Rush Limbaugh hyped a right-wing media story that suggested the U.S. Embassy in Libya's hiring process favored bodyguards who were same-sex partners of government employees. However, the actual application's selection process simply reads that preference is given to veterans and family members of government employees, a category which includes same-sex spouses.

On his radio program, Rush Limbaugh touted a story by right-wing news site CNS.com which claimed that the U.S. Embassy in Libya “gave preference to” same-sex spouses or domestic partners of government employees for bodyguard positions. Limbaugh used the story to attack the embassy for its hiring process of bodyguards, claiming “they solicited for same-sex couples” in the job notices. 

In a later segment, Limbaugh went on to claim that being the same-sex domestic partner of a U.S. government employee was “a job prerequisite” for the position. From the show:

However, the job posting -- which was posted in January -- does not list same-sex domestic partners of government employees as a prerequisite. The applications specifically states, “When fully qualified, US Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs) and US Veterans are given preference.”

The application goes on to define what criteria an “Eligible Family Member” (EFM) must meet in order to receive a preference in hiring. EFM's include everything from being a “spouse or same-sex domestic partner” of a U.S. government employee to being their “child,” “parent,” “brother or sister”:

• Spouse or same-sex domestic partner (as defined in 3 FAM 1610); 

• Child, who is unmarried and under 21 years of age or, regardless of age, is incapable of self-support.  The term shall include, in addition to natural offspring, stepchildren and adopted children and those under legal guardianship of the employee or the spouse when such children are expected to be under such legal guardianship until they reach 21 years of age and when dependent upon and normally residing with the guardian; 

• Parent (including stepparents and legally adoptive parents) of the employee or of the spouse, when such parent is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support;

• Sister or brother (including stepsisters and stepbrothers, or adoptive sisters or brothers) of the employee, or of the spouse, when such sibling is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support, unmarried, and under 21 years of age, or regardless of age, incapable of self-support.