Jessica Stern

“Stern, a gender activist who’d never worked in government, was appointed to the special envoy role—a position created by the Obama administration that went unfilled during the first Trump term—in Jun…”

“In the fall of 2021, Stern was trumpeting the State Department’s controversial introduction of passports that allowed an 'X' gender marker in addition to the standard male and female options.”

“Stern subsequently sought to push this policy on other countries, urging Taiwan, in a 2022 speech delivered remotely to a Taiwanese government-sponsored event in Taipei, to permit 'an option for a th…”

“Stern—who in 2022 had made an official visit to Germany, where she joined a panel discussion with the 'German Federal Government Commissioner for the Acceptance of Sexual and Gender Diversity'—would …”

“In November 2023, Stern again sought 'clearance' to attend a private workshop at Columbia University's School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA) centered 'on LGBTQI+ rights internationally,' an…”

“In a June 2024 email between Stern and Icelandic diplomat Ragnhildur Erna Arnórsdóttir, the State Department envoy recalls with glee how 'Saturday's Nordic reception in honor of LGBTQI+ rights was wo…”

“During an October 2023 trip to Rome, Stern attended a lunch with American diplomats at the separate U.S. embassy serving the Vatican, whose policies were greatly at odds with those of the Biden admin…”

“Stern noted to the State Department when she was back online that 'we're excited about opportunities in Mauritius and have decided to accept an invitation to travel there for a regional LGBTIQ+ Afric…”