White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Official

Freedman-Gurspan previously was a policy adviser for the National Center for Transgender Equality’s racial and economic justice initiative.

Keisling said she knew a transgender person would work at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. eventually, but the fact that the first appointee is a transgender woman of color, she said, is significant in itself.

“Our nation will be stronger with Freedman-Gurspan, an advocate from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights coalition, both in the room and at the table as the first openly transgender White House staffer”.

The White House lit up in rainbow colors.

Mara Kiesling, the executive director of NCTE, said she was “elated” about the appointment in a statement. Raffi Freedman-Gurspa was appointed as the Outreach and Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel on Tuesday.

Freedman-Gurspan was adopted from Honduras and grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Gender-equality advocates have hailed the appointment as a crucial step forward for the LGBT community in the face of continuing violence and discrimination, especially towards transgender people.

Calling Freedman-Gurspan a “perfect role model” for the transgender community, Sciortino predicts that she will “shine” in her new position while also serving as a visible example for other transgender folks as to what they can acheive.

“Raffi is never going to allow herself to just be a token symbol”, says Sciortino.

Obama, who is now on vacation on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard, initially opposed gay marriage but came out in favor of it in 2012 and has made LGBT rights a priority of his time in office, helping to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prevented openly gay service men and women from serving in the military. “She gives everything of herself”.