Baldwin: Obama administration will be as diverse as his campaign
Openly lesbian U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin gave an interview with The Advocate, telling the magazine her assessment of what the LGBT community can expect from what the federal government under the Obama administration.
In addition to expressing optimism over the potential passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, Baldwin indicated that she expected a greater number of LGBT individuals to hold positions within the administration.
Do you expect there will be a higher number of LGBT people in prominent positions in the Obama administration?
If you use the campaign that [President-elect Obama] put together as an example of the kind of diverse group he would convene in his administration, we have a lot to be hopeful about. Senator Obama’s professional staff was incredibly diverse, including prominent folks in the LGBT community not only working on LGBT issues but having broad and diverse responsibilities. I think we can be heartened by the team he put together for his own campaign, and recognize that he’s going to do the same with attention to talented diversity in his administration.
Over the past year, the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute has prepared for the impending administration by collecting resumes from LGBT professionals for the Presidential Appointments Project. To learn more about how to secure a job with the next administration, click here.
