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James C. Hormel

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Jim Hormel
United States Ambassador to Luxembourg
In office
September 8, 1999 – January 1, 2001
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byClay Constantinou
Succeeded byGerald Loftus (acting)
Personal details
Born
James Catherwood Hormel

(1933-01-01)January 1, 1933
Austin, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedAugust 13, 2021(2021-08-13) (aged 88)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Alice Turner (divorced)
Michael Nguyen Araque
Children5
Parent
RelativesGeordie Hormel (brother)
George A. Hormel (grandfather)
EducationSwarthmore College (BA)
University of Chicago (JD)

James Catherwood Hormel (January 1, 1933 – August 13, 2021) was an American philanthropist, LGBT activist, diplomat, and heir to the Hormel meatpacking fortune. He served as the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg from 1999 to 2001, and was the first openly gay man to represent the United States as an ambassador.[1]

Early life and education

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Hormel was born in Austin, Minnesota. He is the grandson of George A. Hormel, founder of Hormel Foods. Hormel is the son of Germaine Dubois and Jay Catherwood Hormel, who served as president of Hormel Foods. Hormel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Swarthmore College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School. After law school, Hormel served as the dean of students and director of admissions at the University of Chicago Law School.[2]

Diplomatic career

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In 1994, President Bill Clinton considered Hormel for the ambassadorship to Fiji, but did not put the nomination forward due to objections from Fijian government officials.[3] At the time, gay male sexual acts were punishable with prison sentences in Fiji and Hormel's being open about his sexuality would stand in conflict with "Fijian culture". Instead, Hormel was named as part of the United Nations delegation from the United States to the Human Rights Commission in 1995, and in 1996 became an alternate for the United Nations General Assembly.[3]

In October 1997, Clinton nominated Hormel to be ambassador to Luxembourg, which had removed laws prohibiting consensual same-sex acts between adults in the 1800s.[3][4] This appointment was the first nomination or appointment of an openly LGBT person from the United States.[3] The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination with only Republican and conservative Senators Jesse Helms and John Ashcroft opposed. While his confirmation by the senate initially seemed certain,[5] with only two senators—Tim Hutchinson and James Inhofe—opposing the nomination, subsequent revelations about Hormel's background led to more opposition from Republican senators, leaving Hormel's nomination in limbo.[6] Among the points of contention were:

  • The James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library, which Hormel funded, was found to contain pornographic materials and documents published by the pro-pedophilia advocacy group NAMBLA.[5] Christian-based conservative groups like the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) and the Family Research Council (FRC) labelled Hormel as being pro-pornography, asserting that Hormel would be rejected in the largely Roman Catholic Luxembourg.[7] The Washington Post later wrote that much of the same material could also be found in the Library of Congress, and Hormel said that he had nothing to do with the selection.[8]
  • The FRC distributed video tapes[9] of a television interview with Hormel at the 1996 San Francisco Pride parade in which Hormel laughed at a joke about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of men who dress in drag as nuns to mock religious conventions, as they passed by.[8] The Catholic League took this as an indication of approval of what they characterized as an anti-Catholic group.[10] In a meeting with Tim Hutchinson, Hormel declined to repudiate the Sisters.[6] In an interview years later, Hormel objected to the idea that the video clip showed that he approved of the group and that he was anti-Catholic.[8]
  • It was revealed that Hormel had contributed $12,000 to fund the production of It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School, a video aimed at teaching tolerance of homosexuality to grade-school students.[5][6] This especially inflamed Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire, who was portrayed unflatteringly in the film. Smith contended that he opposed Hormel not because he was gay but because of his "advocacy of the gay lifestyle".[5]

Trent Lott, the Republican majority leader, worked to block the vote and publicly called homosexuality a sin and compared it to alcoholism and kleptomania.[3]

Concerns about Hormel's reception in Luxembourg were "blunted when officials of the country, which has laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation, indicated that he would be welcome."[11][12] Senator Alfonse D'Amato of New York found the obstruction of the nomination an embarrassment and urged that Trent Lott bring the issue up for a vote.[13][14] When Lott continued to stall, Clinton employed a recess appointment on June 4, 1999. Hormel was sworn in as ambassador in June 1999. His partner at the time, Timothy Wu, held the Bible during the ceremony.[15][16][17][18] Also in attendance were Hormel's former wife, his five children, and several of his grandchildren. The treatment of his nomination was referenced by Pete Buttigieg during his acceptance speech for his nomination as Secretary of Transportation on December 16, 2020.[19]

