James Hormel was U.S.’s first openly gay ambassador, supported local causes

Former U.S. Ambassador and philanthropist James Hormel of San Francisco died Friday morning at 88 years old.

Driven by his passion for social justice, Hormel served as an ambassador in Luxembourg from 1999 to 2000, becoming the first openly gay U.S. ambassador. He attended the 51st United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 1995 and was the alternate representative of the U.S. delegation to the 51st United Nations General Assembly, among other feats.