Politics

Biden adds transgender veteran to presidential transition team at Department of Defense

A new Pentagon-funded study shows 2/3s of troops oppose Trump's transgender military ban
A trans flag on a military outfit Photo: Shutterstock

The Biden transition team has named several LGBTQ people to oversee and review various public agencies – and transgender veteran Shawn Skelly has been tapped as part of the group that will evaluate the Department of Defense.

President Donald Trump banned transgender people from serving in the military. Joe Biden has pledged to immediately undo the ban.

Related: Trump supporters thought they found a Facebook group for them. It became their worst nightmare.

Skelly, a former special assistant to the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, was director of the Office of the Executive Secretariat at the Department of Transportation under the Obama administration. She was the first trans veteran to get a presidential appointment.

Dave Noble, an out former Obama appointee to NASA, has also been tapped to join the transition team. He will be part of the group evaluating the agency’s state after four years of Trump rule.

Lesbian Chai Feldblum, the former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member targeted by the religious right, has been chosen to be part of the team reviewing the Department of Justice.

A release from the campaign specifically notes, “The Department of Justice team will also review the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the Commission on Civil Rights, the National Council on Disability, the United States Access Board, AbilityOne, the State Justice Institute, and the Legal Services Corporation.”

“Our nation is grappling with a pandemic, an economic crisis, urgent calls for racial justice, and the existential threat of climate change,” Ted Kaufman, co-chair of the transition team, said. “We must be prepared for a seamless transfer of knowledge to the incoming administration to protect our interests at home and abroad.”

“The agency review process will help lay the foundation for meeting these challenges on Day 1. The work of the agency review teams is critical for protecting national security, addressing the ongoing public health crisis, and demonstrating that America remains the beacon of democracy for the world.”

Trump’s administration has so far refused to work with the transition team to ensure a smooth transition of power.

Editor’s note: This article has been changed to correct a misspelling of Shawn Skelly’s name.

Don't forget to share:

Support vital LGBTQ+ journalism

Reader contributions help keep LGBTQ Nation free, so that queer people get the news they need, with stories that mainstream media often leaves out. Can you contribute today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated

Norway bans hate speech against bisexual & transgender people

Previous article

Here are 85 ways Joe Biden can help LGBTQ people without going through Congress

Next article