Moving on up . . . while being gay

By unanimous voice vote, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Eric Fanning to be Secretary of the Army, the highest rank ever attained by a gay person in the Department of Defense.  There was apparently no significant opposition in the Senate to having a highly qualified gay man as civilian head of the U. S. Army.

We can add amazing progress on LGBTQ rights and recognition to President Obama's formidable legacy.   After a slow start, he is racking up a lot of firsts on gay equality -- having successfully gotten rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, opposing DOMA and fully supporting marriage equality, and now suing North Carolina over its LGBT discrimination/trans bathroom law.   As Commander-in-Chief, Obama had already approved the promotion of the first lesbian to the rank of general in the army.   A same-sex military wedding has been held in the chapel at West Point Military Academy.  On the domestic side, LGBT appointments -- including ambassadors to important countries -- have become so accepted as to no longer even elicit much comment. 

Ralph