An official portrait of Roberta Achtenberg from the U.S Commission on Civil Rights
Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
In office 1991–1993
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
In office 1993–1995
President
Bill Clinton
Succeeded by
Susan Leal
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development
In office 1995–1997
President
Bill Clinton
Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights
In office 2011–2016
President
Barack Obama
Personal details
Born
(1950-07-20) July 20, 1950 (age 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party
Democratic
Spouse(s)
David Chavkin, separated
Domestic partner(s)
Mary Morgan,[1] separated
Children
1
Education
University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of Utah (JD)
Roberta Achtenberg (born July 20, 1950) is an American attorney and civil rights advocate who served as a commissioner on the United States Commission on Civil Rights.[2] She was previously assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first openly lesbian or gay public official in the United States whose appointment to a federal position was confirmed by the United States Senate.[3] This confirmation hearing garnered a lot of publicity, opposition, and support.[4][5]
Achtenberg went to school at different branches of the University of California and later attended the University of Utah.[6] Before her political career, she worked as an attorney, director, educator, and founded organizations.[6][7][8] Achtenberg is married with a son, and has been locally and nationally recognized with many awards and has made many publications throughout her career.[9][1]
^ abCite error: The named reference Rapp-2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference www.usccr.gov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Forde, John (2006). "Roberta Achtenberg". In Gerstner, David A. (ed.). Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture (1 ed.). Routledge. pp. 2–3. ISBN 9780415306515. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
^MILLER, DIANE HELENE (1998). Freedom to Differ: The Shaping of the Gay and Lesbian Struggle for Civil Rights. NYU Press. JSTOR j.ctt9qfg14.
^United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking, Housing (1993). Nominations of Kenneth D. Brody, Roberta Achtenberg, and Nicolas P. Retsinas : hearing before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, first session, on Kenneth D. Brody to be President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank, Roberta Achtenberg to be Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Nicolas P. Retsinas to be Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as Federal Housing Commissioner, April 29, 1993. Boston Public Library. Washington : U.S. G.P.O. : For sale by the U.S. G.P.O., Supt. of Docs., Congressional Sales Office. ISBN 978-0-16-041269-1.
^ ab"Roberta Achtenberg Board of Trustees". CalState. Archived from the original on 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
^Newton, David E. (2009). Gay and lesbian rights: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 229. ISBN 9781598843071.
^Cite error: The named reference Mixner-2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Roberta Achtenberg | Board of Trustees | CSU". 2018-04-04. Archived from the original on 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
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