The first openly transgender White House official started work
Monday in the West Wing, a milestone cheered by transgender rights activists
and President Barack Obama’s top aides.
The White House announced Raffi Freedman-Gurspan's appointment on
Tuesday as the Outreach and Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel in
the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Freedman-Gurspan, 28, who in
the past went by the name Rafael, was adopted from Honduras and grew up in
Brookline, Massachusetts.
Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, who was a policy adviser
at the National Center for Transgender Equality, was hired by Mr. Obama’s team
as the director of outreach and recruitment for the White House personnel
office. She started at the White House while Mr. Obama is on vacation in
Martha’s Vineyard, set to return to Washington on Sunday.
"Raffi Freedman-Gurspan demonstrates the kind of leadership
this administration champions," Jarrett said. "Her commitment to
bettering the lives of transgender Americans, particularly transgender people
of color and those in poverty, reflects the values of this Administration."
Freedman-Gurspan's hiring is the latest in a series of steps the
Obama administration has undertaken to support transgender equality.
In April, the Obama administration took the high profile step of
designating a gender-neutral restroom in the Eisenhower Executive Office
Building, which is near the White House and home to many staff offices and
meetings. That same month, an executive order went into effect prohibiting
companies that contract with the federal government from discriminating against
transgender and gay employees.
In June, President Barack Obama applauded Caitlyn Jenner's
public transition to life as a woman.
Community leaders and advocates hailed the move.
"As the first openly transgender person to work for the White
House, Raffi's appointment is another important step toward ensuring our
federal government fully includes the voices and experiences of our
communities," said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership
Conference for Civil and Human Rights. "We're confident that Raffi will
continue the Obama Administration's strong record of appointing qualified openly
LGBT public servants to positions across the federal government."
Source: wnd.com & dailymail.co.uk
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