Obama appoints record number of gay officials

[onehandle]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – Less than halfway through his first term, President Barack Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in history. Gay activists say the estimate of more than 150 appointments so far — from agency heads and commission members to policy officials and senior staffers — surpasses the previous high of about 140 reached during two full terms under President Bill Clinton.

"From everything we hear from inside the administration, they wanted this to be part of their efforts at diversity," said Denis Dison, spokesman for the Presidential Appointments Project of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute. The pace of appointments has helped to ease broader disappointment among gay rights groups that Obama has not acted more quickly on other fronts, such as ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans gays from serving openly in the military.

In a sign of how times have changed, few of the appointees — about two dozen required Senate confirmation — have stirred much controversy. It's a far cry from the 1993 furor surrounding Clinton's nomination of then-San Francisco Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg as assistant secretary for Housing and Urban Development. Achtenberg was the first openly gay official to serve at such a senior level, and she won confirmation despite contentious hearings and Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., who denounced her as a "militant extremist."

"It's both significant and rather ordinary," said Michael Cole, a spokesman for the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign. "It's a simple affirmation of the American ideal that what matters is how you do your job and not who you are."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_gay_appointees

[iandhr]

1. but but but ......

I thought he was anti-gay


:sarcasm:

[zipplewrath]

2. Very good news

These are the kinds of appointments that lead to other positions within government. This is how you can get started in politics. These folks can end up as congressmen and senators as well as ultimately cabinet posts. It's the "minor leagues" of politics.

One of the funnier parts of the Bush administration was that they could probably have similarly been credited with being "gay friendly" except many of their appointees couldn't come out of the closet.

[madrchsod]

3. that can`t be true....

i read on the internets that he is`t .....

[No Elephants]

4. Good. Headline should read "openly gay," though (as does the first sentence).

closeted gays have been in government since day one. We just don't know how many.

Easier to hire people who are openly gay now as more and more folk are out.

[crim son]

5. I know if I were a gay person wanting to get married

this news would have me dancing with joy. :sarcasm:

[MineralMan]

6. Is there any good news about Obama you won't crap on?

[WillParkinson]

9. Absolutely!

When it directly affects the lives of my friends and family.

Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good thing. Especially for those people it directly affects.

Unfortunately I'm not a strong proponent of the 'trickle down theory' whereupon one hopes that the good graces makes it down to those of us who are dealing with issues every day that our government (and I mean most everyone, not just one person) seems to lose sight of very quickly.

[Deep13]

7. Great news for gays seeking Federal management positions!

Still no word on DADT, ENDA and gay marriage.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. And yet apparently no GLBT people anywhere near the

communications realm, even when the communications are targeted at our community. I mean, all of these appointments and we get Jarrett and her lifestyle choices? Why?
They ought to appoint Wanda Sykes to replace Gibbs. Or at least have someone gay review their communications, forward an email, anything.

[DURHAM D]

10. This is what I see/hear.

Look at us. We appointed some freaks. Thank us and give us your money.