Amanda Simpson is a former military test pilot, holds degrees in physics, engineering and business administration and is a newly appointed senior technical adviser for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
She is also the first transgender presidential appointment in American history.
“Being the first sucks,” Simpson told ABC News in an interview. “I’d rather not be the first, but... I think that I’m experienced and very well qualified to deal with anything that might show up.”
In her new role, she will help with licensing and exports of U.S. military technology.
Once known as Mitchell Simpson, she began her six-year transition from male to female in 2000. In 2004, she won the Democratic nomination to the Arizona House of Representatives before losing in the general election.
According to AC Stokes, director of LGBT Affairs at UF, Simpson’s story serves as a momentous occasion for the visibility of transgender people in the U.S. and will hopefully give more transgender people the courage to be themselves.
“It’s a big deal to have an out transgender person recognized for her merits and given the opportunity to serve the U.S. government in any official capacity,” Stokes wrote in an e-mail. “Hopefully (her) visibility will add to discussions of the importance of non-discrimination policies as they relate to the outcomes of LGBT people in the U.S.”
Although she said the appointment might not reflect the average American’s attitude toward LGBT people, Stokes hopes the appointment shows there are more to transgender people than their identity.
“While her transgender identity is important...there’s clearly more to Amanda Simpson than that,” Stokes said.
