable name on the list is Michael Guest
326:List of LGBT ambassadors of the United States
229:made an official visit to Bucharest in 2002.
8:
697:Ambassadors of the United States to Romania
412:"Unequal Treatment at the State Department"
640:
63:September 24, 2001 – July 8, 2004
36:
25:
277:transition team at the State Department.
717:United States Foreign Service personnel
577:. The Dallas Principles. Archived from
541:Bajko, Matthew S. (September 4, 2008).
336:
712:LGBT ambassadors of the United States
463:Ramirez, Jessica (December 9, 2007).
7:
592:Lavers, Michael K. (March 1, 2016).
494:. Associated Press. December 5, 2008
410:Editorial Board (December 3, 2007).
247:American Foreign Service Association
19:For the Mississippi politician, see
659:United States Ambassador to Romania
51:United States Ambassador to Romania
239:National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce
14:
436:Shakir, Faiz (December 4, 2007).
304:United States Department of State
300:Joe Biden presidential transition
217:. Romania was also admitted into
465:"Gays and the State Department"
1:
321:United States Foreign Service
284:Guest was a co-author of the
114:1957 (age 66–67)
733:
522:. U.S. Department of State
21:Michael Guest (politician)
18:
665:
656:
648:
643:
625:President-Elect Joe Biden
269:On December 5, 2008, the
259:Foreign Service Institute
147:George W. Bush presidency
128:
101:
56:
44:
35:
351:. Soylent Communications
575:thedallasprinciples.org
288:, drafted in May 2009.
621:"Agency Review Teams"
163:Socially conservative
375:cultureandfamily.org
209:U.S.-led efforts in
669:Jack Dyer Crouch II
517:"Michael Guest Bio"
243:Department of State
416:The New York Times
381:on March 10, 2003.
345:"Michael E. Guest"
187:recess appointment
675:
674:
666:Succeeded by
644:Diplomatic posts
549:Bay Area Reporter
442:thinkprogress.org
399:on June 11, 2005.
286:Dallas Principles
132:
131:
16:American diplomat
724:
707:American gay men
649:Preceded by
641:
636:
635:
633:
631:
617:
611:
610:
608:
606:
599:Washington Blade
589:
583:
582:
581:on June 8, 2009.
567:
561:
560:
558:
556:
538:
532:
531:
529:
527:
521:
513:
507:
506:
501:
499:
488:
482:
481:
479:
477:
460:
454:
453:
451:
449:
444:. Think Progress
433:
427:
426:
424:
422:
407:
401:
400:
389:
383:
382:
367:
361:
360:
358:
356:
341:
271:Associated Press
263:Condoleezza Rice
195:American Embassy
159:same-sex couples
135:Michael E. Guest
106:Personal details
92:
80:
61:
40:
26:
732:
731:
727:
726:
725:
723:
722:
721:
677:
676:
671:
662:
654:
639:
629:
627:
619:
618:
614:
604:
602:
591:
590:
586:
569:
568:
564:
554:
552:
540:
539:
535:
525:
523:
519:
515:
514:
510:
497:
495:
490:
489:
485:
475:
473:
462:
461:
457:
447:
445:
435:
434:
430:
420:
418:
409:
408:
404:
391:
390:
386:
369:
368:
364:
354:
352:
343:
342:
338:
334:
312:
255:
175:Foreign Service
171:
139:U.S. Ambassador
119:Political party
90:
78:
62:
57:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
730:
728:
720:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
679:
678:
673:
672:
667:
664:
655:
652:James Rosapepe
650:
646:
645:
638:
637:
612:
584:
562:
533:
508:
483:
455:
428:
402:
384:
362:
335:
333:
330:
329:
328:
323:
318:
311:
308:
293:campaign trail
275:Barack Obama's
254:
251:
227:George W. Bush
223:European Union
170:
167:
130:
129:
126:
125:
120:
116:
115:
112:
108:
107:
103:
102:
99:
98:
93:
87:
86:
84:James Rosapepe
81:
75:
74:
72:George W. Bush
69:
65:
64:
54:
53:
46:
45:
42:
41:
33:
32:
29:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
729:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
702:Gay diplomats
700:
698:
695:
693:
692:Living people
690:
688:
685:
684:
682:
670:
661:
660:
653:
647:
642:
626:
622:
616:
613:
601:
600:
595:
588:
585:
580:
576:
572:
566:
563:
551:
550:
544:
537:
534:
518:
512:
509:
505:
493:
487:
484:
472:
471:
466:
459:
456:
443:
439:
432:
429:
417:
413:
406:
403:
398:
394:
388:
385:
380:
376:
372:
366:
363:
350:
346:
340:
337:
331:
327:
324:
322:
319:
317:
314:
313:
309:
307:
305:
301:
296:
294:
289:
287:
282:
278:
276:
272:
267:
264:
260:
252:
250:
248:
244:
240:
235:
230:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
206:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
185:, received a
184:
180:
176:
168:
166:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
136:
127:
124:
121:
117:
113:
109:
104:
100:
97:
94:
88:
85:
82:
76:
73:
70:
66:
60:
55:
52:
47:
43:
39:
34:
30:Michael Guest
27:
22:
657:
628:. Retrieved
624:
615:
603:. Retrieved
597:
587:
579:the original
574:
565:
553:. Retrieved
546:
536:
524:. Retrieved
511:
503:
496:. Retrieved
486:
474:. Retrieved
468:
458:
446:. Retrieved
441:
431:
419:. Retrieved
415:
405:
397:the original
387:
379:the original
374:
365:
353:. Retrieved
348:
339:
297:
290:
283:
279:
268:
256:
231:
225:. President
207:
191:Bill Clinton
183:James Hormel
172:
151:Colin Powell
134:
133:
91:Succeeded by
58:
687:1957 births
630:10 November
234:Ion Iliescu
211:Afghanistan
203:Article 200
179:U.S. Senate
145:during the
96:Jack Crouch
79:Preceded by
681:Categories
663:2001–2004
332:References
253:Retirement
169:Ambassador
123:Republican
571:"Authors"
199:Bucharest
68:President
59:In office
605:June 10,
555:June 10,
526:April 3,
498:April 3,
476:June 10,
470:Newsweek
448:June 10,
421:June 10,
355:June 10,
349:nndb.com
310:See also
143:Romania
520:(PDF)
189:from
49:40th
632:2020
607:2017
557:2017
547:The
528:2014
500:2014
478:2017
450:2017
423:2017
357:2017
219:NATO
215:Iraq
213:and
155:LGBT
111:Born
197:in
141:to
683::
623:.
596:.
573:.
545:.
502:.
467:.
440:.
414:.
373:.
347:.
306:.
295:.
173:A
161:.
634:.
609:.
559:.
530:.
480:.
452:.
425:.
359:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
