James Hormel, born January 1, 1933 in Austin, Minnesota, is the first openly gay man to serve as a U.S. Ambassador. He is a grandson and an heir to the founder of the Hormel Foods.
In 1994, President Clinton considered him to be the ambassador to Fiji, but at the time gay sex in Fiji was punishable by prison sentences so his nomination was never forwarded.
In 1997, Clinton nominated him as ambassador to Luxembourg, which had removed laws prohibiting consensual same-sex acts in the 1800s. Despite vigorous opposition, his nomination was approved and he was sworn in as ambassador in June 1999.
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