President Joe Biden has appointed Reggie Greer, a former Victory Institute staffer, to be the next director of priority placement and a senior advisor on LGBT+ Issues at the White House. (Facebook/Reggie Greer)
President Joe Biden has come through with his promise to promote inclusion by appointing Reggie Greer as a senior advisor on LGBT+ issues.
Greer previously served as the director of constituent engagement at the Victor Institute before joining the Biden presidential campaign in March 2020. He helped build Biden’s LGBT+ elected officials network and the administration’s candidate training, which encourages LGBT+ people to run for office.
In his new role as director of priority placement and senior advisor on LGBTQ issues, Greer will help bring forward Biden’s vision to create the most LGBT+ inclusive administration in history. As such, Greer will act as the “bridge” between the LGBT+ community and the Biden administration.
He will be joined by Hannah Bristol, who was appointed as an associate director of public engagement, in advising on LGBT+ issues as well as youth and progressive issues.
Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of the Victory Institute, said Greer is a “ray of sunshine in the conflict-driven world of politics and the respect and trust he’s earned from LGBTQ leaders will make him an extremely effective advisor”.
“He exemplifies the America United ethos, with a rare ability to bring diverse communities and interests together and rally them behind a common cause and vision,” Parker said. “He will be invaluable as a bridge between the administration and the millions of LGBTQ Americans relying on president Biden to bring needed change to our nation.”
‘Biden will fight for queer people with disabilities like me’
In a column for Out magazine, Greer promised that Biden would fight to restore the “soul of the nation” by bringing forward more inclusive policies, especially by fighting for LGBT+ rights “here at home and abroad”.
He also said Biden would “fight the epidemic of violence against transgender people, tackle the effects of climate change, address systemic racism and injustice and rebuild an economy that works for everyone”.
Greer shared how his life as a disabled, gay man had shaped his career. He grew up with hemifacial microsomia, a degenerative birth defect that affects one out of every 10,000 births, which he said “was not easy, but I learned early on to make this journey my own”.
He also remembered “how impactful it had been for me” to come out to his parents. Greer said he was able to “lean into my truth and embrace all of the qualities that make up who I am”.
He explained Biden is a “president of the light” who is “explicitly drawing upon our collective desire for a just and inclusive society — a society where we embrace cultural differences and policies that are equitable”.