DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: US Ambassador Celebrates Pride Month With Husband, Asks "Isn't It Time To Stop Hating?"

Andres Duque writes at Blabbeando:

Through a tweet sent this morning on the official Twitter account of the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic ambassador James "Wally" Brewster and his husband Bob Satawake sent this powerful message to all Dominicans in observance of the month of June as LGBT pride month. Since his nomination to the diplomatic post Brewster has weathered constant attacks from conservative and religious fundamentalist in the United States and the Dominican Republic and, in response, he has not shied away from engaging those attacks head on with dignity and, as this powerful video shows, strength.

It's a great clip. "Isn't it time to stop hating?" Watch this.

RELATED: When Brewster was first nominated to the post last year, the local Catholic cardinal held a press conference during which he called Brewster a "faggot." The following week, Dominican Christians were encouraged to wear black armbands in protest of Brewster's nomination.

Gay US Ambassador & Husband Send Message To People Of Dominican Republic

Two weeks ago the Senate finally confirmed former HRC board member Wally Brewster as the US ambassador to the Dominican Republic, where local Catholic leaders have denounced his appointment. Shortly after his confirmation, Brewster married his partner, Bob J. Satawake. Brewster and his husband have posted a video message to the Dominican Republic. CNN reports:

The welcome message from America's new top diplomat in the Dominican Republic touched on baseball, culture and trade ties. No surprises there. But U.S. Ambassador James "Wally" Brewster brought one thing with him this week that's a first for a male U.S. ambassador in the Caribbean nation: a husband. "My spouse, Bob, and I have traveled the world, from the far reaches of Asia to the stunning coastlines of southern Europe," Brewster says in a video introducing himself on the U.S. Embassy's website.Then husband Bob Satawake chimes in: "But we always return to the beauty of the Dominican Republic."

After months of pressure from religious groups in the Dominican Republic who protested his appointment, Brewster arrived in Santo Domingo this week to begin his tenure as ambassador. An editorial in the Dominican Republic's El Nacional newspaper this week discussed proposals Brewster outlined in the introductory video and urged readers to stop focusing so much on the new ambassador's sexual orientation, even though it has "generated more attention than his diplomatic mission." His arrival in the Dominican Republic this week was front-page news in many of the country's newspapers, which also prominently discussed the arrival of his spouse.

Senate Confirms Openly Gay US Ambassador To Dominican Republic

The Senate has confirmed Human Rights Campaign board member Wally Brewster as the US ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Brewster becomes the fifth openly gay US ambassador currently serving.  Via HRC:

When nominated for the ambassadorship, Wally Brewster served as Senior Executive for SB&K Global, a global consumer dynamics strategy consulting firm, where he worked with clients on global expansion and growth. Through his professional and personal activities, he has shown an unparalleled commitment to human rights and democracy around the world. Prior to this year, three openly gay people had served as U.S. Ambassadors (Jim Hormel, Michael Guest and David Huebner). Just this year, five openly gay people have been confirmed as Ambassadors (Brewster, along with John Berry in Australia, James Costos in Spain, Rufus Gifford in Denmark, and Daniel Baer as ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe).

After Brewster's nomination first became known, anti-gay protests lead by the local Catholic Church broke out in the Dominican Republic.  In July, Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez called Brewster a maricón (faggot) during an interview with local media.  Two weeks later local evangelical leaders called for a national day of protest during which supporters wore black armbands and adorned their cars with black ribbons. During that protest Catholic Bishop Pablo Cedaño warned that if Brewster dared visit, "He's going to suffer and he will have to leave."