U.S.
Lesbian nominated to be Air Force undersecretary
Teodoro ‘Ted’ Alcuitas
Editor, Philippine Canadian news.Com
An Air Force veteran who served in the Iraq War could be the highest-ranking Filipino-American member of the Biden administration if the Senate confirms her nomination.
Gina Ortiz Jones, who failed twice to win a congressional seat in Texas, will be the first woman of colour to hold the position of Undersecretary of the Air Force if she gets the Senate nod for the No. 2 post.
According to the Air Force, the undersecretary is “responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, to include organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of approximately 697,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen and Guardians and their families worldwide.”
A John Jay High School graduate, Jones was raised by a single mom who came to U.S. from the Philippines. Jones earned a BA and MA in economics from Boston University which she attended on a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship. She also has advance degrees from the University of Kansas and the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies.
While in the Air Force, Jones was an intelligence officer who deployed to Iraq with the 18th Air Support Operations Group supporting close air support operations. Most recently, she was employed in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, where she worked until 2017 when she decided to move back to San Antonio and run for Congress.
Jones told the Washington Blade in July 2019 the zero-tolerance border policy under President Trump was “shortsighted at best” and “cruel at worst.”
She was attacked by her Republican opponents at the time who posted a picture of Jones with her spouse. The posting was condemned by LGTBQ rights advocates as a homophobic attack.
The White House announcement on Jones comes days after news Biden intends to nominate two other LGBTQ nominees to high-ranking defense roles. Brenda Sue Fulton, a lesbian activist who fought for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, obtained the nod to become assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs, while Shawn Skelly, a transgender national security expert, obtained the nomination to become assistant secretary of defense for readiness,The Washington Blade reports.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, praised the selection of Jones as Air Force under secretary and said she “served her country both in and out of uniform.”
“If confirmed, Ms. Jones would be the first woman of color to serve as Under Secretary of the Air Force, marking yet another historic nomination as the Biden-Harris administration continues to prove their commitment to building a diverse Department of Defense that reflects the American population,” Smith said.
“We are beyond thrilled,” said Jennifer Dane, executive director of the Modern Military Association of America, which advocates for LGBTQ personnel and veterans. “She represents diverse intersections of minority groups and her visibility at the top echelons of leadership is exactly what our communities need. …She knows firsthand what damaging effects discriminatory policies like ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ have on the health and wellbeing of the force.”
Jones would be the second openly gay undersecretary of the Air Force.
The first was Eric Fanning, who held the post for two years under President Barack Obama, who in 2015 then elevated him to Secretary of the Army. Fanning became the nation’s first openly gay service secretary five years after repeal of the ban on military service by openly lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.
Eight Filipino-Americans
If confirmed, Jones join other Filipino-Americans serving in the Biden administration that includes Jason Tengco (who is also gay) Offcie of Personnel Management’s White House Liaison, Gloria Dino Steele, USAID Acting Head, Veronica Valdez, Special Assistant the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, John Santos, Special Assistant At The Department Of Veterans Affairs Office Of Public And Intergovernmental Affairs, Angela Dela Cruz Perez, Press Assistant, WH Communications And Press Staff, Camille Calimlim Touton, Deputy Commissioner Of The Bureau Of Reclamation and Michael C. George, Policy Advisor To Vice President Kamala Harris.
Related story:
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/fil-ams-in-the-biden-harris-administration
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