James Hormel, first openly gay U.S. ambassador, dies at age 88
The Washington Post.Hormel’s nomination appeared to be dead in 1998, but Clinton renominated Hormel for the vacant ambassadorship a year later, and installed Hormel in the post through a recess appointment, outraging Republicans. Hormel served as ambassador from June 1999 to December 2000.“The process was very long and strenuous, arduous, insulting, full of misleading statements, full of lies, full of deceit, full of antagonism,” Hormel said in 2012 while promoting a memoir, Fit to Serve, about his nomination and ambassadorship. “Ultimately a great deal was achieved,” Hormel said.