The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed the nominations of four
openly gay ambassadors and a top administration official.
On a voice vote, the Senate confirmed John Berry to serve as the
ambassador to Australia, Rufus Gifford as ambassador to Denmark,
James Costos as ambassador to Spain and Daniel Baer to the
Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, BuzzFeed.com
reported.
Stuart Delery was also confirmed to serve as assistant attorney
general for the Civil Division.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT advocate,
applauded the Senate.
“Today the U.S. Senate confirmed five highly qualified nominees
to important posts who happen to be gay,” HRC President Chad
Griffin said in a written statement. “It is a testament to
President Obama and the U.S. Senate that the sexual orientation of
these nominees was irrelevant to their qualifications for their
posts, as it should be. All Americans should be proud to have these
fine public servants representing the interests of the United
States.”
However, lawmakers did not act on the controversial nomination of
a sixth out nominee, James “Wally” Brewster. Brewster, a senior
managing partner for SB&K Global in Chicago and a national LGBT
co-chair for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), was named in
June by President Barack Obama to serve as ambassador to the
Dominican Republican.
Several church leaders in the Dominican Republican have publicly
expressed their outrage over Brewster's nomination.
(Related: Catholics
protest U.S. gay ambassador James Brewster; Organize “black
Monday.”)