The United States has named its first international envoy for gay rights.
The State Department said Randy Berry will be its special envoy to promote human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
Berry is a veteran diplomat currently serving as consul general at the U.S. Consulate in Amsterdam.
He has also served at U.S. posts in Bangladesh, Egypt, Uganda, and South Africa, and speaks Spanish and Arabic.
The State Department said earlier it would appoint an openly gay foreign service officer to the post.
Secretary of State John Kerry said Berry will help the Obama administration put gay rights at the core of its human rights efforts globally.