Diversity Position

Maria welcomed David Liboff as Interior GLOBE’s staff to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity in the Workplace’s Office.  He will be reviewing the implementation of Sexual Orientation Policies in the Department and it’s Offices and Bureaus.

Review of Items for Study

David shared with the membership a list of items for further action that he had created after speaking with Director EEO Melodee Stith.  This list was not finalized and continues to be revised until David meets with Director Stith sometime next week.   Items discussed at the meeting included:

• Monitoring of the addition of "sexual orientation" to policy statements about non-discrimination in hiring emplooyees.  David suggested that there would have to be monitoring by everyone to make sure that all Offices and Bureaus are maintaining this standard phrase in their job announcements.
  
• Jay Douglas suggested that there was a memo from either Director Stith or former DAS - Diversity in the Workplace Montoya that directed all Human Resources Offices in the Department to add sexual orientation to their standard non-discrimination announcements.  David would ask Director Stith for the memo.  Andy DeVito suggested that it was more important to have the language in the field than in Washington as that is where the majority of discrimination is found.  Posted policies of non-discrimination need to include ones on sexual orientation in all regional offices Department-wide.
  
• David stated that one of the most important items to him is including the language in the Interior Department’s Code of Federal Regulations. To craft the proper language Andy and David would work together after hours to create a memo for Maria to Assistant Secretary Berry requesting this addition. They would also prepare a draft CFR citation. Maria agreed to bring this up with Berry upon his return from his current hearing schedule. David agreed to share the information he had researched with Andy as soon as possible.
  
• Maria requested that David prepare a written report after he leaves his detail with the DAS - Diversity in the Workplace.  The length of David's detail has not yet been determined.

Web Site

There was a discussion of the difficulty in searching on the Interior Department website for Interior GLOBE and any items related to gay, lesbian, or sexual orientation.   Bob Veltkamp who created the Interior GLOBE web pages agreed to support any changes that the membership suggested, and continue to work with the Department's home page staff.

World AIDS Day Photos

Tami Hielemann brought photographs of the World AIDS Day event on December 1, 1999, in the Main lobby of the Interior Building.  Bob will put the photos with appropriate text on the GLOBE web pages.

Holiday Party

Jay will send the notice of the Interior GLOBE Holiday party out to Washington members again as a reminder.

FED GLOBE Contact

• Jay has accepted the position as Interior GLOBE contact to FED GLOBE.  There is enough money in the account to fund the $35.00 annual membership fee.  When there are meetings of FED GLOBE, Jay will attend and represent Interior GLOBE Members' views on topics discussed.
  
• The section of the Interior GLOBE’s by-laws, which covers membership dues, was discussed.  The collection of dues was questioned, as there was no use for the money at this time.
  
• FED GLOBE was established before Departments and Agencies had separate GLOBE organizations. Members of FED GLOBE are members on their own and membership in FED GLOBE does not automatically make one a member of any Department or agency GLOBE.  They are separate employee organizations.  FED GLOBE is not affiliated with any department or agency the way Interior GLOBE is associated with the Department of the Interior and its offices and bureaus.  FED GLOBE’s annual meeting takes place in conjunction with the annual Gay & Lesbian Task Force Meeting.
  
• FED GLOBE does have an ambitious agenda with over 30 recommended items for departments and agencies to accomplish to implement Executive Order 13087 of 1998.  The list of items will be sent to David from Jay when he gets a copy.

By-Law Review

It was suggested that the by-laws of the Interior GLOBE have not been reviewed by the membership for several years.  The topic will be added to the January 2000 agenda.

Interior GLOBE Newsletter

Maria spoke of her vision of an Interior GLOBE newsletter that listed the accomplishments of the past year. It would include photos of events and meetings as well as minutes from past meetings.  Work on this newsletter was to be directed by Maria with volunteers to support the effort.

New Non-Discrimination Clause for Federal O&G Lease Form

Jay discussed the fact that he is heading up a project to revise the Bureau of Land Management’s oil and gas lease form.  In this process he has been working with John Berry to get sexual orientation added to the non-discrimination clause.  Jay believes that this would be the first type of Federal contract to require the contractor to certify that they will not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.  Jay asked if any other members were aware of any other Federal contract that exists or is being revised that mentions sexual orientation.  If anyone is aware of any please contact Jay directly.

New member offers support

Jay spoke of a new member in Raleigh, NC wanting to support the GLOBE AIDS Riders next June.  He offered to support the AIDS Riders at the beginning of their ride next June.  During the next several months, plans will be finalized on the kind of support that he would be able to offer.

Meeting with New DAS - Diversity in the Workplace

It was proposed and agreed by the membership that Interior GLOBE leadership should meet with the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity in the Work Place after the New Year.

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Revised: 04/09/00
Robert_J_Veltkamp@nbc.gov