James Hormel, first openly gay U.S. ambassador, dies at 88

SAN FRANCISCO – James Hormel, the archetypal openly cheery U.S. ambassador and a philanthropist who funded organizations to combat AIDS and beforehand quality rights, has died. He was 88.

Hormel died Friday astatine a San Francisco infirmary with his husband, Michael, astatine his broadside and portion listening to his favourite Beethoven concerto, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, praised Hormel arsenic a civilian rights pioneer who lived “an bonzer life."

“I volition miss his benignant bosom and generous spirit. It’s those qualities that made him specified an inspirational fig and beloved portion of our city,” she said.

In 1997, then-President Bill Clinton nominated Hormel to go U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. Conservative Senate Republicans blocked the nomination. But 2 years later, Clinton utilized enforcement privilege to name him during the Congressional recess.

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“The process was precise agelong and strenuous, arduous, insulting, afloat of misleading statements, afloat of lies, afloat of deceit, afloat of antagonism,” Hormel said during a West Hollywood, California, bookshop sojourn successful 2012 to beforehand his memoir, “Fit to Serve."

He ne'er received confirmation done a Senate level ballot but “ultimately a large woody was achieved," helium told the audience. “Ultimately, regulations were changed successful the State Department. Ultimately, different openly cheery individuals were appointed without the rancor that went into my case.”

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who is openly gay, has said that arsenic a teen helium was inspired by Hormel's confirmation fight.

“I tin retrieve watching the news," helium said aft his information by President Joe Biden. “And I learned thing astir immoderate of the limits that beryllium successful this state erstwhile it comes to who is allowed to belong. But conscionable arsenic important, I saw however those limits could beryllium challenged.”

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Hormel held the ambassadorship from June 1999 done 2000.

Clinton and his wife, erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said they were profoundly saddened by Hormel’s death.

“Jim devoted his beingness to advancing the rights and dignity of each people, and successful his trailblazing work successful the diplomatic corps, helium represented the United States with grant and brought america person to surviving retired the meaning of a much cleanable union,” the Clintons said successful a statement.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who officiated astatine Hormel's wedding to his husband, said Hormel “made it his ngo to combat for dignity and equality for all” and noted his philanthropic contributions to health, creator and acquisition organizations.

“When the AIDS epidemic descended upon San Francisco, helium called connected our conscience and rallied the metropolis to assistance our neighbors suffering from the ferocious disease,” Pelosi said successful a statement. “His enactment served arsenic a exemplary for nationalist argumentation to decision HIV/AIDS and amended the lives of each affected.”

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Hormel was an heir to the Hormel Foods fortune. Born successful Austin, Minnesota, Hormel joined his assemblage sweetheart, Alice McElroy Parker, and had 5 children earlier divorcing successful 1965. He moved to San Francisco successful 1977.

He was a erstwhile dean of students astatine the University of Chicago instrumentality school, wherever helium received a degree.

Hormel co-founded the Human Rights Campaign and helped money galore activities geared to arts, acquisition and quality rights, including a cheery and lesbian halfway astatine the San Francisco Public Library; the National AIDS Memorial Grove; the American Foundation for AIDS Research; and the American Conservatory Theater.

In summation to his husband, Hormel is survived by 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

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