Sharon Lubinski: First Openly Gay US Marshal Nominated By Obama

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has nominated a Minnesota policewoman to become the first openly gay person to serve as a U.S. marshal.

Sharon Lubinski is an assistant chief in the Minneapolis Police Department, where she has worked for 20 years.

Obama has had a rocky relationship with gay activists, who want him to end the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays. He publicly pledged last weekend to do so.

He has picked openly gay people to serve in other positions in his administration, including the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.

Comments

[shmuli]

what percentage of the pet population is homosexual? will the obamas be open to having an openly gay cat or dog? this would be an important first for the WH. 40% of the attendees at the DNC convention were gay/lesbian, bisexual, transexual, transgende­r,cross-dr­esser. Robert Gibbs did a wonderful job mustering his cohort for the event. One can only wonder how delighted they would be to see a happy young gay cat or dog frolic in the rosie garden.

[shmuli]

mr lubinski appears to be a fine young man

[Margot707]

In 2009, 40 years after Stonewall, I really didn't think this would still be an issue. LGBT persons (myself included) are still losing their jobs just for being gay. This nomination should not be news or controversial solely because of the nominee's sexual orientation. Some of the comments about her appearance are ignorant and childish.

http://www.military.com/news/article/af-boots-decorated-pilot-for-being-gay.html

[PhilipB]

Well said.

[Matrsnot]

A couple of questions. Can she do the job and do it right? Who cares about her gender preference if she can do the job. This is all political crap to keep the LGBT in his court.

[johnr49]

I suggest you read the other comments on this post - some people obviously do have a problem with her sexual orientation.

[Mahi Joe]

And just how would that impede her abilities to do the job?

[ladyfractal]

Some observations.

Being a Republican doesn't make you a bad human being or an intolerant human being a Democrat or a Liberal or a Green doesn't make you good person or a tolerant person. The issue is all of you lot who think that because you voted 'D', in 2008, or were horrified by George Bush you are so much better than the folks at RedState or the Freepers or Tea Baggers or what-have-you. If you are elevated above the tea baggers or birthers, your presence here isn't why nor is your voting liberal. It is your *actually* being tolerant and *actually* being genuinely non-sexist as much as that is humanly possible. IF you ignore the fact that gays and lesbians can and do lose their jobs and then erase the achievement of one individual as if the former fact doesn't happen, you are not being progressive, liberal or tolerant. If t you see this woman and immediately look down on her for not looking like what you think a woman should look like, you stand no higher than conservatives making the same points. At that point, what separates you from the conservatives is that the latter groups have the courage of their convictions while you mouth the right words but don't really mean them. Between you and the latter, I can at least give them credit for honesty. You lot are only mouthing platitudes--any fool can do that. You lot are proof of that.

[johnr49]

Well said - fanned and faved. (BTW, are you by any chance LadyB, aka Mata Hari007?)

[ladyfractal]

Thank you. And no, I'm not she.

Cheers
LF

[needlefingers]

Giving gays equal rights would have been better. Lots better.

[Fred Hood]

DITTO Hippies next we are jailed at a higher rate than anyone............

[JShankel]

Yes, he should have pulled those rights out of his big bag of rights and spread them all over the place.

There's nothing he can do without congress. This takes all of us pulling in the right direction.

[PlaceboStudman]

Congratulations to Ms Lubinski.

It's just still such a sad world when whom a person loves even has to be an issue in their job, when their ability to love another person has absolutely nothing to do with their qualifications for any job

[ohiomark]

What does her sexual orientation have to do with her ability to be a law enforcement officer?

The answer: it doesn't, this is all about image.

The fact that she serves our country as a law enforcement officer make her an American hero. That's where it should end.

[WindSweptLeaf]

Bravo, well said.

[ladyfractal]

ohio:
What it has to do is this: 10 years ago, in most law enforcement departments in this country she would've been *fired* for being a lesbian. That's why this is important. Because it shows that change *is* possible.

Cheers
LF

[JShankel]

What does it have to do with it? Because there are a lot of qualified, patriotic gay Americans who won't even consider a life in public service, thanks to the harassment and the hate and the bigotry they face.

Role models help change that.

[vippy]

And this is a headline in the Year 2009????

[coastalcarla]

I know - sad, isn't it?

[jacklambert]

Pity the operative word is 'gay' in this reporting.
I presume the pick was for competence and experience.
Nothing to do with sexual orientation. That should be irrelevant!

[johnr49]

Yes, it should, but it's very obvious from a lot of the posts here that it's not!

[sheoples]

i thought janet reno was gay ???

[kareemachan]

I don't know. But I have a real good guess about you....

[JShankel]

Not openly.

[sheoples]

ain't janet nepolotano gay too???

[johnr49]

Isn't a sheep female?

[zola77]

Are you trying to tell us you have no sack johnny?

[Chicagofan1]

Poor woman.
She worked so hard and served with honor so now she will be rediculed by public for looks and sex orientation. Obama just kicked the bone to gay community so they would cool off on "don't ask don't tell" issue.

[VoteLibertarian]

No need for Dog the Bounty Hunter....maybe soon we can watch Lubinski: Gay Marshall

[Louisknyc]

What's the median age around here? 12?

[kareemachan]

Seems that way some times - too much of the time, actually.

[ChangeurMind]

he'll do a great job.

[johnr49]

Yes, Obama's IS doing a great job.

[johnr49]

Oops - typo!

[Matrsnot]

Yes he is doing a great job...destroying the country