U.S. is not giving visa to the same-sex partners who are unmarried, due to new law which is decided on Monday.
In many country, same-sex marriage is illegal. But the new law insists couple to get married in case of getting visas. The law took effect on Monday.
In 2015, Supreme court decision legalized the same-sex marriage and visas were extended only to spouses of U.S. diplomates. But the rule creates difficulties for those diplomats from countries where same-sex marriage is still illegal.
The memo explained to UN headquarters staff that the 2009 decision by Hillary Clinton was reversing the idea to grant visas to domestic partners of U.S. and foreign diplomats because that decision did not grant the same right to opposite-sex domestic partners.
The memo said, “same-sex spouses of U.S. diplomats now enjoy the same rights and benefits as opposite-sex spouses,Consistent with [State] Department policy, partners accompanying members of permanent missions or seeking to join the same must generally be married in order to be eligible.”
In a statement, “with this change, the State Department is enforcing parity in the way they recognize opposite-sex partnerships and same-sex partnerships,” U.N. Globe said.
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has pushed for religious freedom to be paramount among human rights that the US advocates overseas, a shift from previous administrations.
Akshaya Kumar said to deputy UN director at Human Rights Watch. “This will have an insidious impact on same-sex couples from countries that ban same-sex marriage or only offer civil unions.”
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