A Conveniently Timed Appointment

David Huebner, an openly gay lawyer and founding board member of GLAAD, is to be named the United States Ambassador to New Zealand.

Call me cynical, but I don't believe it's a coincidence that word of President Obama's first appointment of an openly gay Ambassador (and the third such appointment in U.S. history) comes just days ahead of the National Equality March on Washington.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that the President decided to appoint someone from the LGBT community, but the timing of the appointment seems suspicious at best.

The fact is that this is coming from a President who promised so much on LGBT issues during his campaign and so far hasn't followed through on a single thing. His administration can barely even bring itself to pretend that they're still going try to repeal DOMA or end Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Then, just days before a huge march that is going to be highlighting every promise he's failed to live up to, the President seems to scramble to toss us a bone of sorts, as if appointing a gay Ambassador will make people think that sooner or later he's going to live up to what he said during the campaign.

I really wish I could be in Washington for the March. As soon as I heard that Cleve Jones had called for it, I wanted to take part, but it's just not financially feasible for me at the moment. I will be there in spirit, though, and I hope the number of people who attend (each representing countless more who cannot) and the passion and commitment they're bringing to the issues will force the President and Congress to stop with the empty promises and start delivering results.