President Barack Obama on Monday named
Daniel Baer to be ambassador to the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the first of as many as five openly gay
ambassadors that the president is expected to name in coming weeks.
Baer's nomination was announced along
with six other posts.
“These men and women have
demonstrated knowledge and dedication throughout their careers,”
Obama said in a statement. “I am grateful they have chosen to take
on these important roles, and I look forward to working with them in
the months and years to come.”
Baer is a former Georgetown professor
and more recently a deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the State Department.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate,
described Baer as an “outstanding choice” for ambassador.
“Over the last few years at the
Department of State, Daniel has worked tirelessly to promote
democracy and human rights in every corner of the globe, helping to
secure and protect the freedoms of the world’s most vulnerable
communities,” Griffin
said. “This, paired with his years of global business
experience, makes him an outstanding choice to be our nation’s next
Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe.”
The
Washington Post cites unnamed sources as saying that Baer is
just the first of as many as five openly gay ambassadors to be named
in coming weeks.
The list includes HBO executive James
Costos, former Office of Personnel Management director John Berry,
former DNC finance chairman Rufus Gifford and hedge fund manager
James “Wally” Brewster.