Philanthropy and advocacy

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In 1981, he was one of the founders of the Human Rights Campaign.[20] He was a member of the boards of directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Hormel contributed $500,000[5] to fund the creation of the James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library in 1996 (renamed the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center in 2016).[21]

Hormel participated in numerous events, including a conference organized in 2004 by Amnesty International in the frame of the Geneva Gay Pride. In 2010 he was given the Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal Award by San Francisco Pride Board of Directors for his LGBT activism over several decades.[22]

Personal life and death

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Hormel's brother, Geordie Hormel, was a musician and recording studio proprietor. Hormel was married to Alice Turner, now a retired psychologist, for ten years before coming out of the closet.[23] Hormel had five children, fourteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He lived in San Francisco, California, with his spouse Michael Peter Nguyen Araque.[24]

James Hormel died in San Francisco on August 13, 2021, at the age of 88.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (5 June 1999). "Clinton Appoints Gay Man as Ambassador as Congress Is Away". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Grullón Paz, Isabella (August 13, 2021). "James Hormel, America's First Openly Gay Ambassador, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Raymond A. Smith; Donald P. Haider-Markel (2002). Gay and lesbian Americans and political participation: a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio. ISBN 1-57607-256-8.
  4. ^ Byrne R. S. Fone (2001). Homophobia: A History. Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-42030-7.
  5. ^ a b c d e Novak, Robert D. (15 January 1998). "A Gay Ambassador?". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ a b c "Republicans delay Hormel vote - Heir seeks to become first gay ambassador". Post Bulletin. 13 February 1998.
  7. ^ Nadine Strossen (2000). Defending pornography: free speech, sex, and the fight for women's rights. NYU Press. ISBN 0-8147-8149-7.
  8. ^ a b c Kupfer, Peter (20 June 2001). "After a Diplomatic Silence, The Gay Ambassador Speaks". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ Curtis, Kim (June 6, 1999). "Gay Philanthropist's Appointment as Envoy Causes Controversy". Seattle Times. p. A15.
  10. ^ "White House Lies About Hormel". 26 May 1999.
  11. ^ Rapp, Linda (1 March 2004) [2004]. "Hormel, James C. (b. 1931)". In Summers, Claude J. (ed.). glbtq: An encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture. Chicago: glbtq, Inc. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009.
  12. ^ Kupfer, Peter (June 20, 2001). "After a Diplomatic Silence, the Gay Ambassador Speaks; James Hormel Responds to His Vociferous Critics". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  13. ^ Leahy, Patrick (29 January 2001). "Floor Statement on the Nomination of John Ashcroft to the Office of Attorney General". Senator Patrick Leahy. Archived from the original on 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  14. ^ Nichols, Jack (22 June 1998). "Republican Demagogue: 'Ambassadors Shouldn't Be (Immoral) Gays!': Senator Don Nickles (R.-Okla) Steps Up Declared War on U.S. Gays: Franklin Kameny on Nickles: 'He's a Two Bit Little Public Servant!'". Gay Today. Archived from the original on 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  15. ^ Rich, Frank (3 July 1999). "Journal; Summer of Matthew Shepard". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  16. ^ "Human Events". The New York Times. 16 July 1999. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  17. ^ Holland, Judy (1 July 1999). "Hormel's partner sees win for minorities; Mainstream America rejected anti-gay comments, Timothy Wu says". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  18. ^ Stern, Keith (2006). Queers in History. Beverly Hills, California: Quistory Publishers. ISBN 1-84728-348-9.
  19. ^ Itkowitz, Colby; Sonmez, Felicia; Wagner, John; Viebeck, Elise; Demirjian, Karoun; Janes, Chelsea. "Biden introduces Buttigieg as transportation secretary nominee, meets virtually with governors". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  20. ^ Bibi, Elizabeth (August 13, 2021). "Statement On The Passing of a Human Rights Campaign Founder, LGBTQ Advocate, and Former Ambassador Jim Hormel". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  21. ^ Whiting, Sam (21 June 2016). "'Queerest. Library. Ever.': Preserving gay history for 20 years". SFGate.
  22. ^ "Grand Marshals". San Francisco Pride. 2010. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  23. ^ Rich, Frank (18 April 1998). "Journal; All in the Family". The New York Times.
  24. ^ "Alfred Bloom, Mary Schmidt Campbell '69, and James C. Hormel '55 to Receive Honorary Degrees at Swarthmore's 137th Commencement". Swarthmore College. Archived from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  25. ^ Grullón Paz, Isabella (August 13, 2021). "James Hormel, America's First Openly Gay Ambassador, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
[edit]
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Luxembourg
1999–2001 		Succeeded by
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