FIRST TRANSGENDER EMPLOYEE IN THE WHITE HOUSE [PHOTO]

The White House announced Tuesday that it hired its first openly transgender staff member.Raffi Freedman-Gurspan will serve as outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel in the Office of Personnel.

Earlier this year, she was one of several advocates to participate in the first-ever White House briefing on the state of transgender women of color. She urged administration officials to develop a national plan on a range of issues, including discrimination, mental health, homelessness and unemployment.