Diplomats’ same-sex partners denied visas

President Donald Trump’s administration began denying visas to the unmarried, same-sex partners of foreign diplomats and officials and employees of the United Nations this week — making marriage a requirement to be eligible for a visa. The policy was made effective Monday. It comes despite the fact that the majority of countries do not recognize same-sex marriage and many samesex couples face prosecution in their own countries. Same-sex partners of foreign diplomats and U.N. workers have until the end of the year to get married or leave the country. The State Department said in a briefing Tuesday that the policy will affect about 105 families in the USA, 55 of which have links to various international organizations. It was not clear how many foreign diplomats and U.N. employees with pending U.S. posts will be affected by the policy change. The Trump administration said the new policy is more consistent with the Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that legalized same-sex marriage. The heterosexual partners of foreign diplomats and U.N. employees are also not eligible for U.S. visas. “Those not yet in the country will need to show they’re married to secure a visa, potentially forcing those living in countries without marriage equality to choose between a posting at UN headquarters or family separation,” Akshaya Kumar, deputy U.N. director at Human Rights Watch, wrote in a blog post. The State Department said it was ready to work with individuals to find a solution for those unable to marry.