Celebrity Friday: Hillary Clinton Records "It Gets Better" Video

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recorded a video to fight anti-gay bullying as part of Dan Savage's It Gets Better project.

Errybody Wearing Purple Today For #SpiritDay

Today is Spirit Day, wear people are supposed to wear purple to show their support for LGBT students who are facing bullying in school. Note Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was wearing purple today in the Situation Room of the White House.

MadProfessah also wore purple today.

Eric Holder Becomes First African American U.S. Attorney General

Eric Holder was confirmed as the first African American Attorney General of the United States on Monday after a vote of 75-21 in the United States Senate.

The Human Rights Campaign sent out an announcement about the landmark event:

Eric Holder has long been a voice for fairness and equality for all Americans, including LGBT citizens. The Department of Justice will now be led by an Attorney General dedicated to civil rights, protecting communities from hate violence and the fair and equal application of our laws. We were proud to join our allies in the civil rights community to support his confirmation

As did the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People:

“Our nation, and especially our racial and ethnic minority citizens, are clearly facing a crisis in confidence that the U.S. Department of Justice has become dysfunctional and is not a true defender of our rights,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “Eric Holder is the right person at this time to rebuild not only the department, but also our country’s reputation as a defender of the rights of all Americans. He is the best qualified candidate to help the U.S. Department of Justice reinvigorate itself and regain its rightful place as our country’s enforcer of our civil rights, voting rights, employment rights and housing rights laws. There is no doubt in my mind that he will lead the U.S. Department of Justice, and the United States, with an integrity and strength that is sorely needed at this time.”

The NAACP is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The picture at the top of this post was taken by my friend Jasper Hendricks from the National Black Justice Coalition who attended a meeting with the new Attorney General on his very first day in office.

Obama's Official Cabinet In Order Of Succession

Over at Oxdown at Firedoglake, twolf1 has posted a link to an interactive look at the 15 official members of Obama's cabinet (in order of Presidential succession).

CA-32: Romero and Chu Eye Solis' U.S. House Seat

State Senator Gloria Romero

It's all about MadProfessah's hood! Previously, I blogged about a scramble among prominent Latino politicians in Los Angeles that had started when word leaked that MadProfessah's congressman, U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA-31) had been offered a position in President Obama's cabinet as U.S. Trade Representative. Becerra turned the position down, deciding to stay in the House as the #5 Democrat in that chamber and wait his chance to become to the first Latino Speaker of the House. This will not be the last time we hear the name Xavier Becerra.

Now imagine the maneuverings are going on now that U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis (CA-32) has accepted Obama's nomination as Labor Secretary, giving up a Congressional seat in East Los Angeles that she has held for 5 terms. This time it's my State Senator Gloria Romero who has given an explicit statement of interest in the job. "

"Absoutely I am very interested in this seat. I have represented this district for over 10 years in the California state legislature," she said. "I know this district well, and this district knows me."

Other names that have been discussed for the seat include Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization, and her husband Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-El Monte.

Both Chu and Romero would be an amazing congressional respresentative and I would be hard pressed to pick between Romero and Chu, although knowing what I know right now, I would pick Chu. I know very little about Hernandez except that he's in his second term in the Assembly. Both Chu and Romero are strong supporters of LGBT equality and have been endorsed by Equality California when they ran for their current elected positions. Interestingly, Romero replaced Solis as the representative of the 24th State Senate district, will she also replace Solis as the representative of the 32nd Congressional district?

The race is on. May the best woman win!

Obama's Cabinet Is Complete (and Straight)

Barack Obama's cabinet is now complete with the selection of African American Ron Kirk as U.S. Trade Representative and Latina Rep. Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor:

- 5 Women (Clinton, Napolitano, Rice, Jackson, Solis)
- 4 African Americans (Holder, Rice, Jackson, Kirk)
- 5 Westerners (Salazar, Richardson, Kirk, Solis, Napolitano -- who was born in NYC but raised in Albuquerque)
- 3 Hispanics/Latinos (Salazar, Richardson, Solis)
- 2 Asian Americans (Shinseki, Chu)
- 2 Republicans (Gates, Lahood)
- 2 Sitting Senators (Clinton, Salazar)
- 2 Sitting Governors (Napolitano, Richardson)
- ZERO OPENLY LESBIAN/GAY/BISEXUAL/TRANSGENDER members

(Hat/tip to First Read)

CA-31: Becerra Tells Obama "No, Gracias"

Xavier Becerra has dashed the hopes of the next generation of Los Angeles Latino politicians by reportedly turning down an offer to join the Obama cabinet as U.S. Trade Representative. The prospect of the 31st Congressional district (in which MadProfessah has lived for over a decade) becoming open caused almost every big-name politician in Los Angeles to consider their future: Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina quickly said no, Los Angeles City Council Oresident Eric Garcetti was touted by progressives, potential 2010 primary rivals State Senator Gil Cedillo and openly gay Assemblymember John Perez were said to be considering throwing their hats into the ring.

But Becerra eventually said, "No, gracias" to the Obama job offer:

Becerra said he felt elated when first approached about the job, but that ultimately "I wasn't sure if at the end I only wanted to be focused on trade."

Becerra, who was just elected to his ninth term representing Los Angeles, faced competing pressures in considering whether to accept the Cabinet post.

He is moving up the ladder on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee that writes taxes and oversees health care and trade, and was just chosen vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

It could be difficult for another Latino to immediately replace Becerra in the House Democratic leadership. Becerra said he heard from members of the Latino community who wanted to ensure he was involved as Congress grapples with immigration, health care, tax code reform and other issues.

Becerra clearly wants to be the first non-white Speaker of the U.S. House and is on track to make that happen. He's relatively young (51 on January 26 2009) and could see his ambition come to fruition within the next decade.

Potential Openly Lesbian Labor Secretary

Rod 2.0 and Joe.My.God among other bloggers are reporting about the possibility that Mary Beth Maxwell is on President Obama's shortlist to become the next Labor Secretary. Governors Jennifer Granholm and Kathleen Sebelius are also being considered for the position but with the worsening economy it is likely they will be less likely to abandon their states for Washington.