Raffi Freedman-Gurspan: Obama Administration Hires First Transgender Member of Staff

The Obama administration has hired its first openly transgender full-time member of staff, White House officials have confirmed.

Raffi Freedman-Gurspan started working as an outreach and recruitment director for presidential staff on August 18.

Her commitment to transgender rights reflects “the values of this administration,” a senior White House official said.

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“Raffi Freedman-Gurspan demonstrates the kind of leadership this administration champions,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama.

Raffi Freedman-Gurspan previously worked as a policy adviser for the National Center for Transgender Equality (NTCE).

Her appointment to the White House has been hailed as an important step by key members of the LGBT community.

In the same time, the Department of Defense is reviewing its ban on transgender men and women from serving in the military, and the White House has said it welcomes that move.