Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, a transgender woman, has been named The White House’s primary liaison for LGBT issues.
Freedman-Gurspan was the first openly transgender White House staff member last year and is now officially ‘outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel and associate director for public engagement.’ Good on her.
Formerly the racial and economic justice initiative policy advisor at the National Center for Transgender Equality (phew), Freedman-Gurspan has already been instrumental in furthering trans equality.
She was the first transgender woman to work in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and was a key figure in helping pass the state's Transgender Equal Rights Law.
Leading LGBT advocates have cheered her appointment, with JoDee Winterhof, the senior vice president for policy and political affairs for the Human Rights Campaign, commenting:
"We believe it is a tremendous decision by the White House to recognize Raffi’s leadership as well as the importance of having transgender leadership in an important role for the community."
