Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Via White House press release:
President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the Closing Ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Federative Republic of Brazil. The Closing Ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Federative Republic of Brazil will be held on August 21, 2016. The delegation will attend athletic events, meet with U.S. athletes, and attend the Closing Ceremony. The Honorable Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, will lead the delegation.
Members of the Presidential Delegation
The Honorable Liliana Ayalde, U.S. Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil, Department of State
The Honorable Eric Fanning, Secretary of the Army, Department of Defense
Ms. Bess Evans, Senior Associate Director and Senior Policy Advisor, White House Office of Public Engagement and Domestic Policy Council
Ms. Lauren Kelly, Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary, Office of the First Lady
Mr. Jason Collins, Retired NBA Player and Member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition
Ms. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, three-time Olympic gold medalist, one-time Olympic silver medalist, two-time Olympic bronze medalist, women’s heptathlon and long-jump, and Founder of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation
You’ll note that openly gay former NBA player Jason Collins is also a member of the delegation. Billie Jean King was named a delegation member for the 2014 Olympics, which were held in the far less gay-friendly Sochi, Russia. King’s selection was considered a message to Putin about LGBT rights.