From Pariah To Priority

From Pariah to Priority gives a unique, insider perspective that explains the unexpected incorporation of LGBTI rights into the United States and Swedish foreign policies. From original data, case study analysis, and interviews with high-level officials within the State Department, Swedish Foreign Ministry and international institutions, former diplomat Elise Carlson Rainer provides insights from leaders responsible for shaping emerging global LGBTI policies. The research findings highlight the advocacy process of reforming US and Swedish foreign policy priorities to include LGBTI rights, shedding light on how normative values evolve in foreign affairs. The book examines Sweden as the first country to implement a feminist foreign policy and commence formal LGBTI diplomacy. Through this lens, Rainer contextualizes the diplomatic precedent of revamping foreign assistance to Uganda when lawmakers there proposed a death penalty law for homosexuality. Scrutinizing effective tactics for advocacy to influence foreign policy, From Pariah to Priority explores not only current debates in the area of gender and sexuality in foreign affairs, but also offers pragmatic policy recommendations for civil society organizations, foreign policy leaders, and human rights practitioners.

"This book offers a sweeping and in-depth look at the global movement to curtail LGBTI rights, exploring both how this moral conservative movement functions-in terms of its key actors, claims, and venues of resistance-and how the LGBTI movement responds to it"--

Examining the EU's promotion of human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans+ and intersex (LGBTI) persons in Uganda during the period of 2009 to 2017, this book investigates how a public administration defines and deals with a wicked problem. The empirical puzzle of how the topic of human rights for LGBTI persons, despite its highly contested nature, travelled between Brussels and Kampala, became codified in form of LGBTI Guidelines (2013) and institutionalized within EU foreign policy is addressed as one of translation and sensemaking. The investigation focuses on the process of problem definition in everyday practice by EU staff and EU member states’ staff in Brussels and Kampala. This book therefore provides key insights into how public administrations deal with wicked problems, how contested ideas can become institutionalized and how an idea is translated and made sense of across time, levels and cultural boundaries. The findings are of interest especially to scholars of wicked problems, sociological new institutionalism and public administration as well as international relations and EU studies, human rights, gender and sexuality studies.

During the Obama administration, Christian conservatives insisted that securing human rights for LGBTI people abroad diminished human rights protections for people of faith. During the 2016 presidential election, the Christian right backed Donald Trump and demanded an end to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) foreign policy. Did the Trump administration move to terminate US advocacy for SOGI human rights? Did Christian conservative US officials and elites do everything in their power to publicize, curb, defund, and undermine US support for SOGI? If not—spoiler alert: they did not—why not? Analyzing SOGI human rights and religious freedom foreign policy, How Trump and the Christian Right Saved LGBTI Human Rights reveals the indifference, mendacity, and political interests at play in Trump's alliance with Christian right elites.

In the last few years repeated scandals have rocked their worlds of many industries. Stories which have hit the headlines recently have included news of - Deliberate cheating by car makers to evade emissions tests - LIBOR and FX manipulation by bankers - Falsification of drug testing results plus allegations of bribery and corruption in major pharmaceutical corporations - Unlawful tapping of phones of the famous by newspapers - Cover-ups over high death rates in hospitals. While it is not always obvious what has gone wrong, there is no disguising the widespread impact on many stakeholders, and the catastrophic loss of trust and sense of betrayal that results. Matt Nixon has had a privileged insider seat in several of the organizations which came to suffer major crises, crises which inspired deep emotional responses.