The nomination of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary by President-elect Donald Trump has not been met with the same enthusiasm by LGBTQ groups as was the nomination of Pete Buttigieg for Transport Secretary, despite both men identifying as gay.
As reported by The Washington Free Beacon, Bessent's potential role is of higher significance than transport, and upon confirmation, he will be the highest-ranking gay official in US history.
However, LGBTQ advocacy groups such as GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, and the National LGBTQ Task Force, which were quick to celebrate Buttigiegs nomination, have remained silent on Bessent's appointment. Buttigieg, the first openly gay cabinet member confirmed by the Senate, was hailed as a "historic milestone for LGBTQ visibility" by GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis. The Human Rights Campaign echoed this sentiment, labeling it a "historic confirmation.
Bessent, the founder of private investment firm Key Square Group, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate without any difficulty. According to The Post Millennial, this appointment will place him fifth in line in presidential succession. However, the president-elect's announcement of Bessent's nomination has been met with silence from LGBTQ advocacy groups.
These organizations have previously shown strong support for LGBTQ-approved appointments during the Biden administration. GLAAD, for instance, lauded the historic nomination of trans-identified male Rachel Levine as the deputy assistant secretary of health. The group even keeps a record of everyone who identifies Levine as a biological male. Levine has used his office to advocate for puberty blockers and sex changes for children.
GLAAD expressed outrage when CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris support for taxpayer-funded sex change operations for illegal immigrants. "Transgender people and migrants are being baselessly scapegoated at every turn," the groups CEO stated, as noted by The Beacon.
The National LGBTQ Task Force and the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute also celebrated Levine's appointment and President Joe Bidens employment of Karine Jean-Pierre as the White House press secretary. The Victory Institute also applauded Sam Brinton, a former Department of Energy bureaucrat who was arrested multiple times for stealing womens clothing at airports.
The Human Rights Campaign acknowledged Bessents potential high-profile role in the future Trump administration in a statement on Threads. The statement seemed to caution Bessent to align with the LGBTQ agenda: "The LGBTQ+ community is counting on openly LGBTQ+ nominees like Scott Bessent to step up for the community," it said. "It will be a tough roadas was proven [during] Donald Trump's previous administration and in his Project 2025 Agenda."
The statement concluded with a stern warning: "Donald Trump and his White House are a threat to the rights, freedoms, and lives of LGBTQ+ people. That will be our focus in the upcoming days, months, and years ahead."
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