You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Caribbean-Latin America
Dominicans Freak Out Over Obama's Gay Ambassador Pick
2013-07-12
[THECABLE.FOREIGNPOLICY] Opposition to President Obama's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic reached a fever pitch this week as religious organizers stage a "Lunes Negro" or Black Monday protest against James "Wally" Brewster.

If confirmed, Brewster will be the first openly gay ambassador to the country, a prospect that is not going over well with some segments of this conservative Christian country of 9 million people. Local reports indicate that church leaders are pressuring the government to reject Brewster's nomination and calling on the faithful to dress in black on Monday in solidarity against him.

Praise Christian Church Pastor Sauford Medrano is quoted in Diario Libre as saying that Brewster could cause "the U.S. promotion of gender beliefs in the country." That supposedly violates a general education law in the country that "all the Dominican education system is based on Christian principles."

Posted by:Fred

#9  I've got to go with Procopius. Not only do they reject certain ambassadors, they also can request specific ambassadors as well.

For example, the Japanese requested Mike Mansfield remain US ambassador to Japan and that was granted.
Posted by: Frozen Al   2013-07-12 21:59  

#8  Not to support the choice or anything but I don't think the 'host' country really should have much say in this sort of thing

It's one of the basic principles of diplomacy that countries can and do reject agents sent as representatives since the active revival of the practice in the Renaissance.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2013-07-12 17:38  

#7  Assign him to some sort of secret, high-level State Dept. weapons transfer deal. That should seal his fate.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-07-12 15:40  

#6  They can always declare him persona non grata.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2013-07-12 15:12  

#5  As long as the ambassador isn't a criminal or something.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2013-07-12 14:41  

#4  Not to support the choice or anything but I don't think the 'host' country really should have much say in this sort of thing. If the US wants someone as an ambassador to that country that is the US's choice.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2013-07-12 14:41  

#3  Let the quotas begin.
Posted by: Jack Salami   2013-07-12 10:29  

#2  ...Well, we've sent female and gay ambassadors to Muslim nations, and that's worked out sooo well.

This administration is bound and determined that it will shove its beliefs down the throat of the rest of the world, no matter what the end result. That is the bottom line.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2013-07-12 08:39  

#1  Do you really believe they'd send a Jewish ambassador to Saudi Arabia?
Posted by: Procopius2k   2013-07-12 08:03  

00:00