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Loading ...Gay families take part in WH Easter Egg Roll
04.13.2009 4:28pm EDT
(Washington) President Barack Obama welcomed thousands of children and families to the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday, calling it “one of the greatest White House traditions.”
Obama and his wife, Michelle, appeared with on a balcony overlooking the South Lawn where thousands of children and families took a break from participating in the festivities to listen and cheer enthusiastically for the first family. The president’s daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama, were also there, along with his mother-in-law Marian Robinson.Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, stood on the driveway beneath the balcony.
Obama initially could only wave to the crowd, thanks to nonworking microphones. He looked around for help, and finally the sound system started working just as Malia leaned into the microphone and asked “is it on?” The president called her his technical adviser.
During the technical delay, Mrs. Obama waved enthusiastically to the crowd and the president pretended to whisper in the giant ears of a person wearing a bunny costume, drawing laughter from those on the lawn.
Obama greeted the crowd, extolling the event as one that “reminds us that this is the people’s house.”
Mrs. Obama reminded the participants of the event’s theme, “Let’s go play.”
“Our goal today is just to have fun,” she said. “We want to focus on activity, healthy eating. We’ve got yoga, we’ve got dancing, we’ve got storytelling, we’ve got Easter Egg decorating, and we’ve got basketball, soccer as well.”
“We want everybody to think about moving their bodies,” she added.
Shortly after kicking off the event, the first family walked to the storytime stage to read to a group of children. Entering the area, Obama shook hands with many of the children in the front row.
The president read “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, which he called “one of my favorite books.” He stood in front of the seated children, slowly rotating the book, so that everyone could see the pictures. At the end of the story he asked, “are there any wild things here? I just want to make sure,” and issued a soft wild thing-like growl along with the cheering of the crowd.
Next, Mrs. Obama and her mother took turns reading “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” by Laura Joffe Numeroff . The first daughters turned the pages of an oversized copy of the book to show the illustrations.
Music star Fergie sang the National Anthem before the president greeted the crowd.
The White House allotted tickets for the event to gay and lesbian parents as part of the administration’s effort to reach out to diverse communities. Representatives from Family Equality Council, Human Rights Campaign, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and other groups confirmed earlier that they were invited and encouraged to have their members participate.
A nice, safe way to get some positive press without actually doing anything to give those families he invited the right to BE families in the eyes of our government.
It is wonderful how the Associated Press notes the historical inclusionary effort of the President with only 2 sentences and 1 adjective.
Where to start on this.
Gay families rolling easter eggs, gay cabinet appointments, gay spokespersons, gay pride messages from the President. All these are examples of things which are highly symbolic and don’t do much for gays and lesbians on the ground. Even President Bush welcomed gay families to the white house easter social, so President Obama doing it is nothing new. When Obama decided to embrace marriage equality, he lifts the ban on gays serving in the military, he passes a meaningful SONDA/ENDA with teeth and eliminates DOMA. Then we will have reason to celebrate.
As far as kids enjoying themselves and having fun on easter, I am all for that. Also, another pet peeve. The gayby boom has increasingly politicized children, to a point where kids of gay parents are activists before they even come out the womb. Kids, regardless of parents, are kids and should be allowed to enjoy a day without their parents drawing political attention to themselves and their kids.
Couldn’t Obama have just one event without pushing his liberal agenda? Just let kids be kids! Leave the agenda of the adults out of it!
Carla, I have to say that the issues are not just adult issues, but also issues of the gay youth. I am happy Obama did this, but Rodney is correct. We are getting nice sunshiney happy things but were not getting to the real heart of the matter are we.
He has made other huge changes happen. It is time to make good on his campaign promises and make a huge change happen for our people.
Even though Laura Bush first invited gay families with she and George were nowhere to be seen when the Easter Egg roll was on. Even though I wanted Kucinich over Obama, at least Barack and Michelle took time out of the day to be seen and to be with happy families and kids that included straights and GLBTs alike. The only thing I would have done differently if I were President for this day would be that I would have declared it a day just for the kids and their families. President Obama, next year, please park the political groups somewhere else just long enough for this day to get done, thank you. We need at least one day out of the year where the political concerns, worries and allegiances of the adults should totally take a back seat to the kids and families until the day is over.
