Petrelis Files

32 Gays Went to WH Reception,
6-Days After Maine Loss

Those fabulous White House visitor logs are still of interest to me, because they're providing much-needed transparency about the Obama's administration and gay leaders, or gay appointees and congressional staffers, and who has White House access from the community.

To recap, the President and his administration offered no help at all to retain Maine's gay marriage rights that were on the November 3, 2009, ballot, and the day after we suffered another electoral defeat, HRC leaders attended a classical concert at the White House. Two nights after the loss, he had some NGLTF leaders over for a movie.

Today's news is that six days after the Maine loss, 32 gays from federal agencies and at least one from a congressional staff, attended what the visitor logs say was an LGBT reception.

Gee, what nice people Barack and Michelle are. As we gays mourned another setback at the ballot box, the charming couple quietly invited our community's leaders and appointees in the following week to a concert, a movie and reception. I can't think of any reason why the millions of ordinary gays in fly-over country, and lots more on the coasts, aren't satisfied with these symbolic crumbs of access and perks. Who needs job and housing protection when gay leaders enjoy socializing with the Obamas are their lovely home? Snark, snark.

Here's the list, with links to info on who they folks are and where they work, or question marks when I couldn't Google pertinent info on them, of the gay folks who on November 9, 2009, went to the President's smallish LGBT reception:

Saba Abebe
Office of Diversity
Department of Energy

Mark Agrast
Office of Legislative Affairs
Department of Justice

Christopher Busch
??

Matt Collier
Special Assistant to the Director
Office of Personnel and Management

Jonathan Cordone
Senior Vice President
Export-Import Bank

Sarah Dale
??

Virginia Davis
??

Michelle Depass
Special Assistant
Environmental Protection Agency

John Dey
??

Rashad Drakeford
Staff Assistant
Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-NY
[Correction: Drakeford has written to inform me that he is not gay. He says he's a straight guy and has a girlfriend. -michael.]

Lindsay Dubin
Campaign Organizer

Sarah Duffy
??

Carl Fillichio
Senior Public Affairs Adviser
Department of Labor

Gina Flores
??

Jonathan Foley
Senior Adviser to the Director
Office of Personnel and Management

Jose Garcia
??

Suzanne Gelderman
Associate Director, Small Businesses
Department of Energy

Cynthia Giles
Special Assistant
Environmental Protection Agency

Tracy Hannah
??

Camille Hazeur
Director, Civil Rights Division
Department of Transportation

Craig Hooks
Special Assistant
Environmental Protection Agency

Neal Kemkar
Special Assistant
Department of Labor

Courtnay Lewis
??

Jennifer Mason
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of Personnel and Management

Marybeth Maxwell
Special Assistant
Department of Labor

Joan Padilla
??

Robert Perciasepe
Deputy Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency

Raymond Rivera
Special Assistant
Interior Department

Duncan Teater
Staffer
White House

Dorothy Vanderbeck
??

Sedelta Verble
Director, Office of Communications
Office of Personnel and Management

One of the funny things about this November 9 event is that neither the White House nor gay Obama supporters have said anything about it. Why keep such an event quiet? Well, as with the concert and movie night, the Obama administration and Gay Inc leaders are in agreement: The less visibility and attention about the schmoozing the better.