No gays named to Obama's Cabinet
Victory Fund leader calls week's events 'disappointing'
By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade | Dec 18, 3:28 PM

http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23082

Chuck Wolfe, executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, criticized President-elect Barack Obama today for failing to name an openly gay member to his Cabinet.

"As we talk about either keeping or renewing America's promise, which the president-elect has been talking about, apparently it does not yet extend to gay and lesbian people in the Cabinet of the president," Wolfe said.

Gay activists lobbied Obama to select Mary Beth Maxwell, a lesbian and founding executive director for American Rights at Work, to become the next labor secretary. But NBC News reported today that Obama had picked Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) for the position.

There are only 15 cabinet positions, and the percentage of the population that identifies as "homosexual" or "bisexual" is roughly just 4% (never mind openly).  Even the 4% number would get you a self-identified "homosexual" or "bisexual" in your cabinet only 46% of the time.

This group is overreaching on this one.  But then, VF's mission is to get GLBs into these sorts of positions.

I can see where having a gay or lesbian as a Cabinet secretary would send a powerful signal to our nation. And let's face it, such a pick is not going to happen with a Republican president. So I think I understand where the Victory Fund is coming from.  But I think Obama is too cautious for such a bold step.  I'm more concerned with seeing policies favorable to our community.

well, that's not really true. I mean hillary (if confirmed) will be the first lesbian secretary of state. right?

I keed, I keed.

There have been, at least one, gay female named as an undersecratary.