Trans Woman Appointed Tech. Advisor to Dept. Of Commerce

[Linus]

Hear, hear!

Amanda Simpson, who has served on NCTE's Board of Directors for the past 3 years, has been appointed by the Obama Administration as a Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce. She'll be working in the Bureau of Industry and Security.

"I'm truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me. And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."

Simpson brings considerable professional credentials to her new job. For thirty years, she has worked in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. She holds degrees in physics, engineering and business administration along with an extensive flight background. She is a certified flight instructor and test pilot with 20 years of experience.

She has also been very active in political and community groups. She has served on the Board of Directors of two national organizations: Out & Equal and NCTE. In Arizona, she has been on the board of Wingspan, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, the Southern Arizona ACLU and the Arizona Human Rights Fund (now Equality Arizona).

In 2004, the YWCA recognized her as one of their "Women on the Move," and in the same year, she won the Democratic nomination to the Arizona House of Representatives. In 2005, she was given the Arizona Human Rights Foundation Individual Award.

We are delighted to welcome Amanda to Washington, DC and share her hope that she will be joined by many other transgender people and our allies in serving our government.

[MsDemeanor]

Very cool. Thanks for the share!!!

[weatherboi]

That just made my day better!!!! Thanks!!!

[Mister Bent]

We are delighted to welcome Amanda to Washington, DC and share her hope that she will be joined by many other transgender people and our allies in serving our government.

I think this just may be my favorite nugget.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Linus

Hear, hear!


[/COLOR]

Thanks for posting. What is the link?

[Linus]

I got it from the NCTE in an email but a quick search on Google shows the following:

http://www.examiner.com/x-12237-Tran...nt-of-Commerce

http://www.queerty.com/obamas-new-qu...tion-20091231/

[Linus]

I love Rachel. She did an awesome piece on this and lampooned the religious right (who are in a tizzy over this and the recent change to federal job hiring that bans gender identity discrimination):

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3V-gtZiTzw"]YouTube- Obama names first trans appointee[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqs56tXSjmg"]YouTube- Federal jobs site gender identity policy change[/ame]

[atomiczombie]

I saw Rachel last night as well, she was great as always. I think its fucking awesome that Amanda Simpson was appointed and we need more people like her in our government! I just wish that there were out trans folks in congress, senate, etc. Then maybe it would open people's eyes to the discrimination we go through and see us as regular folks just like them.

[Semantics]

Originally Posted by Linus

I love Rachel. She did an awesome piece on this and lampooned the religious right (who are in a tizzy over this and the recent change to federal job hiring that bans gender identity discrimination):

YouTube- Obama names first trans appointee

YouTube- Federal jobs site gender identity policy change

Thanks for sharing these. I love Rachel, too, and I'm thankful that we have such a clever and respected voice to answer the right. The reaction from that direction is ugly, as was expected.