Obama Names First Transgender Presidential Appointee

Amanda Simpson has become the first transgender person to be appointed to a position by the President of the United States. President Obama announced Simpson as his pick for Technical Advisor under the Department of Commerce.

Simpson has worked in the aerospace and defense industry for 30 years, and is a certified flight instructor and test pilot with over 20 years of experience. At her last position at Raytheon Missile Systems, she successfully pushed the company to include gender identity and expression under its equal employment opportunity policy.

The National Center for Transgender Equality published a statement by her saying, “I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others.”

This announcement comes mere weeks after another milestone for the transgender community, the passage of Executive Order No. 33 in New York, which protects state employees from discrimination based on gender identity and expression.

Currently the National Center for Transgender Equality is pushing for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which calls for job protection for the LGBT community. While Simpson may prove to be a step in the right direction, she cannot fight the fight alone. Learn what you can do to pass ENDA by clicking here.

Read more: civil rights, lgbt rights, obama, transgender

National Center for Transgender Equality

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Chinmayee J.

12:00AM PDT on May 24, 2010

I have never understood why anyone would be against a transgender person? A person's sexuality or gender choice will have nothing to do with their intelligence, their ability to make logical decisions, and their ability to love. I hope she does a great job!!