Minneapolis Swears In Lesbian Top Cop

Yesterday Minneapolis swore in its first openly lesbian chief of police.

Janeé Harteau was sworn in as the city's 52nd police chief on Thursday before a crowd of 300 people in the rotunda of Minneapolis City Hall, as Sgt. Holly Keegel, whom she introduced as her "life partner," and their 13-year-old daughter, Lauren, stood by her side. "I will always stand up and do what is right, even if I stand alone," she said in a speech, following the swearing-in ceremony. "There are incredibly high expections for me and there should be." Seated and standing, the crowd included City Council members, police chiefs from a number of Minnesota cities, Minneapolis police officers and other city employees.

JMG reader Robert captions the above photo: "The man on the far right in the photo is openly gay Minneapolis City Clerk, Casey Carl. Also in attendance were two out gay City Council Members; Council Vice President Robert Lilligren (me) and Gary Schiff, as well as the nations first out U.S. Marshall Sharon Lubinski who is a former Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief."