House Democrats, led by Rep. David Cicilline and others, wrote, "The worldwide struggle for LGBTQI rights continues and U.S. leadership on this issue is more important than ever." | Alex Edelman/Getty Images congress House Dems slam 'cruel' visa denials for diplomats' same-sex partners in letter to Pompeo

House Democrats are denouncing the Trump administration's recent decision to deny visas to partners of LGBTQ diplomats, writing in a letter sent Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the policy change "sends the wrong message that the U.S. is not welcoming of all people."

The State Department on Monday halted the issuing of G-4 visas to same-sex partners who are not legally married, reversing a policy instituted by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009. In a note sent to foreign delegations in July, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations argued that the about-face was intended to bring the department's policy in line with that of the United States, citing the 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that recognized marriage equality as constitutional.


But House Democrats, led jointly by Reps. Brad Schneider (Ill.), David Cicilline (R.I.), Ted Deutch (Fla.), Joaquin Castro (Texas), Eliot Engel (N.Y.) and Frank Pallone (N.J.), contend that the Obergefell decision is irrelevant when creating standards that apply only to foreign diplomats. The "Dear Colleague" letter, signed by 119 representatives and obtained by POLITICO, says the policy reversal discriminates against "gay and lesbian international civil servants" whose countries of origin disallow same-sex unions.

"The State Department’s 2009 decision to issue G-4 visas to same-sex domestic partners in addition to same-sex spouses reflected global discrimination against same-sex marriage," the letter reads. "In reversing this decision, your department fails to acknowledge that in most of the world, same-sex domestic partners do not enjoy the possibility of marriage—and your decision undermines the validity of these diplomats’ relationship."

Only 26 countries, or 13 percent of U.N. members, allow same-sex marriages. In 10 member countries, LGBTQ people face the death penalty for their orientation.

"While same-sex marriage has been legal in the U.S. for more than three years, the worldwide struggle for LGBTQI rights continues and U.S. leadership on this issue is more important than ever," the signatories wrote in the letter.

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Under the new policy, foreign diplomats and UN officials must show proof of legal marriage by Dec. 31 or leave the country within 30 days. A senior administration official told The Washington Post the change would affect 105 families currently in the United States.

Engel, who is the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the policy change was "cruel" and "utterly unnecessary."

"At the same time, this regressive and unjust policy opens up our gay and lesbian diplomats to retaliation abroad—potentially endangering their safety in certain parts of the world," Engel said in a statement to POLITICO.

Democrats also met with State Department officials for a briefing on Capitol Hill on the policy change.

Pompeo's views on LBGTQ rights and same-sex marriage were the subject of scrutiny during his confirmation hearing, when Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) asked the then-nominee whether he thought being gay was a "perversion." Pompeo had opposed the Obergefell decision, saying it was "wrong" and a "shocking abuse of power," but vowed to treat officials with respect as secretary.

In June, Pompeo tweeted a celebratory statement during Pride Month, which read, "we stand with the #LGBTI community in U.S. and around the world in affirming the dignity and equality of all people. Human rights are universal."

But Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), one of the signatories, says this is a departure from that attention to human rights.

"The Trump Administration’s new policy places a heartless burden on the service of LGBTQ diplomats and undercuts our American values of equality and acceptance," Schneider said. "I urge Secretary Pompeo to reconsider the ramifications of this policy and return to the previous visa system that respected the dignity of partners in same-sex relationships."

Cicilline, one of seven openly gay members of Congress, also sounded the alarm over the message the decision would send to the rest of the world: "This action signals a step backwards in terms of the United States' leadership on human rights issues."