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Loading ...First transgender hired on Capitol Hill
12.19.2008 2:50pm EST
(Washington) Diego Miguel Sanchez has become the first openly transgender person to work on Capitol Hill.
Sanchez was hired by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman, House Financial Services Committee to serve as his Legislative Assistant for LGBT, Healthcare, Labor, Veterans and Census issues.Sanchez takes up the new position on Jan. 6.
Until his appointmen, Sanchez served as Director of Public Relations & External Affairs for AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, New England’s first and largest AIDS organization, and AIDS Action Council in Washington, DC.
He directed media relations for the National AIDS Strategy Coalition, which successfully urged President-elect Barack Obama to support the design and implementation of a national AIDS strategy for the United States.
Earlier this year, Sanchez became the first transgender person appointed to a standing committee of the national Democratic party, the DNC Platform Committee.
As a member of the Platform Committee, he successfully worked to include support for a national AIDS strategy, federal employment protections based on both gender identity and sexual orientation, and affirmation of same-sex couples as families.
He was also appointed to the positions of Party Leader and At-Large Delegate to the 2008 Convention in Denver. Sanchez served on President-elect Barack Obama’s LGBT Policy Advisory Committee and Transgender Policy Sub-Committee and previously was a national LGBT advisor for Senator Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign.
In July 2008, he testified before Congress as one of three transgender witnesses on the issue of employment discrimination faced by the transgender community.
Sanchez is a member of the Human Rights Campaign Business Council and Diversity Co-Chair of its Boston Steering Committee, founding Board member of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and SomosLatinos LGBT, first Co-Chair of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and on the Board of Boston’s Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
“Diego dedicates his community involvement to social justice and his corporate and non-profit experience will help in many important policy arenas beyond advancing legislation for transgender employment inclusiveness.” said Meghan Stabler, national transgender activist and fellow HRC Business Council member.
Good for him! He’s just broke through that glass ceiling for TS people everywhere. I guess Frank is making nice after taking “Transgender” off the ENDA bill.
How about busting through the glass ceiling of the White House and electing a qualified GLBT American to be a future US President with her/his partner there.
If Prop 8 is invalidated, I intend to celebrate with a bottle of champagne.
I would be more impressed with a transsexual woman being hired, more impressed with a transsexual woman of color being hired.
“More impressed if a transexual woman had been hired.”
Yes, yes, that’s one of the most sexist things that I’ve seen posted on this board.
It should not matter if the person is a man, woman, trans-man or trans-woman. The only thing that should matter is if the person is or is not qualified.
I didn’t realize that there had been no transgendered person on the staff of a Congressional member. I think that it is great that there finally is one. Well done, U.S. Rep. Frank
Being a trans-woman, I’m actually glad that a trans-man got hired to such a position. The visibility of of FTMs is much more invisible than the MTFs, this is a great step for all TS/TG people in general tho!