White House hires its first openly transgender staffer

Transgender advocates are celebrating the hire of Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, who will be joining the team at the White House as an outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel in the Office of Personnel. Freedman-Gurspan is reportedly the first openly transgender official to serve in the White House, NBC News reports.

"Raffi Freedman-Gurspan demonstrates the kind of leadership this administration champions," White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett told NBC. "Her commitment to bettering the lives of transgender Americans, particularly transgender people of color and those in poverty, reflects the values of this administration."

In April, the Obama administration designated a gender-neutral restroom in an office frequented by staff. An executive order also went into effect in April prohibiting companies that contract with the federal government from discriminating against transgender and gay employees. President Obama has also publicly applauded Caitlyn Jenner's transition.

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