Earlier, when working on Obama’s election campaign at a time when most in the LGBT community backed Hillary Clinton, he became known as “Obama’s gay.” Nosanchuk also faced pressure when he worked at the Department of Justice on LGBT issues, at a time when the Obama administration still defended the legality of Defense of Marriage Act and the armed forces’ “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Matt Nosanchuk speaking at Keshet event Jordyn Rozensky/ Keshet And he has held it for an unusually long time, too: two and a half years or, as he likes to count it, six Hanukkah parties (two each December). “Many people in the community who worked with other liaisons said no one has held this job at a more difficult time,” Nosanchuk said. The Iran deal “is the most tendentious issue I’ve dealt with, no doubt about that,” he told Haaretz in an interview this week, after sharing his personal and professional story with about 100 supporters of Keshet, an organization that advocates for full the inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life, in New York a day earlier. Other times, like when various parts of the Jewish community fought each other, and President Obama, over the Iran deal last summer, it’s not. Sometimes, like while watching Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin light candles at last December’s White House Hanukkah party, his job is a pleasure. White House illuminated with rainbow colors after Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage.
