National
Obama overlooks gay nominees in pick for commerce secretary
POTUS passes over Hochberg, Kolbe for position
President Obama overlooked gay potential nominees in his choice for commerce secretary (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
President Obama’s recent announcement of his pick for the next commerce secretary is inspiring feelings ranging from disappointment to excitement among advocates who were seeking an openly LGBT person to take the position.
On Tuesday, Obama declared his intent to nominate as his next commerce secretary John Bryson — a businessman with decades of experience who was most recently CEO of Edison International. Upon Senate confirmation, Bryson will replace Gary Locke, who’s leaving the role of commerce secretary to become U.S. ambassador to China.
“I am pleased to nominate John Bryson to be our nation’s secretary of commerce, as he understands what it takes for America to succeed in a 21st century global economy,” Obama said in a statement. “John will be an important part of my economic team, working with the business community, fostering growth and helping open up new markets abroad to promote jobs and opportunities here at home.”
But advocates were hoping Obama would take the opportunity of having an opening in his Cabinet to nominate an openly LGBT person as commerce secretary. Such an appointment would have been a milestone because no openly LGBT person has ever been nominated to a Cabinet position.
Fred Hochberg, the gay president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, was seen as a potential contender for the nomination. Former Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe, now an expert on trade issues at the German Marshall Fund, was also been named as a potential nominee.
Richard Socarides, president of Equality Matters, is among those expressing discontent with the decision and said an openly gay Cabinet member would have lent critical perspective to the Obama administration.
Socarides said the choice of Bryson for commerce secretary may be an excellent one, but he’s “disappointed overall” with the lack of openly LGBT advisers in the Cabinet or the White House senior staff.
“I think it’s essential that this president, or any president, have someone very senior on his team who can give him direct and uncensored advice on the most important civil rights issues of our time,” Socarides said. “Right now he does not have that, and I think it’s a problem.”
Notable openly gay appointees working in the Obama administration are John Berry, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and Brian Bond, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. But Socarides, a former adviser of LGBT issues to President Clinton, said neither of these appointees fit the bill because they don’t serve in Cabinet or in the senior White House staff.
“We’ve seen a lot of progress in these last two years, so I don’t mean this in a overly critical way, but I think it continues to be extremely important, as I said, that he have someone in the Cabinet or on the senior White House staff who’s openly gay, who’s responsible for LGBT rights issues,” Socarides said. “It’s not the case, nor has it been the case since [Obama] has been president, and I think it continues to be a serious weakness.”
A White House spokesperson declined to comment on whether Obama missed an opportunity by not nominating an openly LGBT person to the position of commerce secretary.
Other LGBT organizations praised Obama for the nomination of Bryson and said opportunities remain for the president to appoint an openly LGBT person to his Cabinet.
Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, said the Senate should work to confirm Bryson as soon as possible.
“The NGLCC will continue working closely with the department and the new secretary to ensure the voices of an estimated 1.4 million LGBT business owners are heard,” Nelson said.
Asked whether Obama missed an opportunity by not selecting an openly LGBT person for the position, Nelson replied, “I believe there will be amble opportunity for President Obama to nominate an openly LGBT person to a Cabinet-level position by the end of his second term.”
Denis Dison, spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, predicted that Obama will nominate an openly LGBT person to a Cabinet-level in the future as he noted the president has appointed a record of LGBT people to his administration.
“The unprecedented number of LGBT Americans appointed by President Obama to work in his administration are giving voice to our community throughout the federal government,” Dison said. “When this president appoints an out cabinet secretary it will shatter another glass ceiling for LGBT people.”
According to the Associated Press, by the end of last year President Obama had appointed more than 150 openly LGBT people to his administration.
Arizona
Shooting outside gay bar in Ariz. leaves three dead
Tucson police investigating double murder-suicide as a hate crime
Three people were fatally shot outside a gay bar in Tucson, Ariz., early Monday morning, about a mile from the city’s nightlife district.
Police have said the shooting, which took place in the parking lot of Venture-N bar at 1239 N. 6th Ave., was likely a hate crime and a double murder-suicide following a verbal altercation.
The suspect, Ousman Ceesay, allegedly shot Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara while they were outside the club around 12:30 a.m. Monday.
Reports show Capara and Siqueiros were pronounced dead at the scene. Ceesay died after being taken to a local hospital with gunshot wounds.
Police have also said that Ceesay was carrying a list of LGBTQ businesses at the time of the shooting.
Arizona Public Media has said police are investigating the case as a hate crime because the suspect was carrying a note containing the names of multiple LGBTQ-associated businesses.
