Obama appoints record number of gay officials

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101026/D9J37U201.html

Oct 26, 3:11 AM (ET)

By SAM HANANEL

WASHINGTON (AP) - 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.


In this June 22, 2010 file photo, President Barack Obama delivers remarks during a LGBT Pride Month event at the White House in Washington. Less than halfway through his first term, President Barack Obama has appointed more openly gay officials at nearly every level of government than any other president in history. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)


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."

FULL story at link.

[jonnyblitz]

1. DUPE, I have a feeling this article is going to be posted a

bazillion times today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x167680

[MuseRider]

2. Just erased my first reply

but yes, I agree with you.

:hi: jonnyblitz!

[Omaha Steve]

8. Mine was posted first

[HillWilliam]

3. Talk about a move that will end with this administration

and of zero value to the LGBT community at large. I wish people would stop throwing this in our faces.

Unrec.

[WillParkinson]

4. Too true...

But we're supposed to celebrate this fact.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this happened, but it has no impact on my day-to-day life.

[HillWilliam]

6. Absolutely right, Will

While I'm thrilled that some of us are getting more visibility, putting more minstrels in the show doesn't make the rest of us any freer. When there are substantive actions in any positive direction for the millions of us, not just the few-score inside the Beltway, then it will be cause for celebration.

Until then, it doesn't really mean a continental damn.

[davidinalameda]

7. we're supposed to be happy for the crumbs we're given

as they drive the bus over us

[MNBrewer]

5. again, 150 out of how many?

[FreeState]

9. 937, so far, according to the Presidents website (6.7%)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/nominations-and-appointments