Biden has signed a memorandum for the protection of LGBT people around the world
In his first speech to the State Department, the president announced a profound change of course from the previous administration, aimed at promoting "diversity, equity, equality and inclusion" on a global scale
(Photo: Samuel Corum / Getty Images) In his first official US foreign policy speech as president, Joe Biden addressed the State Department announcing that the United States will be committed to defending the rights of LGBT + people abroad as well , to counter their criminalization and discrimination and ensure their international protection.The new US administration continues its policy in support of the rights of the LGBT + community. After the lifting of the ban on transgender people in the military, Biden took another step forward.
President Biden says he is issuing a presidential memorandum to U.S. agencies to support LGBT issues worldwide, including combating criminalization of homosexuality and protecting LGBT refugees and asylum seekers https://t.co/ZbKy9mW1iT pic.twitter.com/UtgfjwGfTZ
- CBS News (@CBSNews) February 4 , 2021
"I will transmit a presidential memorandum to all government agencies to strengthen our leadership on lgbtq + issues at the international level" said Biden "We will ensure diplomatic protection and international assistance, we will work for promotion of the rights and protection of refugees and asylum seekers who are part of the LGBT + community ”. A very clear message to those world leaders who have repeatedly opposed respect for the civil rights of LGBT + people, such as Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro or Russian president Vladimir Putin, whose policies in this area were certainly in tune with the discriminatory ones of ' former president Donald Trump.
The decision was anticipated by the statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who spoke of a “deep commitment by the president to this issue both in the United States and in the rest of the world. The United States will raise its voice and act in defense of these rights ".
Biden has clearly distanced himself from the previous administration, advocating a new role for the United States in the world, aimed at promoting" diversity , equity, equality and inclusion ". Compared to his predecessor, who had visited the State Department only almost a year after taking office, the new president has affirmed his will to bring the United States back to the center of foreign policy.
“The States United are back. Diplomacy is back, ”the president said in his speech, in which he also stated that he will sign an executive order to increase the number of refugees admitted to the United States annually. The will is to raise it to 125,000, after this number had dropped to 15,000 during Trump's mandate. Biden also announced that he will not withdraw US troops to Germany, as had been planned by the previous administration, and that he will host all support for Saudi Arabia's military operations in Yemen, thus also blocking the sale of arms that Trump had maintained. , claiming it secured "tens of thousands of jobs".
Biden has also shown himself very firm towards his Russian counterpart Putin, stating that he will act "in a very different way from my predecessor: the days when the United States ignored Russia's aggressive actions are over , such as interference in elections, cyber attacks and the poisoning of citizens ".
