By Eric Roper
President Obama recently nominated Assistant Minneapolis Police Chief Sharon Lubinski to be Minnesota's U.S. Marshal at the recomendation of Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Our story on Klobuchar's announcement earlier this year noted that, if approved by the Senate, Lubinski would be the first female to hold the position of U.S. Marshal in Minnesota history.
An Associated Press profile of Lubinski released today, however, notes that she would also be the first openly gay U.S. Marshal in the country (and the second woman). Lubinski came out publicly on the front page of the Star Tribune in 1993, inspiring other officers to do the same, the story says.
A quick search of our archives turns up the 1993 article by reporter Glenn Howatt titled "Lesbian officer looked within, and came out."
"There's no going back," Lubinski said at the time. "I'm risking my safety, my career and personal life to do this."
A few weeks later, Minneapolis Deputy Chief Robert Allen said he was gay as well.
"Frankly, I would not have been comfortable being the first to come out, but I think she made it far easier for the rest of us because everyone said, 'Oh, she's a good cop.'" Allen told the AP.
