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12/11/2008 9:00 am

POV

Obama Picks Openly Gay Nancy Sutley as Green Big Wig

Image via CLE

Barack Obama’s administration’s proving to be the most diverse in history.

In addition to stacking his White House with women and people of color, the president-elect will next week appoint openly gay Nancy Sutley to chair the Council of Environmental Quality, which advises administration officials on how to best tackle our increasingly worrisome climate. Sutley, whose mother hails from Argentina, also identifies herself as Latina. Currently the deputy mayor of Los Angeles, Sutley has quite the green history — she served as former California Gov. Gray Davis’s energy adviser and as the state’s Environmental Protection Agency deputy secretary.

Gay activists are celebrating Sutley’s forthcoming appointment, especially since many were worried Obama wouldn’t be installing any out officials. For our part, we knew he’d come through!

21 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Geez Louise! Here we go again with the “Openly Gay” people. Let’s start labeling everyone—“Closet Gay So-N-So,” “Heterosexual So-N-So,” “Asian So-N-So,” Native American So-N-So,” … Come on. It’s great that Obama is not prejudiced, but can’t we just let people be people? Do we have to announce their sexual preference in the headlines?

By Serena on 12/11/2008 9:10 am

How about we “label” her eminently qualified and skip the gay label huh? I mean sweet baby Huey, so she’s gay. What does that have to do with the environment? Since when is sexual preference a qualification for office?

By fp1 on 12/11/2008 9:17 am

I agree, Openly gay ? Who the F cares ? Can she do the job… and it seems that that is his prerequisite on any of these appointees, is all that matters. Pretty impressive so far. Hey Frank, I have a new favorite Christmas CD - “Yo Yo Ma and Friends”. Are you in the spirit yet ?

By EKA on 12/11/2008 9:59 am

Christmas?—not yet, EKA—it’s snowy here in Minne-freezing-my-ass-off-sota lol so Christmas is well just another day so far— Debs’ family get together is where the spirit will be upon me and the spirits in me so to speak—we’ll have to see lol How you been?

By fp1 on 12/11/2008 10:07 am

Busy, Busy, Busy, work and preparations, which somehow have become the woman’s role, or maybe the fact that I am so damn fussy about all things Christmas that I don’t delegate, but I a have learned to see all this as the best part of Christmas, you know, the anticipation you felt as a child … otherwise the actual day is a letdown. Also waiting for no. 2 son to arrive from Boulder, haven’t seen him since June …. although he eats only twigs & nuts so food prep is, shall we say, a challenge. This Blago stuff sure is a fun distraction, West Wing couldn’t have written a better script, no one would’ve believed it ! “Minne-freezing-my-ass-off-sota” LOL !!! is in good company today, heard it is snowing in New Orleans ! We have a gray, rainy day here in Conne - small time corrupt - ticut. Get with the program - Fa La La La La

By EKA on 12/11/2008 11:45 am

Will do kiddo ;-) Twigs and nuts eh lololol

By fp1 on 12/11/2008 12:31 pm

Thanks Liiy you too with the great holiday.

By fp1 on 12/12/2008 7:27 am

I could care less about the gaiety. I care most about our environment. This earth is in So Much Trouble which is growing by leaps and bounds every day. So personal sex lives don’t mean squat to me. I am gratified, however, to see from the posts that we are all on one page here. If we are representing a cross section of our nation with our posts, then sexuality is losing its importance in the grand scheme of issues we are facing. And, this is as important as race or religion in our ability to work together to problem solve. Also, Barack Obama himself is a mosiac of mixed races, cultures and personal journeys, so we are going to have to get used to the fact that finally, there is someone in our highest office that truly represents all of us. Get used to his choosing whom he thinks the most qualified, without being concerned with all the other stuff.

By DianaT on 12/11/2008 10:16 am

You said what you said so well. I’m waiting for the day when we won’t give a farthing for who’s what and why, but we have a way to go before that takes place. Gay issues are important now as we saw what happened in California. We need to keep this issue on the front burner before it gets lost. Check out Jon Stewart’s discussion with Huckabee re: gay marriage and you can see how changing people’s ideas on this issue is like forcing them to eat road kill.

By phyllisDoylePepe on 12/11/2008 11:08 am

Yes, you’re right, of course. And, that is why it’s being kept in the forefront; thanks for reminding me. People like Huckabee are so fixated on sex lives, one wonders about their own. I am just glad to see that this administration is made up of a composite of America—male/female/black/multi/straight/gay. Let’s hope that the next generation won’t give a damn what a person is on the outside and they will very much care about what a person is on the inside.

By DianaT on 12/11/2008 11:14 am

Hey, everybody. In regards to the environment, Tom Friedman is going to be on Charlie Rose tonight(Thursday 12/11). Please try to watch them.

By DianaT on 12/11/2008 11:18 am

I will Diana––never miss ole Charlie except when it’s about sports and then I get to bed early for a change.

By phyllisDoylePepe on 12/11/2008 12:00 pm

i am only gay with my honey, but i’m competent all the time.

By WhatTheDickens on 12/11/2008 3:27 pm

by the way, wow bigwigs, why did you make the last name field mandatory?

By WhatTheDickens on 12/11/2008 3:39 pm

I long for the day when we STOP labeling people…geez

By CherylMitchell on 12/11/2008 3:46 pm

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