Oregon nonchalantly swears in nation's first bisexual governor
On Wednesday, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown (D) was sworn in as governor, following the resignation of John Kitzhaber amid an ethics scandal. Brown, 54, was a state legislator for 17 years before being twice elected secretary of state — Oregon doesn't have a lieutenant governor, so that put her next in line for the top job. And she is now the first openly bisexual governor in U.S. history.
"Advocates for the LGBTQ community — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning — cheered the milestone," says Maria L. La Ganga at the Los Angeles Times. "Libertarian-leaning Oregon — liberal in Portland, conservative elsewhere — mostly yawned." Though Brown, who is married to a man, has sparked some interest in the often-overlooked "B" in LGBTQ.
“I don't think anybody cares” that Brown is bisexual, Bob Moore, a Republican pollster, tells the LA Times. “The whole thing seems irrelevant to me. But what does it mean to be a bisexual and married? What does that mean?” Watch Brown take the oath of office below. —Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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