Obama Makes First Transgender Presidential Appointment
 

Amanda Simpson, a Raytheon employee, former test pilot, and one-time Congressional candidate, made history today when she became the first-ever Presidential appointee who is transgender. Simpson, who underwent her transition while employed at Raytheon, will serve as a Senior Technical Adviser at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security.

Simpson's most recent job was as the Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Arizona.

Although a House vote in 2007 on the Employee Non-Discriminiation Act excluded transgender individuals as part of a deal backed by the mainstream Human Rights Campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama supported a fully inclusive ENDA during his campaign for the presidency. However, a House vote on ENDA was put off until later in 2010, and some LGBT rights advocates worry that it will fall by the wayside as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his cantankerous caucus to take the lead on controversial legislation in an effort to preserve her majority in 2011.

Link

"First we get a Muslim president and now we have he-shes in the White House. Let us pray for the future of our country."

lol. better copyright that.

:eek:

Yeah, before Rush gets ahold of it.

LOL

Transgender people have a very hard time getting employed. I am glad that this position is a non-diversity, non-HIV, non-LGBT-centric career. Good role model for Trans youth.

Why do they have a hard time getting employed? Unless they tell the person, how would their potential employer know that?

Use your imagination...Not everyone is blessed with a good surgeon or passable looks.

Most transgender people I know are not passable -- truth be told, it's hard to get a job if you look like a man in a dress. Even those of us who are aware of our biases still have a hard time getting over them.

Amanda Simpson's transgenderism isn't easy to detect based on her appearance, but many transgender people aren't as passable as she is.

Also, transgenderism can be detected by things such as looking at someone's work history, family background, and record of previous names used.

Also, that's a REALLY good photo of her.

I love how all of the conservatives kept arguing that no one should mention anyones' race, gender, etc when announcing these appointments and that the Obama administration is the only administration that does this. Did I imagine the W administration announcing how inclusive they were every time he nominated a hispanic or african american or female candidate for some office or other?

"Being the first sucks," she [Amanda] told ABC News.com. "I'd rather not be the first but someone has to be first, or among the first. I think I'm experienced and very well qualified to deal with anything that might show up because I've broken barriers at lots of other places and I always win people over with who I am and what I can do."



Link

Also from the same link:

Though transgender advocates believe Simpson's gender identity had no role in her hiring, conservative groups claim it was a political move.

"Simpson's nomination was forwarded through to President Obama by a gay activist group, making it appear that this appointment of a male-to-female 'transgender' activist to a high level Commerce Department position to be payback to his far-left base for their political support," Monica Schleicher, spokeswoman for Christian group Focus on the Family, said in statement.

"Efforts to promote 'transgenderism' in public policy deconstruct one of the most fundamental concepts known to mankind. It renders gender, the most basic organization of social systems, completely meaningless. In doing so, activists like Simpson are asking the rest of society to radically reorder the ways in which the culture makes reasonable and rational accommodation for the two genders," she said.

Everything's a political move. Now that we've gotten the obvious out of the way, what is there of SUBSTANCE to complain about?

As a conservative, I agree with that statement. I don't really care about someone being Muslim, however, if Obama was an Atheist or a Satanist, I would have a problem. Come on, we all have our judgments. I think I might start a thread on this.

Anyway, it scares me to think where this country is going. I feel like, as soon as you open your mouth in opposition to certain ways of life, you are seen as a racist, classist, a hater, etc.

Muslim, not so much. Whatever. Cool. Transgender...ehhhhh....:eek:

You don't have to be a conservative to not want an Atheist or Satanist in office.

Yes, we all have our judgments. I used to be very conservative (what others and myself considered conservative) and I had to get over many of the things that I was conservative about because the reality didn't support the bullshit that I was spewing. Much of it was really about stereotypes and unfounded claims.

I consider myself neither a conservative nor a liberal--I guess that makes me a moderate? I guess...categories mean nothing.

Being opposed to something is not always the issue. Why you are opposed and how you express it is the issue. Also, ask yourself whether your fears are well founded or do they reek of the fears of years passed that resulted in systemic oppressions.

As I always tell people, I don't care if people are prejudiced as long as they keep it in the realm of thoughts rather than action. When it differentially impacts an outcome, it becomes an -ism.

I still find it sad that I know people who would say this :(

Ditto.

So you are opposed to having an Atheist (gasp!) as president over the plethora of fake religious politicians racing to church to show how religious they are just to prove to the American people that they are Christians? I'd take an Atheist who makes decisions based in logic rather than random "because I think it's God's will" logic any day. Why do your specific religious beliefs trump everyone else's religious beliefs? Separation of church and state is for a very good reason.

Yeah it is kind of ridiculous. But the fact of it is, people vote with their hearts. Need I remind you that there has only been one Roman Catholic president in our nation's history? Because a lot of protestants and Anglicans don't trust them.

Exactly -- not every stransgendered individual's results will work out like "Tula's" did (a Bond Girl who was born a guy, she had a role in "Octopussy"...my, how fitting.)
http://www.de-fact-o.com/php_uploads...tula_08aaa.jpg
http://a11news.com/images/tula-cassey-1.jpg

Excellent. I know some agnostics who are closer to being Christian than some Christians themselves. I am Libertarian, so Im not siding on Liberal or Conservative modern mainstream ideas. But it does seem rather curious that President Obama is appointing so many "Firsts". I know he is very liberal with affirmative action. So, is he trying to get as many minorities (i.e. Transgenders, hispanics, women, etc) into high offices solely on the basis of they being a minority and he is trying to be the most progressive president? Or are they being appointed by their merit.

Are we really gonna turn this discussion into one about religion? Oh geez..

I'm thinking it might be a combination of the two. They are being appointed by merit, but if there are two equally qualified candidates, he would go for the minority. My $.02 at least.

Yes. And if you don't participate, you're a racist, too.

Ooooooh snap. Well then....all y'all are Godless people and are going to hell.

Better? :p

Much ;)

Excellente! lol. I wouldn't want my main squeeze (ok, so idk what to call him yet) to think I was a racist, he would be shocked. lol

"What the hell are you talking about" is the nicest response that I can think of.

In some way, when it comes to politics, everyone's personal beliefs "trump" the rest of the country. Think about why you choose one politician over another - most likely, it's because that politician shares a belief, or is promoting a cause you think is more important than other causes.

Isn't that, in a way, thinking that your beliefs "trump" everyone else's (or thinking that your beliefs should win out, at the very least)?

I love over-generalizations when it comes to politics. I'll bet you most conservatives couldn't care less, as long as it doesn't increase our taxes. :)

and notice how they have her all the way over in the cut.

well.....lois einhorn used to miami PD chief.

Did you read the comments under the article on the link? That is what I was commenting on.

As for the Atheist comment, my point is that choosing to automatically exclude someone who is honest about their disbelief in a God is ridiculous. Most Americans just take politicians fake protestations of Christianity at face value and make it such a huge factor in choosing a President. I see it as a sign of dishonesty. I'll take an honest atheist any day.