Gay Rights Activists Confront Russia's UN Ambassador at His NYC Residence

Gay rights activists confronted Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin when he arrived at his NYC residence yesterday, attempting to hand him the petition that was delivered to the IOC yesterday urging the repeal of Russia's anti-gay laws, the AP reports:

Ambassador Vitaly Churkin arrived at his residence on New York’s Upper East Side in the late afternoon to find 10 activists from the international gay rights group All Out outside the wrought iron gates holding red placards saying: “340,457 worldwide say stop Russia’s anti-gay crackdown.” Minutes earlier, when they got no answer ringing the bell, they had slipped a CD with the signatures under the gate.

Churkin took the CD and spoke with AllOut Executive Director Andre Banks (who appeared on CNN the other day) about the laws, saying “We don’t have anti-gay laws. We have laws banning homosexual propaganda among minors."

Churkin reportedly insisted no people have been harmed or killed because they're gay.

Five Openly Gay Nominees Confirmed By United States Senate On Voice Vote

Times have changed.

In 1993, two of the ugliest confirmation battles ever took place around the nominations by President Clinton of Roberta Achtenberg to be Assistant Secretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development and James Hormel as Ambassador to Luxembourg. Achtenberg, after a bruising debate, was confirmed by 58 votes in the Senate and Hormel was denied the Senate confirmation and was appointed as an 'recess appointment'. 

Yesterday, the United States Senate confirmed openly gay Ambassadors and an appointment to the Justice Department by voice vote, little debate and no dissent. 

Those confirmed by the United States Senate were: 

John Berry: Ambassador to Australia

Rufus Gifford: Ambassador to Denmark

James Costos: Ambassador to Spain

Daniel Baer: Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Stuart Delery: Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division at Department of Justice.

Nigerian Christian Group Threatens To "Chase" Gay Ambassadors Out Of The Country

The Dominican Republic isn't the only country that is taking issue with US ambassadors that happen to be gay. Nigeria is adding their name to the list and, like the Dominican Republic, there is difference of opinion held between government officials...

“Nigeria is not against any country for legalizing gay marriage, but in our country, given our customs and traditions, as well as religious beliefs, marriage as ordained by God is between a man and a woman,” [Minister of Foreign Affairs Olugbenga] Ashiru reportedly said. ”But if we have diplomats with same sex spouses posted to Nigeria, we have no choice but to accredit them accordingly because they come from countries where such law is in place.”

...and hyper-conservative Christians...

"To us, this is ridiculous and unacceptable and we are seriously disturbed because for the first time, Nigerian Muslims and Christians have agreed that they don’t subscribe to gay marriage." - statement from the Christian Association of Nigeria

Much like the religious leaders in the Dominican Republic promising that ambassador James "Wally" Brewster would be made to suffer to force him to leave the country, so too have the members of the Christian Association of Nigeria promised to "mobilize to chase [gay diplomats] out of the country." Because Jesus.

Obama Names Two Gay Men to Ambassadorships

President Obama has named Rufus Gifford, a prominent fundraiser who was most recently Finance Chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, as Ambassador to Denmark. He has also named James Costos, Vice President of Global Licensing and Retail for Home Box Office (HBO), as Ambassador to Spain.

Background from the White House:

Rufus Gifford most recently served as Finance Chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee.  He served as Finance Director for Obama for America from 2011 to 2012, and as Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011.  From 2008 to 2009, he was the California Finance Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, after working as a political consultant in California from 2004 to 2008.  From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Gifford was Creative Executive for Davis Entertainment, an independent film company based in Los Angeles.  He is currently a Federal Club Member of the Human Rights Campaign and a Partner in Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund.  He received a B.A. from Brown University.

James Costos is Vice President of Global Licensing and Retail for Home Box Office (HBO).  Before joining HBO in 2006, he was President and CEO of Eight Cylinders, Inc., an entertainment marketing and licensing agency.  Previously, from 2002 to 2004, he was head of Promotions and Consumer Products at Revolution Studios in California.  He began his career in New York as a fashion and retail executive.  From 2001 to 2002, he was Vice President of Retail for Hermes in New York, and from 1991 to 2001, he was Vice President of Retail Operations for Tod’s in New York.  Mr. Costos currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States.  He received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

The nominations need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.