Biden Picks D.C.'s Out Dept. of Transportation Head for White House Post

President-elect Joe Biden has chosen the openly gay head of the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation, Jeff Marootian, for a post on the incoming administration's climate team, NPR reports.

The Biden transition team announced on Jan. 14 that Marootian will "serve as the Special Assistant to the President for Climate and Science Agency Personnel," the NPR story said.

"Marootian has overseen several D.C. initiatives to curb climate change through transportation policy, including a recent pact with three other states to cut transportation pollution by 26% over the next decade," the NPR story went on to add.

Marootian, who brings still more diversity to the incoming administration, also served in the Obama administration, NPR recalled.

"Before he started his job at DDOT in 2015, Marootian worked on transportation issues in the Obama administration as White House liaison, assistant secretary for administration, and chief sustainability officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation," NPR noted.

NPR also noted that Marootian "worked on LGBTQ outreach at the Democratic National Committee during Obama's 2012 campaign."

At the present time, Marootian is "serving as a volunteer adviser for the Biden-Harris transition team," reported local news source WTOP.

Biden has made a point of filling out his team with diverse picks, including choosing Pete Buttigieg as his incoming administration's transportation chief, announcing all-female picks to staff the White House press team, selecting Carlos Elizondo, the out former social secretary for the Bidens when Joe Biden was vice president, for the role of White House social secretary, and adding out trans veteran Shawn Skelly to his transition team.

The choices are of a piece with assurances that Biden has made to the LGBTQ community, including a vow to seek the passage of the Equality Act, which would institute non-discrimination protections at the federal level.

Though Biden had initially vowed to prioritize passage of the Equality Act within the first 100 days of his administration, the ongoing COVID pandemic and the rocky transition of power that saw Trump-supporting rioters storm the Capitol Building on Jan. 6 - leading to the second impeachment of Donald Trump by the House of Representatives, possibly to be followed by a conviction in the Senate - may, some advocates say, necessitate a delay in making good on that promise.