WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday announced that Gautam Raghavan, the former deputy White House liaison at the Department of Defense, will be the Obama Administration’s new LGBT community liaison.
White House Director of Specialty Media, Shin Inouye, said in a statement, “The White House is pleased to welcome Gautam Raghavan as an Associate Director of Public Engagement in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs,” adding that Raghavan “will serve as the point of contact for the LGBT community in his new role.”
The Washington Blade previously reported on Sept. 23 that Raghavan had been designated for the role.
As LGBT point person, Raghavan will take over duties previously assigned to Brian Bond, who was deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement and LGBT liaison before he left in July for a position at the DNC.
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LGBT advocates say Raghavan was involved in the process that led to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in his capacity as a deputy liaison to the White House at the Pentagon.
More: Washington Blade
“We are pleased to welcome Gautam to his new post at the White House,” said SLDN executive director Aubrey Sarvis, in a statement. “He is well-respected in the LGBT community, but perhaps no more than here at SLDN where we worked closely with him in his role at the Pentagon helping to build the support needed and manage the repeal process of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'”
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Raghavan has worked previously for the Democratic National Committee and the president’s Obama for America campaign. A graduate of Stanford University he is currently pursuing a master’s degree at George Washington University in Washington.
