From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 1997 20:58:41 -0400

________________________________________________________ 
NEWS from the
Human Rights Campaign
1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  [email-masked]
<A HREF="http://www.hrc.org">
WWW:  http://www.hrc.org
</A>
________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 1997
        WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF HIGHEST-RANKING OPENLY GAY     
                OFFICIAL EVER TO SERVE IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
          HRC Applauds Clinton's Continuing Efforts to Make His             
                      Administration Look Like America
WASHINGTON -- The Human Rights Campaign welcomed the appointment today of 
longtime lesbian and gay rights advocate Virginia M. Apuzzo as an assistant 
to the president, making her the highest-ranking openly gay official ever to 
serve in the federal government.
        "We applaud this appointment as yet another step in President 
Clinton's promise to made his administration look like America," said 
Elizabeth Birch, HRC's executive director, "and we look forward to more 
appointments and nominations of openly gay people in Clinton's second 
term."
        Apuzzo, of Kingston, N.Y., was named assistant to the president for 
management and administration at the White House. In this position, she 
will direct all the management and administration functions of the White 
House complex and have oversight responsibilities for all agencies of the 
executive office of the president. These include White House intern 
program, the photography office, the telephone service and the travel 
office. 
        The Human Rights Campaign has been working closely with the White 
House to screen and recommend qualified openly gay candidates to a variety 
of posts in Clinton's second term.
        Since 1996, Apuzzo has been associate deputy secretary of labor at 
the U.S. Department of Labor. Before joining the administration, she was 
president of the New York State Civil Service Commission and commissioner 
of the New York State Department of Civil Service, positions for which she 
was nominated by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.
        From 1985 to 1991, Apuzzo served as deputy executive director of 
the New York State Consumer Protection Board. For part of that time, from 
1986 to 1989, she served concurrently as the governor's liaison to the gay 
and lesbian community.
        Earlier in her career, Apuzzo was executive director of the 
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
        The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay 
political organization, with members throughout the country. It effectively 
lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to 
ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, 
at work and in the community.
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