Politics | 12/03/2008 6:30 am

Openly Gay Mary Beth Maxwell To Head Labor Team?

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

via Change To Win's Flickr

President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet may become even more colorful!

In addition to a number of black and female members, Obama’s transition team has reportedly started vetting openly gay union activist Mary Beth Maxwell to head the Labor Department. Though she’s going up against the likes of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Maxwell’s already received the backing of gay rights organization Human Rights Campaign and Representative David Boinier, who, interestingly, has also been named as a potential labor pick. The Wall Street Journal provides a bit more background on Maxwell’s bio:

Maxwell is the perfect labor secretary you’ve probably never heard of: a gay woman, community organizer and labor leader with an adopted African American son. And this founding executive director of American Rights at Work is about to get the full-court press….

Many labor leaders are thrilled by Maxwell’s potential position, with AFL-CIO and Change to Win, which is made of Service Employees, giving her a thumbs up. Other labor leaders, meanwhile, wonder whether Maxwell’s got the chops to take the national stage. This picture of Maxwell fired up at this Change to Win rally gives us a feeling she can hold her own. We don’t know what she’s saying, but it sure looks good.

Read more about: Barack Obama, Labor Department, Mary Beth Maxwell, News, Politics

64 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I have a comment to make to you Diana that I have wanted to say for the longest of time, but never have. It has nothing to do with this article and is 100% personal. You are one of the most insightful, open minded and remarkably centered individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in a venue such as this. I genuinely mean that. And what I see in you, I can only strive to be. You are in a metaphorical sense….a breath of fresh air. I just wanted you to know that. Have a great day.

By Belinda Joy on 12/03/2008 10:33 am

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Belinda, Thank you. Your post made me tear up because no one has ever said that to me. I feel very humbled…..

By Diana T on 12/03/2008 10:59 am

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You’re welcome. You’re a very special woman.

By Belinda Joy on 12/03/2008 11:56 am

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I agree, Belinda. Diana is great. Grounded and insightful. Thanks to all of you who really want to contribute quality, thoughtful responses.

By Susan Gabriel on 12/05/2008 3:20 pm

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Diana, While I so much enjoy and appreciate you and your many astute comments, I must once again disagree with you on 2 points, here. 1) on the “color blind” point - while I believe I comprehend your point, I must write that as I understand and comprehend the issue of color in our society, I disagree with this statement. Most people of color, with whom I have interacted, do not want our society to be color blind. Rather, to appreciate the variety of colors and take pride in each one. It seems to me if we white people pretend to be color blind, we are discounting or ignorting the variety of colors. 2) Also, as long as there are such strong issues dividing this country as “same-sex marriage,” we need to visually experience GLBT people as citizens equally involved in the progress of our great nation. It is imperative, for me as a lesbian, to be “out” on such sites as this one, in order to give others permission to be themselves and to be unashamed of their sexuality. For most of my life I have witnessed people struggling with their sexuality. I have witnessed the affects of “self-denial” and of “self-hatred” imposed on each one in my life. There are so many who have feelings of self-hatred, I believe, because of the way our world views the human animal. Of course, there is a long list of self-hating reasons - you kow, like bolemia, anorexia, obesity - being brunette instead of blonde, being short instead of being tall, being heterosexual instead of homosexual, being white instead of black, latino, asian, or mideastern, and so on… Perhaps, finally, with a President who happens to be a black man, we can begin to view our differences as a positive and not a negative.

By Ro H on 12/09/2008 2:48 am

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Ro, thank you so much, both for your compliment, but more for your deep insight. It enables me to see a subject from the other side. As both a white woman and a hetero woman, your post is one that I consider thinking a lot about. I tried to print it so I could have it on paper, but the computer won’t let me, so I will just copy it instead. My dear late husband, before he met me, had a well known and beloved French restaurant/caberet here in Lexington, Ky,back in the 70’s and early 80’s. His whole wait staff grew to be close friends, and so, last week about 7 of them decided to meet here for a reunion. They came from as far as France, Arizona and California. Every one of the men were gay, and happy (finally) with their authentic selves. I have known all of them for at least 25 years, and can say that every time I am with them, it makes me realize how sad it is that extremist elements of some political leaders have somehow twisted this whole subject into a political issue. I personally think that it becomes an issue with people that aren’t comfortable with their own sexual authentic selves. At any rate, I look forward to some exchanges with you. You are a wonderful, thoughtful writer…

By Diana T on 12/09/2008 10:43 am

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Diana T Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments. I most often have no idea how my words may impact another, and it is fulfilling to read they have some good affect on you. I think we have a kind of ‘mutual admiration’ thing going on, because I so much enjoy your writings as well. Most especially when I agree with you! lol My “ex” lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky… we are still very close. Are you near Bowling Green? Sorry, I have not checked a map, as yet. It would be fun for the two of you to meet, I think. I think it is wonderful your husband’s old staff came to see you. They must really think very highly of you. I can’t imagine going that far out of my way, for many of my old friends, let alone my spouse’s old friends or, staff. Of course Gay men in particular will go to most any length for a good reunion or party. (laughing out loud, here) I love my gay brothers - in a most loving way, I refer to my closest gay friends as “fag” - it is one of those words many have learned to reclaim and, or make fun of. Except for the origin of the term faggot, from the meaning for kindling, or firewood, which is a horrid intent, I think it is a strange word anyway. And, since it is a term for gay males, I think it hillarious when some ignorant people have also referred to me as “faggot” simply because of the way it sounds I guess… ?

By Ro H on 12/11/2008 3:46 am

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Here’s one for you all: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-…

By Josie Sullivan on 12/03/2008 11:33 am

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That was excellent, Josie! “Gay marriage is good for the economy” LOL! Kinda hard to dislike Jack Black after that… In other news, perhaps I will change my screen name on this site to Kryssi the Gay.

By Kryssi K on 12/03/2008 3:07 pm

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Kryssi- Thank you for watching it. I put it on my blog today. Maybe I should change my screen name to Josie the Gay or Josephine the Gay Machine.

By Josie Sullivan on 12/03/2008 4:46 pm

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Crap Josie! I’m sorry, I just posted this too—waaaayyyy after you did. I’m still asleep I think. I have GOT to learn to stay off the Internet first thing in the morning. My bad.

By Serena . on 12/04/2008 5:25 am

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I would have to agree with everyone on this thread…why do we need to know she is gay? I dont care and I am sure most dont care…Being gay does that make her less of a woman? Does it mean she cant do the job? Change starts within.

By C Hardy on 12/03/2008 12:13 pm