# Diplomatic spouses, same-sex marriage, & polygyny **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-spouses-same-sex-marriage-polygyny/271307 "2004-10-26T21:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-spouses-same-sex-marriage-polygyny/271307/21 "2013-10-24T05:11:23Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Actually, I think the question is, will the US government expend diplomatic or political capital to persuade the Indian government to issue a diplomatic visa to the same-sex partner of a US diplomat? Spouse, not partner. “Partner” includes people who aren’t legally married; the US (or any other government) shouldn’t be expending any more resources getting same-sex-unmarried-partners than opposite-sex ones. And principles of “equality for all” from the country which has a limited range of “protected classes” sounds like a joke. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-spouses-same-sex-marriage-polygyny/271307/22 "2013-10-24T05:51:42Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > We saw something similar in the run-up to the Iraq war when Bush II was threatening some lesser members of the security council that they would withhold all foreign aid unless they voted the right way. Do you think any other third-world country who truly needed aid saw it that now a requirement for that money was to sell your soul? Do you think France gained or lost brownie points with them, when it vetoed the resolution nd made it unnecessary for those lesser countries to vote? > . France did not veto it, since it never came to a vote, the USA having failed to gather a majority (a majority was technically pointless in face of a French veto, but would have shown that the US position had a large support and that the failure of the proposition was entirely attributable to France’s ill will). Also, according to what I read at the time, France too threatened countries with loss of foreign aid (particularly EU subventions). So, I doubt France gained brownie points on this one. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-spouses-same-sex-marriage-polygyny/271307/23 "2013-10-24T05:53:49Z")
> [@EFMabroad](#): > > At this time, countries seem to be having no problem at all passing judgement on gay spouses (by which I mean those legally married in their home country) of foreign diplomats. India is currently not accepting the gay spouse of an American foreign service diplomat as a family member. Even Thailand does not recognize a gay spouse as a family member. Visas can still be obtained, but they are not equal to those of straight married spouses. In some countries, I might be given a visa categorizing me as a member of the house staff. > > The question is not which countries will accept my marriage. The question is what will the US State Department do to ensure that I am given equal treatment? Currently, they (DOS) seem somewhat stuck in a backward mindset. The question is not can we make India accept gay marriage. The question is can we (diplomatically speaking) convince India to accept that the US Government views us as married and is willing to present us as such for diplomatic ] Can you provide me a cite for the India story? [QUOTE] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-spouses-same-sex-marriage-polygyny/271307.md?page=1)