James Hormel, first openly gay U.S. ambassador, dies at 88
Source: Associated Press
James Hormel, first openly gay U.S. ambassador, dies at 88
August 13, 2021
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — James Hormel, the first openly gay U.S. ambassador and a philanthropist who funded organizations to fight AIDS and promote human rights, has died. He was 88.
Hormel died Friday at a San Francisco hospital with his husband, Michael, at his side and while listening to his favorite Beethoven concerto, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, praised Hormel as a civil rights pioneer who lived “an extraordinary life.”
“I will miss his kind heart and generous spirit. It’s those qualities that made him such an inspirational figure and beloved part of our city,” she said.
In 1997, then-President Bill Clinton nominated Hormel to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. Conservative Senate Republicans blocked the nomination. But two years later, Clinton used executive privilege to appoint him during the Congressional recess.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-health-philanthropy-b03a4039682d0f1b297e0211b135b54d
FILE— In this June 29, 1999, file photo, James C. Hormel, ambassador to Luxembourg, speaks to supporters following his swearing-in at a State Department ceremony in Washington. Hormel, who became the nation's first openly gay ambassador, died in San Francisco, Friday Aug. 13, 2021. Hormel, who was appointed to be the ambassadorship by President Bill Clinton in 1997, was 88. (AP Photo/Khue Bui, File)
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