After decades advocating for LGBT and civil rights in Washington state, Roger Nyhus, a Gay man and accomplished entrepreneur, had the opportunity to represent the US abroad. In stark contrast to the Trump administration recently banning the usage of Pride flags in all US embassies and federal buildings, Ambassador Nyhus flew the rainbow flag at his official residence in Barbados, where Queer acceptance has struggled to make inroads.

On his first day back in Seattle, Nyhus spoke with the SGN to reflect on his recently completed diplomatic assignment.

Madison Jones: Now that you're back in Seattle, what have you missed most about being away from home?

Ambassador Roger Nyhus: I have missed the human connection most with my friends and family. I have also missed the variable weather. It's always 85 and sunny in Barbados, which makes it hard to keep track of what season it is.

MJ: What is the story behind being appointed ambassador? Did the Biden administration reach out to you first or vice versa?

RN: They reached out to me first. Right before Biden was to become president, I received a call from his campaign. They asked me "Roger, would you like to go to DC?" And my response was "Absolutely not!" because I wasn't really interested in working over there. I also turned it down because I supported the campaign because I believed in it, not for the expectation I'd get something in return.

They then went on to ask, "Well, is there anything else you may want?" And that's when I floated the idea "How about ambassador?" not really expecting I'd get it. Then a year later, the special assistant to the president called, saying, "He would like you to be the next ambassador to Barbados."

Getting approved as an ambassador was a very arduous process. After the White House agreed to my nomination, there was a ton of paperwork, then I had to get approved by all the host countries in a process called "agrément." [His post included seven Caribbean countries in all.] Last was attending all the confirmation hearings at the US Senate. In total, the whole process took me about two years to get approved.

The best part of it all is when you finally arrive to all the host countries and present your credentials to each government. I came into the role on January 19, 2024, and left exactly one year later.

I think it is a testament to President Biden for choosing someone like me to be an ambassador. I grew up in Westport, WA, a small coastal [town] where a lot of people work in the tourism industry, which is very similar to the experience of these countries. There have not been a lot of ambassadors from the Pacific Northwest. I am also of Native American heritage from the Chinook tribe, and one of only five ambassadors to have been so, making me an interesting fit for this role.

MJ: What was it like being an openly Gay US ambassador in a region with strict anti-LGBT laws?

RN: Every government official I met was nice to my face, but being an out and proud Gay man did cause some concern. In front of my official residence, I would leave out a Gay Pride flag hanging between two palm trees. I heard both positive and negative things from people about leaving it out on display.

It is a very conservative and religious region of the world, and not an accepting place for LGBTQIA people, as there are a lot of closeted citizens in these countries. My intention with being out as Gay was so people would have a role model to show what their lives could be like and to give hope. The Biden State Department special envoy Jessica Stern even came for a week to meet with LGBTQIA activists. I also got to travel to St. Lucia to attend Pride, meeting drag queen Monét X Change, who is a dual citizen.

A large part of the job is not just policy but also engaging with real people. As US ambassador, you end up hosting a lot of events at the official residence. I was always very intentional about having diverse audiences at these events and including LGBTQIA people. Before leaving Barbados, a lot of people were thanking me for including them...

There was this one instance at the end of a meeting where a senior minister of another country came up to me and said, "Ambassador, I have to tell you I am so grateful for everything you do for us. That Pride flag is so important for us to see." It was clear to me that this closeted man could not be his true self even among his peers.

I wouldn't believe everything you read. Although there are some anti-LGBT laws on the books, the culture is the main issue for building acceptance there.