“I am deeply saddened that another senseless loss of life has happened in our community,” Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto said in a statement. “Bias-based crimes are especially heinous and have no place in our community.”
According to Prieto, there is no imminent threat to the community, and the Tucson Police Department is working to provide extra protection to various LGBTQ businesses across town.
Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, who represents the area, issued a statement condemning the act of violence, which appears to have been at least in part motivated by homophobia.
“I am disgusted and deeply saddened to learn of a targeted act of hate and the cold-blooded murder of two members of our LGBTQIA+ community, Vincent Siqueiros and Cameron Capara, at the Venture-N bar in Tucson last night. This horrific attack is a painful reminder that even in welcoming communities like Tucson, hate and violence against the LGBTQIA+ community still exist.”
“When that hate is combined with easy access to firearms, the consequences can be deadly. I am sick and tired of Congress refusing to lift a finger to protect our communities while, every day, dozens of people are shot and killed across the country. It does not have to be this way. The House of Representatives is returning to session this week, and our first action should be passing common-sense gun safety reforms that we know can save lives.”
Other federal lawmakers also condemned the shooting.
The Congressional Equality Caucus, which is made up of federal legislators advancing LGBTQ interests, issued a statement after news broke.
“Our hearts are with the friends and loved ones of the victims of this devastating attack outside a Tucson gay bar and with the Tucson LGBTQI+ community,” it said on X. “No one should fear violence because of who they are — and we’re going to continue fighting to build a world where no one does.”
The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ organization in the country, released a statement following the shooting.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara and our hearts are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Tucson LGBTQ+ community. Once again, we are reminded that gun violence robs people of their lives, destroys families, and devastates communities.”
A candlelight vigil honoring the victims is planned for Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Catalina Park in North Tucson.
Congress
HRC president campaigns for Chris Pappas in NH
Gay congressman running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson on Sunday campaigned for U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in New Hampshire.
Robinson traveled to Manchester, the state’s largest city, nine days before the Sept. 8 primary that will determine who will vie for retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)’s seat.
We’re hitting the pavement across New Hampshire to fight for a freer, fairer future for everyone.
Glad to have Human Rights Campaign President @KelleyJRobinson join us for a canvass launch in Manchester today. pic.twitter.com/XWCEaQxy4o
— Chris Pappas (@ChrisPappasNH) August 30, 2026
Former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, who represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate from 2003-2009, will face off against former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate from 2010-2013, in the Republican primary.
Karishma Manzur is among the Democrats challenging Pappas.
A poll the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released on Aug. 26 shows Sununu is ahead of Brown. The same survey shows Pappas ahead of Manzur and his other Democratic challengers.
The UNH Survey Center poll shows Sununu ahead of Pappas by a 45-43 percent margin if they were to face off in the general election. The margin of error is +/-2.1 percent.
Pappas would become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate if he were to win in November.
National
Milo Yiannopoulos deported to UK
ICE arrested far-right provocateur in New Orleans on Thursday
Editor’s note: The Department of Homeland Security on Saturday said Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported to the U.K.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday arrested far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
A DHS spokesperson in a statement sent to the Washington Blade said ICE arrested Yiannopoulos, who they described as “an illegal alien from the United Kingdom,” at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
The DHS spokesperson said Yiannopoulos “legally entered the country” in New York on May 14, 2019.
“He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws,” said the spokesperson.
The DHS spokesperson said an immigration judge on July 22 “issued a final order of removal” for Yiannopoulos “after failing to show up for his immigration hearing.” The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans on Friday reported Yiannopoulos is being held at an ICE detention center in Alexandria, La., which is about 200 miles northwest of the Crescent City.
“He will remain in ICE custody pending removal,” said the DHS spokesperson.
Yiannopoulos has, among other things, repeatedly targeted transgender people and Muslims.
The American Conservative Union, which organizes the annual Conversative Political Action Conference, in 2017 disinvited Yiannopoulos from speaking at that year’s CPAC after a video in which he appeared to condone sex between adults and underage boys emerged. Yiannopoulos subsequently resigned from Breitbart News, a far-right news website, where he had been a senior editor.
Yiannopoulos later that year married his boyfriend in Hawaii. The far-right provocateur in 2021 claimed he was an “ex-gay.”
The Australian government in 2019 banned Yiannopoulos from entering the country “on character grounds.” Yiannopoulos was also banned from Facebook, Twitter (now X), and other social media platforms.
The Times-Picayune reported Yiannopoulos “most recently worked for” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
The controversial rapper is scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday.
Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist who is close to President Donald Trump, has called for Yiannopoulos’s deportation. Loomer on Friday wrote on X that she “reported him to ICE and the FBI” after he “called for me to be assassinated.”
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