Episode 31: Michael Guest, America's First Out-Gay Ambassador

Michael Guest is a trailblazer. In 2001 he became the first out-gay senate confirmed United States ambassador. But in 2007 his long and distinguished career in the foreign service was cut short when he resigned after failing to secure the kind of benefits and rights for his family that are routinely granted to heterosexual spouses.

Amb. Guest tells Mark about his long career working European and NATO policy during the height of the Cold War and as the Soviet Union disintegrated. He discusses how growing up the son of a Southern Baptist preacher helped shape his worldview and describes his path to the foreign service. They kick off with a discussion of the ways in which the Obama administration has mainstreamed LGBT rights into the US foreign policy and human rights agenda. Have a listen!

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Episode 29: Chris Hill, former Ambassador to Iraq and North Korea nuke negotiator

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Episode 28: Nancy Birsdall, founder of the Center for Global Development

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Episode 27: Daniel Drezner, counter-intuitive wonk

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Episode 24: Joseph Cirincione, Nuclear Policy Wonk

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Episode 23: Live from the UN 2014 (Volume 2); A special edition with a slew of UN officials.

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Episode 23: Jillian York, Digital Free Speech defender

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Episode 22: Live from the UN, 2014 (Vol 1); A special edition, featuring the President of the General Assembly, the UN Ambassadors from Vietnam and Jamaica, the head of the UN Association, and more!

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Episode 21: Thomas Pickering, former Ambassador to the UN, Israel, Jordan, Russia, India and more.

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Episode 20: Jessica Tuchman Matthews, foreign policy trendsetter

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Episode 19: Louise Arbour, human rights pioneer.

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Episode 18: Zalmay Khalizad, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the UN.

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Episode 17: Gov Bill Richardson, he frees hostages.

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Episode 16: Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children