Photo: Gautam Raghavan. Credit: Department of Labor.
Gautam Raghavan, the White House’s LGBT liaison, will leave the Obama administration after more than five years to join the Gill Foundation as vice president of policy.
Raghavan, who is gay, departs the White House after three years. Previously, he served as Deputy White House Liaison for the Department of Defense and as the Outreach Lead for the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Working Group.
“As I make this transition, I find myself more hopeful than ever that big change (yes, the kind we can believe in!) is possible – because I’ve seen it happen,” Raghavan wrote in an email. “This kind of change can sometimes be slow, challenging, and frustrating. But when fierce advocates, unyielding activists, dedicated public servants, and strong allies work together, we can – and will – bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice.”
Raghavan’s last day at the White House is Friday. He will join the Gill Foundation on Monday. “I’m looking forward to joining a creative and innovative team dedicated to advancing equality for the LGBT community, nationally and in the states,” he said.
White House spokesperson Shin Inouye provided no timetable for naming Raghavan’s replacement. In the meantime, Monique Dorsainvil will serve in Raghavan’s place. Dorsainvil serves as the Director of Planning and Events for the Office of Public Engagement and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Previously, she served as a staff assistant in the Office of Public Engagement working on the White House Council on Women and Girls and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Outreach.
“We deeply appreciate Gautam’s work with the AAPI and LGBT communities on behalf of the White House Office of Public Engagement and wish him all the best in his next steps,” Inouye told Metro Weekly.
Raghavan’s departure comes after LGBT-rights advocates secured one of their final requests from President Barack Obama earlier this summer. On July 21, Obama signed an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from LGBT workplace discrimination and protecting transgender federal employees from discrimination, marking the end of a long campaign by LGBT-rights advocates to convince Obama to take such executive actions.
A political action committee backing U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is facing criticism over a campaign ad attacking Massie’s Republican primary opponent, Eddie Gallrein, for ties to Paul Singer, a Jewish billionaire hedge fund manager and longtime supporter of same-sex marriage.
According to Mediaite, the ad -- produced by Restore Freedom PAC, a project of Hold The Line PAC -- has aired ahead of the May 19 Republican primary and seeks to portray Gallrein as insufficiently conservative on social issues and out of step with the "Make America Great Again" movement.
A Florida man has been charged with a hate crime after allegedly beating a 5-year-old boy for "being gay," leaving the child with severe injuries.
According to a news release from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Andre Brown Jr., 33, of Davenport, Florida, was watching three children when a 9-year-old girl texted her mother to report that he was physically abusing them.
"I'm scared, he's whooping him so hard, I'm scared," the girl allegedly texted her mother about the treatment the 5-year-old was receiving.
For the first time, the Capital Pride Alliance, D.C.'s LGBTQ Pride organization, will host a brunch -- rather than an evening reception -- to honor local leaders and organizations that have made significant contributions to the region's LGBTQ community.
Dubbed "The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia," the event will be held Sunday, June 7, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel. Guests are encouraged to wear fuchsia tones to "symbolize empowerment and unapologetic self-expression."
The event will begin with a pre-program cocktail social at 11:30 a.m., followed by the official program at noon. The brunch will feature chef-curated Mediterranean, Latin American, Asian, All-American, and D.C.-inspired cuisine served at various stations, along with desserts, cocktails, and mocktails. Entertainment will include drag and burlesque performances.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.