Openly gay OPM Director John Berry participated in roundtable event in Des Moines, Iowa, on February 3, 2012. His perspective on how the Obama administration is working to expand community partnerships can be found here.

Last week Dr. Jill Biden spoke at the opening ceremony of the Parent, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) national convention. In her remarks, Dr. Biden reflected on her years teaching students who were figuring out their sexuality and shared the Obama administration’s accomplishments for the LGBT community.

She said:

"I’m proud of the progress the Obama Administration has made in the last two years for the LGBT—including the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the repeal of 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.' The White House also held a Conference on Bullying Prevention, and the Department of Education has held summits on this issue as well, and issued guidance to help combat bullying in schools and support Gay Straight Alliances."

Read the full text of Dr. Biden’s remarks here.

The Senate confirmed J. Paul Oetken as a federal judge on Monday with a vote of 80–13. After President Obama signs his commission, Oetken will take his seat in Manhattan. That could happen as early as this week.

This confirmation is particularly notable because Oetken is the first openly gay man to be confirmed for a federal judge position. Deborah A. Batts, an openly gay woman, has been serving as a federal judge in Manhattan since 1994. Oetken’s Senate confirmation opens new doors for the LGBT community.

Oetken, who was recommended to President Obama by Senator Chuck Schumer, is a graduate of Yale Law School. He previously worked for the Justice Department and then as associate counsel to President Bill Clinton.

As part of the “It Gets Better” campaign for LGBT youth who have been victims of bullying, Democratic Senators recorded a video to help promote the message: It does, in fact, get better.

The following senators participated: Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The Department of Education hosted its first-ever Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) youth summit earlier this week in Washington, D.C. The two-day summit, “Creating and Maintaining Safe and Supportive Environments for LGBT Youth,” highlighted the administration’s commitment to ensuring equal access to education for LGBT students.

On Monday, the Honorable Kathleen Sebelius made remarks on the administration’s support,

“Since President Obama took office in January 2009, he has led a commitment, shared by all those in his administration, to make sure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans have a chance to reach their full potential. I want to tell you, you have a friend in this administration who will stand beside you each and every step along the way.”

On Tuesday, Kevin Jennings, assistant deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, discussed the Department’s Office for Civil Rights’ recently released guidance on protecting against harassment based on gender—including LGBT individuals—in an education setting. The guidance, which was sent to schools, colleges, and universities, explains educators’ legal obligations to protect students from harassment based on racial and national origin, gender, and disability. 

Following Jennings, a panel of professionals discussed LGBT student needs. Hudson Taylor, a straight ally and university wrestling coach, spoke to the importance of changing the narrative about LGBT youth in schools and on sports teams.

During a working lunch, openly gay Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns shared his personal story on why he’s taking on bullying in his Texas community. Last fall, Burns opened a Fort Worth City Council meeting by discussing his personal feelings on the (then) rash of LGBT teen suicides. He spoke of the need for individuals to take bold action and not to sit idly by as more and more teens take their lives due to the actions of others.

LGBT youths are a uniquely vulnerable population in America’s schools. Because they suffer at a higher rate than many of their peer groups from physical violence, bullying, anxiety, and depression, LGBT youths are more prone to exhibit high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse, sexual risk-taking, and running away from home. The summit, hosted by the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, brought together students, educators, administrators, and heads of federal and nonprofit agencies to provide information and seek solutions to these issues.

Read more about the summit here. 

Yesterday the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced their endorsement of President Obama for a second term in the White House. HRC made their decision based upon President Obama’s demonstrated commitment to LGBT Americans and his long list of equality victories. 

HRC President Joe Solmonese made this statement:

“President Obama has improved the lives of LGBT Americans more than any President in history. In 2008 we were promised change and profound change is what we got. More remains to be done and ensuring that President Obama is able to continue the forward momentum toward equality for another term is an absolute priority of the Human Rights Campaign.”

Read more about the HRC endorsement here.