Following Caitlyn Jenner's big reveal the transgender community has been receiving more publicity than ever before. Now, just a few weeks later, the White House has revealed some news of its own regarding the transgender community. This past week the White House has hired its first ever "out" transgender person. Raffia Freedman-Gurspan, a transgender woman of color, has been appointed to the Obama Administration to work as an outreach and recruitment director. As part of the Obama Administration, Ms. Gurspan will make selections for presidential appointments across the executive branch.

Being a transgender woman of color, Ms. Gurspan has faced many struggles, especially many resulting in violence. Since graduating from St. Olaf College, she has focused on human rights issues, mainly those pertaining to violence against women like herself. Her most recent political endeavor has been dressing the issue of living conditions for transgender women in prisons across the country. As the policy advisor for the Racial and Economic Justice Initiative at the National Center for Transgender Equality, Ms. Gurspan is reminded daily of the violent crimes committed against all transgender citizens. In fact, so far in the year 2015, 17 trans people have been killed, 15 of whom were of color according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.

With an increase in awareness of the transgender community on the horizon and recent support shown by the American people, it is no surprise that someone such as Ms. Gurspan herself has been chosen to represent our country as part of the Obama Administration. It seems as though she has just gotten the ball rolling on the way to equal rights for all American citizens.