Obama Expands Federal Benefits, Hires Over 100 Gay and Lesbian Staffers

Posted Tuesday, June 22, 2010 by Paul Richards

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  • Obama Expands Federal Benefits, Hires Over 100 Gay and Lesbian Staffers
<p>Obama Pride, Campus Progress, Rhodes </p>

SOURCE: Flickr / Steve Rhodes

It's becoming increasingly easier to rag on the Obama administration for its perceived inaction on LGBT issues. Yes, federal employees with same-sex partners have a whole new set of rights, and June has once again been declared LGBT Pride Month, but Congress still hasn't repealed "don't ask, don't tell," a gender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act has languished in committee, and the Defense of Marriage Act still blocks all same-sex couples equality in federal benefits. Eventually, the positive pronouncements and the promises of a brighter future get a bit stale.

That said, there are still some things we can be proud of. Despite DOMA's seemingly permanent place, the Labor Department is expected to announce tomorrow the administration's plan to use executive power to extend family leave policies to same-sex couples. Yesterday, 365 Gay reported that the Obama administration has hired over 100 openly gay and lesbian staffers. Incidentally, this is more than both the Clinton and Bush White Houses combined.

This high number is driven by the Presidential Appointments Project, part of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, aimed at placing qualified LGBT people in jobs within the administration. The PAP offers an application form that interested LGBT people can fill out, and then they present those people as candidates to fill vacant slots. Their website lists the full roster of gay folks they've sent to the White House and beyond.

Now, it's never wise to just assume that a high number means progress, but I'm convinced this is a really great thing. Of course I'd like the number to be higher. But I'd also like to see a day when we don't even have to count, where it's not an issue in the first place.

But the increase in the prominence of openly gay staffers could be the result of basic changes in our culture. It's hard to say how many LGBT people were there in the Clinton and Bush administrations who remained in the closet. There may even be gay and lesbian staffers in Obama's administration that remain in the closed.

It's impossible to even imagine an organization designed to push openly gay people into administration roles in the 1990s, and especially not in the Bush administration, where a federal amendment to ban gay marriage was a serious component to the administration's platform.

LGBT activists still have a lot to get from Obama, and have a lot of promises they're still waiting on. However, LGBT activists should still celebrate the relatively minor victories along the way.

Paul Richards is a staff writer for Campus Progress. He attends the University of Pennsylvania.

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