The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2015 31 and allow enough space for local organizations to begin to operate safely in the open. In repressive environments, the U.S. government can work closely with local LGBT organizations to provide seed grants to support local research and monitoring of violence and dis- crimination and facilitate publication of their findings. Embas- sies can also provide support for embattled activists to speak at international conferences or multilateral fora, or with foreign media, to refute the claim of some governments that no LGBT persons live within their borders. U.S. embassies and consulates can subtly signal support of LGBT rights at representational and public affairs events. Embassy Independence Day celebrations, for instance, present an opportunity to expose local political leaders to LGBT advo- cates and their families. In climates where such individuals are uncomfortable with coming out, embassies can host cultural events, such as art exhibits, featuring the work of anonymous but local LGBT artists and activists. And when illiberal politi- cians call for violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders, or when repressive governments arrest them and hold sham trials, the U.S. government must send clear and unequivocal signals of its dismay. LGBT organizations that operate in the most repressive environments indicate that it is typically unhelpful for the U.S. government to take a public role in support of LGBT rights; however, in the most dire situations or in crisis scenarios, most LGBT advocates want Washington to take a strong, public role. When I was conducting research in Uganda on effective interventions to support the LGBT community in January 2011, for instance, local organizations made clear to me that to com- bat the anti-homosexuality bill then pending in Parliament, Mindful that effective interventions vary widely across the globe, Washington should develop country-specific strategies in partnership with local gay community leaders.