Obama Makes History, Appoints Trans Woman

Aerospace and defense veteran Amanda Simpson has been appointed to the Department of Commerce as a senior technical adviser.

Simpson, who is transgender, will be working in the Bureau of Industry and Security.

"I'm truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me," she said in a press release by the National Center for Transgender Equality, an organization for which she has served on the board of directors. "And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."

Simpson was most recently the deputy director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson. A flight instructor and test pilot, Simpson also holds degrees in physics, engineering, and business administration.

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Reader Comments

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Name: Sarah
Date posted: 1/11/2010 12:21:58 AM
Hometown: Indianapolis

Comment:
Woooot!
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Name: Darcy
Date posted: 1/8/2010 9:33:44 PM
Hometown: Savannah

Comment:
I must agree that the logic of grouping transgendered folks with gays, lesbians and bisexuals is questionable. The former have issues in regards to gender and the latter have issues relative to their sexuality. I suppose the idea of strength in numbers was considered at the time in order to have the most political power and also there is significant overlap whereas a high a percentage of transgendered people would be considered homosexual based on their genetic gender and sexual preference. In other words, a high percentage (higher than the average in the population at large) of male to female transsexuals are sexually attracted to men and the number goes up dramatically after the individual begins a regimen of hormones and living full time as a woman. But the fact remains, the main issue facing a transsexual from birth is the never ending and enormous pain of accepting the reality that for some reason their brain and spirit are one gender and their body is another.
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Name: Paula Blancahard
Date posted: 1/8/2010 9:33:04 AM
Hometown: Boston

Comment:
Amanda this is wonderful news Could not have picked a better person - its about time that we take this step and I am glad its your high heels doing it You go girl
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Name: Michael Frassica
Date posted: 1/7/2010 4:13:34 PM
Hometown: San Francisco

Comment:
Congrats Amanada! :)
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Name: Elaine Jackson
Date posted: 1/7/2010 2:45:59 PM
Hometown: Baldwinville, Massachusetts

Comment:
Amanda - congratulations on your appointment. Wishing you much success. Elaine Jackson, PMP PMP Interactive Consulting
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Name: Kristina Roivas
Date posted: 1/7/2010 11:19:35 AM
Hometown: Vancouver B.C (for now)

Comment:
That is Awesome news! Congratulations to President Obama for making a progressive appointment. I wish her all the best and I'm certain that she will do an excellent job for the people of The United States of America.
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Name: Zoe Brain
Date posted: 1/6/2010 7:47:30 PM
Hometown: Canberra Australia

Comment:
Sex cannot be changed... but how do you define it? Amanda's was always female, from about the 26th week after conception. // Let's look at the Magical Mystical Masculinising power of Chromosomes : "A 46,XY mother who developed as a normal woman underwent spontaneous puberty, reached menarche, menstruated regularly, experienced two unassisted pregnancies, and gave birth to a 46,XY daughter with complete gonadal dysgenesis". - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Jan;93(1):182-9 // So 46,XY is always and forever male, huh? // Then there's those with 5ARD or 17BHDD who are born looking like girls, and change to look like boys . CNN had a program on them recently - "Rare gender identity defect hits Gaza families" Dec 17 // Trans women have famale brains. Not "spiritually" or "psychologically" , but physically, anatomically. See "Male–to–female transsexuals have female neuron numbers in a limbic nucleus". Kruiver et al J Clin Endocrinol Metab (2000) 85:2034–2041 etc
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Name: Raul
Date posted: 1/6/2010 3:50:19 AM
Hometown: El Paso

Comment:
It looks like someone needs to learn the difference between gender and sex, Dierdriu.
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Name: Tash
Date posted: 1/5/2010 4:53:56 PM
Hometown: Vancouver, BC

Comment:
There are many different types of sex characteristics. The only sex characteristic that cannot be altered or changed is our chromosomes and the majority of the population cannot be completely certain that they are either XX or XY. This person is a woman.
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Name: Troy Hilbrands
Date posted: 1/5/2010 1:31:35 PM
Hometown: Chicago, IL

Comment:
A wonderful example of positive change coming to the LGBT community. Congrats Amanda!

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