Seven openly gay peoplehave been assigned to head transition panels that will review federal agencies and departments by incoming President Barack Obama. They are among the 300 people who are serving in similar roles before January's inauguration.

They are businessman Fred P. Hochberg, former San Francisco Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg, and labor attorney Elaine Kaplan, Rick Stamberger, president and CEO of SmartBrief, Inc., Brad Kiley, member of the Center for American Progress, Thomas Soto an investment fund manager focusing on "clean technologies" and former Romanian Ambassador Michael Guest (pictured, right).

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Michael Guest stepped into the spotlight again this week. The former Romanian ambassador, who resigned last year to protest the State Department's gay inequality, held a press conference to highlight the Department's documentation of anti-gay human rights abuses.

Despite the Department's look at these abuses, that report, says Guest and his friends at the LGBT Foreign Policy Project, does nothing to address the stark, often violent reality of gay living abroad.

Our editor sat down with Guest yesterday to discuss the report, as well as the State Department's queer inaction, how to approach anti-gay nations and why even a flawed democracy matters.

Check it out, after the jump.

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Oregon-born Aaron Jensen has dedicated the past seven years of his life to the Department of State. Despite his dedication, our government still refuses to grant Jensen and other gay employees the same benefits offered to straight officials. The unspoken discrimination made big headlines last year when former Romanian Ambassador Michael Guest blasted Condoleezza Rice and others for their inaction on gay equality.

Jensen hopes that he won't have to do the same. That's why he heads up the 400-strong Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies, which strives to revamp the Department's employment policies. Our editor recently sat down with Jensen to talk shop. The results are intriguing, particularly because Jensen - who spoke in fairly calm, nearly monotonous tones - attempts to toe the line while also advocating for gay rights. It's an odd combination, to be sure, but not surprising considering the circumstances.

Andrew Belonsky: First, what exactly is your role - what's your job?

Aaron Jensen: My job job?

AB: Yeah.

AJ: I'm a desk officer for the State Department, but I'm not going to focus or really talk about my professional job.

AB: Okay… So you work for the State Department. Why did you decide to work there?

AJ: It's what I always wanted to do - since about college. It sounded really great - a diplomatic corp that goes around representing the United States' interests to various countries in the world. You really get to know what it's like to live and work in a foreign country.

AB: And where have you traveled?

AJ: Guanjo, China, Madrid, Spain and Kabul, Afghanistan.

AB: How many languages do you speak?

AJ: Really just Spanish and Chinese.

AB: Afghanistan must have been a struggle, must have been a challenge.

AJ: Yeah, it was a challenge. I didn't speak the local language, so I relied on translators when I dealt with Afghans who didn't speak English. The main challenge, I would say, was social. The work was super exciting - you worked long hours, but people work long hours here.

AB: What do you mean "social challenges"? Because you were working all the time?

AJ: No. For security reasons your social group is primarily the people you live and work with.

AB: Tell me about your work with Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies.

AJ: I'm the president of the organization presently - until March.

AB: How long are your terms?

AJ: One year. I have an opportunity to go abroad - I thought I would stay another couple years, but I'm going to go abroad. But [GLIFAA is] a department recognized employee affinity group, [whose] main responsibility is advocating for gay and lesbian issues in the State Department. Our priority is trying to get equality in benefits for gay and lesbian employees and equality in benefits for families of gay and lesbian employees.

AB: You're "department recognized". What is your relationship with the State Department. Is it just that they respect you? That's the "recognition"?

AJ: There are - let's see - we are considered to be the equivalent to Blacks in Government or the State… We don't get a budget from the department, but it's recognized that we can meet occassionally with state officials, if they so choose.

AB: Do you guys have regular meetings with officials or is it case-by-case?

AJ: It had been case-by-case, but the director general, the head of human resources, basically - he's going to meet quarterly with all affinity groups. We also have members from the US Agency for International Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Foreign Commercial Service…

AB: Do you get involved in international advocacy?

AJ: Never.

AB: You're primarily concerned with employee equality, but are there other issues with which you engage, make statements?

AJ: Almost never. Never. Never, ever, ever do we advocate on U.S. foreign policy. No. That's not our purview. Just advocacy for State employees.

AB: And that's an internal decision?

AJ: Yes. We do have speakers from various international GLBT organizations, but we ourselves do not speak out publicly on any foreign policy issues.

Former ambassador Michael Guest graces The Advocate's next issue. Guest retired last month over what he called the State Department's discriminatory policies. Guest wrote:

For the past three years, I’ve urged the Secretary and her senior management team to redress policies that discriminate against gay and lesbian employees. Absolutely nothing has resulted from this. And so 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 make that choice is a stain on the Secretary’s leadership and a shame for this institution and our country.

The forthcoming Advocate - which hits stands on January 15th - also features an interview with Diane Lane, the reality of living with HIV and a profile on Carson Kressley, whom journo Tricia Romano deems "America's gay boyfriend." We'd rather be single.

A few days ago we passed on a story about former Romanian ambassador Michael Guest's harangue against The State Department and Condoleezza Rice's queer inactivity. Well, the Washington Post published Guest's entire speech. Here's a snippet:

…I want to make clear that this is not about gay rights. Rather, it's about the safety and effectiveness of our communities abroad, of the people who represent America. It's about equal treatment of all employees, all of whom have the same service requirements, the same contractual requirements.
…
Wherever I go, and whatever I do, I'll carry this flag with me. It will remind me of what our country should stand for.

Read the rest of Guest's wise words, after the jump…

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