President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris fulfill the promise of their campaign to make the White House more colourful and diverse.

Already during the election campaign, former Vice President and future President of the United States Joe Biden promised a progressive LGBTIQ* policy, and with this the queer community comes into focus. Almost 600 openly LGBTIQ* candidates were on the ballot. Several times there was even talk of a rainbow wave that had swept Biden into office.

After it was finally confirmed that Biden would be the next president, he welcomed in his victory speech the “most diverse coalition of voters of all time” who would have made him president: “Democrats, Republicans, Independents. Progressives, moderates, conservatives. Young, old. From cities, suburbs, the countryside. Homosexual, heterosexual, transgender. White people, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans.” Never before had a president mentioned transgender in his acceptance speech.

Queer visibility on the team

To date, the appointments to senior White House posts reflect Biden’s commitment to social diversity in the White House. LGBTIQ* people have been visibly taken into account in the choice of personnel.

According to The Hill, Carlos Elizondo has been appointed Social Secretary of the White House. Originally from Texas, the event planner and policy advisor lives with his partner in Washington, D.C. For Cabinet Biden, he will be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing official White House social events.

During the Obama administration, Elizondo was Special Assistant to the President and Social Secretary to then Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Jill Biden. From 2009 to 2017 he planned and organised all Bidens’ events. During the Clinton Gore administration, Elizondo served in both the White House and the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Protocol, where he organised numerous state visits and international summits.

Elizondo is the first Hispanic person in this position, but not the first gay man to serve as Social Secretary in the White House – a position that was snatched from him by Jeremy Bernard, who served as White House Social Secretary between 2011 and 2015. Bernard was the first man ever to hold this position.

Female Communication Team

“I am proud to introduce today the first senior White House communications team that includes only women,” said Biden when he and Kamala Harris announced the White House communications team on November 29.

The prominent role of the government spokeswoman goes to Jen Psaki. She was already the White House Communications Director and State Department spokeswoman under Barack Obama.

Karine Jean-Pierre is to become the deputy chief press officer of Joe Biden. The long-time LGBTIQ* activist had most recently served as the first Chief of Staff for Kamala Harris, the first black woman in that position.

Further appointments are expected

The former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who impressed as an advocate of the Biden-Harris campaign, is also likely to be appointed to a post within the government.

In addition, Biden is expected to announce other queer staff. Reggie Greer, Obama’s Deputy Director of Public Engagement at the U.S. Department of Transportation and LGBTIQ* election leader for the Biden presidential campaign, as well as several queer members of the Agency Review Team, including transgender veteran Shawn Skelly, disability and LGBTIQ* rights activist Chai Feldblum, bi-lawyer Pamela Karlan and gay former National LGBTQ Task Force leader Dave Noble, are expected to be appointed to the cabinet.

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