Happy Friday all. Don't know about you, but the weekend seems so well-deserved right now!
I remember about one year ago watching the inauguration of President Barack Obama and hoping that his mission of "change" would translate into more opportunities for the LGBT community to be involved in the inner circles of the White House and the beltway. I've talked about some of the advancements in LGBT policy since the President took his oath of office, and the high-profile appointments of LGBT administration officials.
This week, I received an e-mail from the Victory Fund, titled "Want a New Boss?" Of course, I was intrigued (and no, I don't want a new boss, in case mine is reading this….). The catchy e-mail subject drew me into the "Presidential Appointments Project," an initiative led by the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute to identify strong LGBT candidates to serve in the Obama administration.
Did you know that more than 100 LGBT officials are already serving in the administration? Here are some randomly selected highlights:
- Anthony Bernal- Scheduler, Office of Dr. Jill Biden
- Marisa Demeo- Associate Judge, DC Superior Court
- Fred Hochberg- Chairman, U.S. Export-Import Bank
- David Huebner- U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand
- Kathy Martinez- Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, Department of Labor
- Ellie Sue Schafer- Director, White House Visitors Office
- Moe Vela- Director of Operations, Office of the Vice President
Thanks to all who serve (and I love their titles!). And, thanks to the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute for working so closely with the new administration to ensure that we are represented within these circles and for conducting outreach to our community to keep us involved and engaged.
P.S. I know the "Hope for Haiti" telethon is scheduled for tonight on all of the networks– please watch. But, in case you have plans to be out and about tonight, you have an opportunity to donate to the Red Cross as part of the "LGBT Community Fund for Haiti," an initiative started in collaboration with Atlantis, RSVP and Olivia to help in the wake of the nightmare in Haiti. Let's show our support.
Be well.
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