Hello, Beloved! President-Elect Joe Biden (he/him) and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris (she/her) have been hard at work to begin the transition from President Trump. Within that transition, there has been some positive LGBTQ+ news. Joe Biden has decided to appoint queer folk to his transition team. Some of them include:
Shawn Skelly (she/her): Skelly is a trans person and veteran. She served in the Navy for 20 years. Alongside her military background, Skelly was also appointed by Barack Obama (he/him) for his administration. Under Biden, she will be overseeing the Department of Defense. Chai Feldman (she/her): Feldman is a lesbian who will be overseeing the Department of Justice. Feldman also served on Obama’s administration. Another notable piece: Feldman helped draft the Americans with Disabilities Act. Pamela Karlan (she/her): Karlan is a bisexual woman who will also be overseeing the Department of Justice. She is a professor at Stanford Law School, has worked to bring down the Defense of Marriage Act, has successfully worked to clarify Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and was a key player in the Trump Impeachment. Dave Noble (he/him): Noble is a gay man who will be overseeing NASA and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Noble was also a part of Obama’s administration and has worked in many different LGBTQ+ leadership roles, specifically those from the ACLU, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the National Stonewall Democrats.
Hello Beloved! As the election continues to be decided and brings stress to the nation, here is some positive election news:
Ritchie Torres (NY) (he/him) became the first Afro-Latinx LGBTQ+ person to be elected to Congress. Mondaire Jones (NY) (he/him) will also become the first LGBTQ+ person of color, alongside Torres, to be elected to Congress. Sarah McBride (DE) (she/her) became the first openly transgender person to be a state senator. Stephanie Byers (KS) (she/her) became the first openly transgender person to have a seat in Kansas’s state legislature and became the first Native American transgender person to be elected to any state legislature. Mauree Turner (OK) (she/they) has become the first non-binary person elected to any state legislature. They are also the first Muslim to be elected to the Oklahoma state legislature. Taylor Small (VT) (she/her) became the first openly transgender person to have a seat in Vermont’s state legislature. Shevrin Jones (FL) (he/him) became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to have a seat in Florida’s state legislature. Jabari Brisport (NY) (he/him) became the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color to have a seat in New York’s state legislature. Kim Jackson (GA) (she/her) became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to have a seat in Georgia’s state senate and one of only 3 LGBTQ+ women of color to have a seat in any state senate. David Ortiz (CO) (he/him) became the first openly bi person to have a seat in Colorado’s state legislature. He also became the first wheelchair user in Colorado’s state legislature. Sharice Davids (KS) (she/her) has been re-elected. Davids is the first Native American LGBTQ+ woman to serve in Congress
No matter what happens with the presidency, change is coming, Beloved. Be hopeful and continue fighting
