Solo Gay Congresswoman Joins Obama Committee
August 7, 2008 by James Hipps
The only openly gay Congresswoman, Tammy Baldwin (Dem. Wisconsin) has joined Barack Obama’s national gay leadership and policy committee. She will co-chair the committee with Tobias Wolff, a University of Pennsylvania law professor. Baldwin’s previous GLBT service includes being the head of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s gay leadership team.
“I am proud to support Barack Obama for president and work hard for his election because we share a commitment to equality for all Americans,” she said in a statement. “This is our quest and our common goal.”
Baldwin also stated she was not supporting Obama only because he is a Democrat but because of the differences between the candidates. She listed issues ranging from the Iraq war to health care to gay issues.
She mentioned Obama’s desire to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy which would allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military without discrimination or discharge due to their sexual orientation. Republican John McCain wants the current policy to stay in place.
Obama also supports expanding the federal employment non-discrimination laws and federal hate crime laws to protect the GLBT community. McCain does not, she noted.
Now maybe she can do something with Juliane Appling.
[...] second congressional district, the 33-year-old Internet mogul will almost assuredly join Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank as just the third openly gay member of Congress — and become the first openly [...]
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[...] of Massachusetts since 1981, and is one of two out gay people in the House of Representatives. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Congresswoman, is the only lesbian in the [...]