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From GayNZ.com New Zealand Daily News
America's Vice President Joe Biden has sworn in openly gay lawyer David Huebner as America's ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.
In his speech at the event yesterday afternoon in the White House (this morning NZ time), Biden quoted late Kiwi explorer Sir Edmund Hillary to describe Huebner: "People don't decide to be extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things."
Biden acknowledged that Huebner's partner of 20 years Dr. Duane McWaine, a respected psychiatrist who is putting his career on hold to accompany Huebner on his official travels as ambassador, had sacrificed much to support his partner.
Sworn in on the Bible, Huebner, 49, told the assembled media that "I was sworn in today standing next to my spouse, who happens to be of a different race, and the same gender as I am. In America, such a trajectory is not only possible, it's natural. We are a society founded on equal opportunity, instinctive fairness and strength through diversity."
He later described New Zealand as "a nation of great beauty, generosity of spirit and strength of character," and said he believed NZ and America shared "a vision for a more secure, open, prosperous and sustainable global community."
On the video below: Ambassador David Huebner is sworn in. © Copyright GayNZ.com |
