President Obama Names Transgender Appointee to Commerce Department

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

President Obama recently named Amanda Simpson to be a Senior Technical Advisor to the Commerce Department.

In a statement, Simpson, a member of the National Center for Transgender Equality's board of directors, said that "as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."

While Simpson is clearly one of the first transgender presidential appointees, Democratic officials say they're unsure if she is the very first one.

...

A 2004 YWCA "Woman on the Move," Simpson recently served as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona.

At Raytheon, Simpson -- a former test pilot who had worked for the company for more than a generation -- transitioned from male to female and was instrumental in convincing the military contractor to add gender identity and expression to its equal employment opportunity policy.

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/01/president-obama-names-transgender-appointee-to-commerce-department.html

[Wizard777]

1. The conservatives are going to have aneurysms en masse.

All brain injury centers should be on stand by.

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. Guess this story can be marketed two ways......

As a Liberal, I think it's a good thing that a transgendered woman was appointed to the administration, but I'm not exactly thrilled that she was a Raytheon employee.

On the other hand, for the right wingers, you could play up the military industrial complex ties, and they would probably think that's a "good" thing.

[David Zephyr]

3. I'm impressed with Amanda, not Obama's bone throwing to the GLBT community.

President Obama doesn't win any kudos from me on this. Amanda gets the credit.

[judesedit]

4. Obama wasn't asking for kudos.Obviously, if negative you are impressed with Amanda, he is too

Why don't you try being a little more open minded and give Obama the benefit of the doubt instead of demeaning him.

[TheWraith]

5. Thank you for your negativity, pessimism, and Obama bashing.

I don't know what I would do without it. :sarcasm:

[katkat]

6. It's hard to believe

Obama had anything to do with this, given his record. Probably it was all set to go by underlings and then landed on his desk, and what could he do then.

In photos, she looks very good, but needs more work on her Adam's apple.

[FLAprogressive]

7. It really is too bad she worked for the MIC.