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Transition matters

By Lisa Keen

Keen News Service

STEP UP TO PAR: The transition team of President-elect Barack Obama on Monday, Jan. 5 announced the appointment of an openly gay man, Bradley J. Kiley, as director of the White House Office of Management and Administration. The position is one held by lesbian Democratic activist Virginia Apuzzo during the Clinton administration. The office oversees the management and budgeting for the White House staff, office space, information technology, and facilities, staff salaries, travel, visitors, and other administrative functions. While in the White House, the appointment is a bit of a disappointment to some, as it falls well short of the community's hope of an openly gay Cabinet member. Kiley was one of 13 people listed on the transition's "Senior Staff" and one of two of the transition's "Director of Operations." The transition press release also notes Kiley was, most recently, vice president for finance and operations at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank headed by Obama's transition chief John Podesta. He has also been involved with the Democratic Party and the International AIDS Trust, headed up by former Clinton appointee Sandra Thurman.

ETHERIDGE ETHOS:
Rock star Melissa Etheridge is generating a lot of criticism these days with her kind words about President-elect Obama's choice of Rick Warren to delivery his inauguration invocation. Etheridge met with Warren, who said same-sex marriage is equivalent to pedophilia and incest, who promoted California's Proposition 8 to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, and who said the LGBT civil rights movement is "not really about civil rights, but a desire for approval." In a Dec. 22 essay for http://www.HuffingtonPost.com, she said she initially expected Warren was "one more hater working up his congregation to hate the gays…." In the spirit of peace, she said, she asked to speak to him prior to their joint appearance at a Muslim American event. She said "Pastor Rick" called her, assured her he believes in equal rights for everyone, including same-sex couples, and that he regrets saying things that were construed to compare being gay with pedophilia and incest. Etheridge urged the LGBT community to "create change" by working to "change hearts." On National Public Radio's All Things Considered January 3, she said "we have to move past our differences," but acknowledged that, if Republican John McCain had won the election and invited Warren to deliver the invocation, she would be a "whole different situation."

KAINE MUTINY: Not everybody is happy with President-elect's plan to name Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Political blogger Pam Spaulding points out that Kaine not only opposed same-sex marriage, as Obama does, but also opposes civil unions. She also faults his 2005 campaign for governor for gay-baiting his GOP opponent by pointedly claiming the soft-spoken Republican was "not being straight." But Jay Fisette, an openly gay elected official and longtime Democratic activist in Virgniia, says he is "thrilled" with Kaine's selection. Fisette said Kaine, a former civil rights attorney, "has been a strong ally of the LGBT community in Virginia." "He spoke out forcefully against Virginia's so-called marriage amendment in 2006, standing with his wife and in-laws on the steps of his home in Richmond to urge voters to oppose the amendment," recalls Fisette. "I am confident that he will continue and advance the Democratic Party's support of equal rights for LGBT citizens."

WANTS IN: He may not be allowed to take office, but the man Illinois's embattled governor named to succeed Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate would likely be a dependable supporter of equal rights for LGBT people. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced his appointment last week of Illinois' former attorney general, Roland Burris, to the post. Windy City Times publisher Tracy Baim posted a blog Dec. 31 noting that, in a December 1997 interview with one of the gay paper's affiliates, Burris has expressed generally a "pro-gay record," with the exception of equal rights in marriage licensing. He said same-sex marriages could, if taken "to its ultimate conclusion, it will then be the destruction of the species." Burris said, "my belief is that I will protect every right that you have and I will go to death with you. But I don't think that we can take it to that level of marriage. If the two [lesbians or gay men] want to get married, live together that is their decision. But don't ask the societal structure to sanction that [marriage]."

WANTS OUT: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination Jan. 5 to become Secretary of Commerce. The decision, he said, was based on his concern that a federal investigation into the selection of a California company to help the state issue bonds for road construction could impede is confirmation. The company reportedly gave $75,000 to a group which was created to pay for the expenses Richardson and his staff incurred during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and $25,000 to a nonprofit group which Richardson formed to promote voting among Latinos. Richardson has been a strong supporter of equal rights for gays. The recently formed http://equalrep.com Web site is now promoting openly gay Democratic activist and businessman Fred Hochberg for the nomination.

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