In a move that has largely escaped the media’s scrutiny, the Biden administration has employed Jessica Stern, a professional activist, as the State Department’s Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons. With an annual salary exceeding $180,000, Stern’s role is to advocate for far-left views on sex and gender, both domestically and internationally, while traveling globally to attend Pride events. Stern’s appointment aligns with President Biden’s directive for federal agencies to work toward advancing LGBTQI+ human rights globally.
Since her appointment in September 2021, Stern has traveled to 22 countries on six continents, attending events, lobbying foreign governments, and assisting activist organizations. She emphasizes the importance of inclusive foreign policy, asserting that senior experts on LGBTQI+ rights are crucial for good foreign policy. Stern advocates for legal gender recognition based on self-determination and addresses the vulnerability of LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and refugees.
During her travels, Stern celebrated pride events and engaged with local activists. In Lithuania, she commended the presence of children at a pride parade, highlighting the positive impact of teaching acceptance from an early age. In Brazil, she participated in a “trans visibility” march organized by Brazil’s National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals, meeting a transgender Brazilian government official who refers to himself as a “transvestite sl*t.”
Stern’s work includes discussions on excluding gender markers from national ID systems, addressing conversion therapy practices, and uniting with Indigenous and Afro-descendant LGBTQI+ persons to combat intersecting forms of discrimination. Despite her focus on human rights, Stern faced criticism for opposing bills in the United States that sought to shield children from sexualized drag performances and medical interventions to change their sex.
While Stern acknowledges the potential discontinuation of her position with a change in administration, she remains committed to institutionalizing and depoliticizing the LGBTQI+ agenda within the State Department. Critics argue that Stern’s role reflects the Biden administration’s broader effort to advance left-wing ideologies across federal agencies, utilizing the bureaucracy to promote a specific agenda. As the possibility of a new administration arises, conservative efforts, such as the Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project by the Heritage Foundation, aim to counterbalance left-wing influence and implement a governing agenda aligned with conservative values.