President Biden goes LGBTQ+ in his latest Department of Defense nominees

Early last month President Biden touted his diversity credentials when he nominated two female generals, Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost and Gen. Laura J. Richardson. In mid-April Biden nominated Christine Wormuth to be the first female Secretary of the Army.

In the latest push, the President is going into the LGBTQ+ for filling Department of Defense posts.

In a report from The Advocate, a White House press official revealed that Shawn Skelly will be nominated to assistant secretary of defense for readiness, and Brenda Sue Fulton will be the nominated assistant secretary of defense for manpower.

Brenda Sue Fulton is a lesbian. Her background includes being a West Point graduate in the school’s first ever class to admit women. Advocate says they were “honorably discharged” at the rank of captain, having served in Germany as a platoon leader among other roles.

Fulton shifted to civilian life, having a 25-year career in “brand management for Fortune 100 companies.” It was during this time that she took up military political activism, leading the charge against “don’t ask, don’t tell” through founding various advocacy groups. It was through her SPARTA organization that they pushed to repeal the ban against transgender military service.

President Biden delivered on that in the first months of his administration. In addition to reopening military service for transgendered people, the White House directed policy programs geared toward the various branches funding for their gender transition surgeries.

Shawn Skelly is a transgender. She served for twenty years as a naval flight officer before joining the Obama administration in 2013. It was during her tenure there that she served in positions of the Department of Defense and as the director of the Office of the Executive Secretariat for the Department of Transportation.

The LGBTQ+ inclusivity hasn’t stopped at the military. Late last month Rachel Levine became the first Senate-confirmed transgendered person, accepted as assistant health secretary.

In other news the State Department authorized the Pride Flag to be flown outside US embassies during Pride month.