Amanda Simpson, the first-ever transgender person ever appointed to a senior role by a US president, says "being the first sucks" and she does not want to be seen as a "token". Amanda Simpson She's been appointed as senior technical advisor to the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, bringing her 30 year experience working in the aerospace and defence industry. "I'm truly honoured to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me," she says. "And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others." She later told ABC News that being the first trans person hired by a president brings with it a sense of pressure. "[There will be] questions like: Is this a token? Are you here to do a job or just to fill a quota or appease other people? In that regard it makes it a bit more difficult," she said. "I'm sure I will have to do and intend to do a far superior job than any other person. But I'm sure I will always be second guessed."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Thursday, 7th January 2010 - 1:56pm