By Breaking Belize News Staff: Promoting LGBT+ inclusion will not be among the highest priorities of newly arrived United States Ambassador to Belize André Bauer, who says his immediate attention will instead be focused on security, immigration, drugs and economic opportunities.
Bauer was asked on Friday about the prominence LGBT+ issues received under the previous U.S. administration and during the tenure of former Ambassador Michelle Kwan.
“With all the things that I’ve got that are important to me, I don’t know that that’s the top of my agenda,” Bauer responded.
He instead listed closer bilateral relations, opportunities for Belizeans, immigration policy and combating illegal drugs among his priorities.
The U.S. Embassy in Belmopan has had a highly visible history of LGBT advocacy. It raised the rainbow Pride flag publicly in 2016 and again in subsequent years as a statement in support of the rights and dignity of LGBT people. The 2016 event drew protests from some Belizean evangelical leaders.
During Kwan’s tenure, she also publicly highlighted LGBT rights and Pride observances in Belize, including an August 2023 appearance discussing Pride Day and human rights.
Bauer did not announce any specific change to Embassy policy on LGBT issues and was not asked whether the Embassy would continue particular Pride-related activities.
Instead, his response indicated that the issue would not occupy the same prominent place among his personal priorities as ambassador.
“We’ve got a lot of priorities,” Bauer said, adding that he intends to concentrate heavily on making both Belize and the United States safer and expanding opportunities for Belizeans.
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By Breaking Belize News Staff: Promoting LGBT+ inclusion will not be among the highest priorities of newly arrived United States Ambassador to Belize André Bauer, who says his immediate attention will instead be focused on security, immigration, drugs and economic opportunities. Bauer was asked on Friday about the prominence LGBT+ issues received under the previous
The post LGBT+ inclusion ‘not the top of my agenda,’ says new U.S. Ambassador to Belize appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.