Trans woman makes history with White House promotion
Raffi Freedman-Gurspan is now the top liaison to the LGBT community in President Obama’s administration.
Raffi Freedman-Gurspan is no stranger to making history – she became the first trans White House employee last year.
The 28 year old broke down more barriers earlier this week, when she was named as The White House’s top liaison to the LGBT community – making her the first trans person to win the post.
Ms Freedman-Gurspan previously worked as an “outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel” in the Office of Personnel.
Before that, she was a policy adviser for the National Centre for Transgender Equality’s (NCTE) racial and economic justice initiative.
Her previous employers – along with many other trans advocates – praised her appointment last year.
“President Obama has long said he wants his Administration to look like the American people. I have understood this to include transgender Americans,” NCTE executive director Mara Keisling said.
“A transgender person was inevitably going to work in the White House.
“That the first transgender appointee is a transgender woman of colour is itself significant.”
Another prominent member of the community who hopes to find herself in the Oval Office is former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner.
However, the controversial reality star has no interest in working for a Democratic administration, after she shared her support for homophobic Republican candidate Ted Cruz last week.
Jenner – who is openly Republican – said that although she realises Cruz is “probably one of the worst ones when it comes to trans issues,” he is also “a great constitutionalist and a very articulate man.”
“Wouldn’t it be great, let’s say he goes on to be president,” she continued.
“And I have all my girls on a trans issues board to advise him on making decisions when it comes to trans issues. Isn’t that a good idea?”
“Trans ambassador to the president of the United States, so we can say, ‘Ted, love what you’re doing but here’s what’s going on.’”
A militant opponent of gay rights, Cruz is one of six Republican candidates to have backed a new ‘religious freedom’ law which would allow religious people to discriminate against married gay couples – while he also plans to void same-sex marriage entirely.
