The lesbian Liaison.Julian Potter, who is replacing Richard Socarides Richard Socarides was a White House adviser under United States President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1999 in a variety of senior positions, including as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Public Liaison. as White House liaison to gays and lesbians, grew up as "Betsy" in Carson City Carson City, city (1990 pop. 40,443), state capital, W Nev., in the Eagle valley; inc. 1875. The city is a trade center for a mining and agricultural area. State government is the major employer, and tourism is economically important. , Nev. But in the mid 1980s, she took off for New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. to pursue a public policy degree, and while driving cross-country in her 1968 Rambler ram·bler n. 1. One that rambles: tourists and Sunday ramblers on the village streets; a conversational rambler. 2. A type of climbing rose having numerous red, pink, or white flowers. , she made a few changes, starting with her name. "I thought, They're going to kill me--Betsy from Carson City?" said Potter, who started using her middle name. "I was pretty green, and I was just anxious." Nearly 15 years later Potter is starting over again, this time as one of the most important gay appointees at the White House. Hers was the second high-profile gay appointment in the Administration last month. Robert Raben, a former aide to Rep. Barney Frank Barnett "Barney" Frank (born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a Democrat and has represented Massachusetts's At-large congressional district since 1981. (D-Mass.), became assistant U.S. attorney general for legislative affairs October 7. Having once considered a career as a nun, Potter followed her parents' political footsteps instead--her mother, for example, started the first women's political caucus in Nevada A veteran of several presidential campaigns, Potter also has been an advocate for changing the military's policy on gays. Most recently she was the chief of staff for the president's Community Empowerment Board, an interagency effort to support poor and underserved communities. The 38-year-old says her experience in bringing rarely heard voices to the Beltway will serve her well as liaison as she tries to broaden outreach to the growing number of minority, rural, youth, and transgender transgender or transgendered adj. Transsexual. coalitions. "I want to get out there and hear what is happening," she said. Potter is the third person and first lesbian to hold the liaison position at the White House. She hopes to start a family with her partner, Mirian Saez, "as soon as I get a few months into" her new job. |
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