Obama Makes First Transgender Presidential Appointment

DaemonSeid · #1 01-05-2010, 08:10 AM

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

DrPhil · #2 01-05-2010, 11:36 AM

"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."

dreamseeker · #3 01-05-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

"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.

deepimpact2 · #4 01-05-2010, 11:46 AM

DaemonSeid · #5 01-05-2010, 11:49 AM

Yeah, before Rush gets ahold of it.

Senusret I · #6 01-05-2010, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

"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

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.

deepimpact2 · #7 01-05-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret I

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?

DaemonSeid · #8 01-05-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

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.

Senusret I · #9 01-05-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

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

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.

DrPhil · #10 01-05-2010, 01:02 PM

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.

Senusret I · #11 01-05-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

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.

AOII Angel · #12 01-05-2010, 01:41 PM

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?

DaemonSeid · #13 01-05-2010, 01:54 PM

"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.

DrPhil · #14 01-05-2010, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

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

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

als463 · #15 01-05-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

"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."

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....