Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Washington Blade - December 11, 2008
Chris Johnson
The 12-page list of recommendations is titled ôRecommendations to the Executive Branch to Benefit Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans and Families: A Blueprint for Positive Change" (download the complete .pdf).
The many changes recommended by HRC include expanding President Bill ClintonÆs executive order barring discrimination in the federal workplace on the basis of sexual orientation to include gender identity. Additionally, HRC calls on Obama to develop a national HIV/AIDS strategy and fund scientifically based programs to confront diseases affecting the gay community.
Other recommendations include:
* Changing rules in the State Department so that the partners of gay Foreign Service officers can receive the same benefits as the spouses of their straight counterparts. The partners of gay Foreign Service officers are currently denied access to medical facilities, language training and emergency evacuation.
* Expanding an existing executive order to require that the federal government only hire contractors that have non-discrimination provisions for sexual orientation and gender identity categories.
* For transgender people, allowing the Internal Revenue Service to provide reimbursements for medical expenses in the gender-transition process through tax-preferred flexible spending accounts. Also, allowing transgender people to change their gender markers on federal documents and records, including passports.
* Developing a plan to guide Congress in repealing the ôDonÆt Ask, DonÆt Tellö law, which prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military.
* Having the Justice Department issue a ruling to clarify that interstate domestic violence and stalking provisions under the Violence Against Women Act apply in situations where the offender and the victims are of the same gender.
* Removing HIV from the list of ôcommunicate disease[s] of public health significanceö to allow HIV-positive foreign nationals to enter the United States.
* Nominating judges who have ôa temperament that would enable them to make decisions fairly and with an open mind.ö
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