Obama's Rainbow Cabinet of Rivals to Be 100% Gay Free

[Ian David]

UPDATE II: Unless you count incoming Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, (which we don't), there will be no gay members of the Obama cabinet. Politico reports that President-elect Obama has chosen California Rep. Hilda Solis as Labor secretary.
From yesterday's WSJ:

The post is one of the last to be filled by President-elect Barack Obama, and is proving to be particularly difficult. Early candidates, such as former Rep. David Bonior and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, have faded, either because they asked not to be considered or ran into other problems. Bonior has championed labor activist Mary Beth Maxwell, who would be the first openly gay cabinet member in history.

But Shaiken has emerged as a candidate with strong backing from unions and high praise from corporate officials, according to people familiar with the selection process.

Here in a nutshell is why gays and lesbians are so upset with Obama today. He's following the Clinton playbook for dealing with the gay community, a playbook that the Democratic Party has subscribed to ever since. When Barack Obama said that he only supports marriage as being defined as being between a man and a woman, the gay & lesbian community was told, "Don't worry, we've got your back" and LGBT activists let is slide, despite the fact that Obama's position was used by the Yes on 8 campaign in ads and mailers in their winning campaign. After the huge losses and nation-wide protest marches last month, we had hope Obama would speak up in defense of marriage equality, but he stayed silent. We were told, "Now is not the time." When The Victory Fund announced it was working with the Obama team to find qualified gays and lesbians for the new Cabinet, we waited. We waited while the list of open positions diminished and now it appears Mr. Hope & Inclusion's Dream Team won't have any gay members at all. The one bright spot is that Obama's Education Secretary nominee Arne Duncan is a champion of gay and lesbian youth.


Is it any wonder that gays and lesbians are upset that they're being told to welcome and include one of the loudest and most prominent supporters of Prop 8 at the inauguration? In the 80s, Ronald Reagan sat silently while gay men and then peole from every walk of life suffered horrible, painful death due to AIDS. In the 90s, Clinton "felt our pain", but only added to it by passing the Defense of Marriage Act and instituting Don't Ask-Don't Tell. George W. Bush supports a gay-baiting Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage that only exists as a way for conservatives to flas their bona fides come election time.

Let's face it: The gay community gets dicked around by the White House regardless of which party is in office. Are LGBT rights the only issue that matters? No. It's not even the most important one and LGBT Americans, like all Americans, will support our President in a difficult and trying time in our country's history. But that doesn't mean that we will roll over when our civil rights are used as political pawns to win over conservatives or to be shelved until some time in the distant future.


More:
http://www.queerty.com/obamas-rainbow-cabinet-of-rivals-to-be-100-gay-free-20081218/

[LeftCoast]

1. I thought one of the women he appointed a few days ago was a lesbian

Drawing a total blank on her name and role though.

[Phredicles]

2. Did the Sec'y of Navy choice fall through? Or was

that just speculation?

Or is Secretary of Navy not Cabinet-level?

[Pab Sungenis]

3. It's sub-cabinet

subordinate to the Secretary of Defense. Navy left the cabinet level in the Truman reorganization after World War II.

[Spryboy]

4. It's also 100% "Progressive"-free. n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. True 'dat. nt

[Political Tiger]

5. Not quite true.

With Nancy Sutley joining Team Obama as chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Quality, she becomes the first prominent, openly gay or lesbian to join the Cabinet.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=33670&type=gaylesbian

As of December 10, 2008, Sutley became President-elect Barack Obama's pick to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality.<2> She was an EPA official during the Clinton administration, including being a special assistant to the EPA administrator in Washington.

Sutley is the first prominent gay person to earn a senior role in Obama's new administration.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Sutley

President-elect Barack Obama on Dec.15 formally announced his first high-ranking openly gay appointee, naming Los Angeles deputy mayor Nancy Sutley as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Sutley, 46, is deputy mayor for Energy and Environment for the City of Los Angeles. She was, according to ABC News, a member of Hillary Clinton’s LGBT steering committee in California. She served in the administration of President Bill Clinton as a senior policy advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator in San Francisco.

<.....>

Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe called the nomination "another step toward full equality for gay Americans."

"It sends a signal to young people," he said, "that they can participate in their government at its highest levels, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or ethnicity."

"I think we ought to celebrate it," said Virginia Apuzzo, a former assistant to the president for management and administration in the White House during the Clinton administration. Apuzzo said Sutley "will most certainly have the ear of the President’s top folks."

"She will have the opportunity to be seen and heard on an important issue," said Apuzzo.

http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=84795

President-elect Barack Obama has selected a deputy mayor of Los Angeles to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality, transition officials said Wednesday.

Nancy Sutley is the first prominent member of the gay and lesbian community to earn a senior role in the Democrat's new administration.

http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=33334

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a division of the White House that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives.

The United States Congress established the CEQ within the Executive Office of the President as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Additional responsibilities were provided by the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Environmental_Quality

[terrya]

7. That's not a Cabinet level position.

[Political Tiger]

8. Maybe not, but it is progress, and a first.

Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe called the nomination "another step toward full equality for gay Americans."

"It sends a signal to young people," he said, "that they can participate in their government at its highest levels, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or ethnicity."

"I think we ought to celebrate it," said Virginia Apuzzo, a former assistant to the president for management and administration in the White House during the Clinton administration. Apuzzo said Sutley "will most certainly have the ear of the President’s top folks."

[Creideiki]

9. It's not a first, and it's only progress compared to the Hellish Bush years

There are more Republicans with Cabinet level positions than LGBT Americans. Hooray for progress. :sarcasm:

[QC]

10. But...but...but...the marching band!1!1!!!!

[tbyg52]

12. LOL!

And, sadly, I fear, true. I am starting to get really upset about this.

[kenny blankenship]

11. Actually, Clinton waited a decent interval before screwing us over

Decent by comparison anyway: he waited until after being sworn in.