That means inviting just separate and random indivuals as straight and gay families with kids, not as entire identifiable political groups of any kind. That way of inviting entire political organizations even though their mission statement is just, only mars the day for most everyone who need an occasional breather from “reality” to do something light-hearted, to refresh and focus on something not serious, not work-related, or not politically oriented so they can return to those things reenergized when they have to.
DOMA is a Federal law. President Obama can’t change it; Congress has to.
DADT is a Federal law. President Obama can’t change it; Congress has to.
Sour grapes on the left; sour grapes on the right; well, at least they’re good for making vinegar.
You folks need to GROW UP and CHILL OUT. President Obama is the best thing that’s happened to the GLBTQAI community since Stonewall.
Give him a fraakin’ chance, already!
If he’d come out and said he was for same-sex marriage, do you think he’d be President today?
If you DO, *I* want some of what *you’ve* been smokin’!
i am a lesbian and a mother not all of us make our children activists. my children are not activists. if when they become voting adults i want them to be active and utilize their right to vote because their great grandmother fought for the right for my girls to vote. we are a family and i did not have them just to use them for my “agenda” whatever that is. but i answer my childrens questions honestly so my 12 year old especially, knows that her mommies can’t get married unless we moved across the country. to say that our children are in exsistance because i wanted to further my political activism is an insult. my children are CHILDREN, and i am not any less of a mother because ia am a politically active lesbian
to clarify and correct here – the Bushes never invited LGBT families this is the first time. and change starts with people getting to know and understand us as people, beyond the misinformation and crap they have been fed by anti-gay groups and religious extremists. the policy change will happen – but the cultural change needs to happen first
Cathy Said: change starts with people getting to know and understand us as people, beyond the misinformation and crap they have been fed by anti-gay groups and religious extremists. the policy change will happen – but the cultural change needs to happen first.
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Abso-frickin-lutly.
There was no politicizing of children. And if there is it’s by those who seek to take away parental, adoption, marriage, and a slew of other rights from Gay folks.
At least he had the book right side up while reading to the kids.
Too funny, I thought the ‘WH’ meant “West Hollywood.” My, is it true we have a friend outside the Gay Ghetto?
Was larry sinclair there rolling obama’s eggs?
I’m glad that some homos could go dance and sing and act all proper like for the president. He must’ve really appreciated the show everyone put on. He is a great actor as well.
You can roll eggs with the man, I just can’t roll the eggs of my wife’s mouth and get the same civil rights. But hey. Let’s all roll a F-ing egg.
Does having children kill one’s need to NOT assimilate to the breeder ways?
My morning routine is to read the Boston Globe online and then, later, read this site. In the Globe, I spend a lot of time countering the posts of guys on the far right who just can’t *evah* say anything positive about Obama. Today, it was “don’t give the guy credit for handling the pirate/hostage situation well…it was just luck.” Their bias is wearying and, at times, silly sounding. Not to mention that one of the best tricks at appearing legitimate and influencing people to agree with you is to “throw your opponent a bone” once in a while, complimenting her or him on minor things that went right.
A lot of you guys posting in here sound JUST LIKE THE FAR RIGHT LUNIES! You’re the Gay Left version of the same darn thing.
Your agenda and resentment is so strong that it colors everything you see.
We *know* you’re disappointed in the lack of gay marriage support and taking too long to end DADT. But could you keep that bias out of a generally positive story about the Easter egg hunt, please? It gets so tiresome….
The things that Obama has thus far done for glbtq people may be mainly symbolic, but what a pleasure it is to have a President who does not demonize gay people, push a far-right agenda, and attempts to be inclusive. Rest assured, the Bushes never sent invitations to the Family Equality Council, the HRC, or the NGLTF. The Obamas seem to realize that gay people are part of the country. This may not be a big deal, but it is a refreshing change.
Yeah, lots of Uncle Tom’s in the GLBT community said the same about Bill Clinton as stated below.
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“You folks need to GROW UP and CHILL OUT. President Obama is the best thing that’s happened to the GLBTQAI community since Stonewall.”
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…Hmmmm, Obama attracts honey bees instead of flies when he takes a dump too, eh? Best thing since Stonewall, eh? Wow! What a load!
Democratic leaders in both houses of this Congress take their lead from Obama. Obama does not lead on our issues. He avoids them. Got it!
So, don’t dump it all on Congress. Obama is the titulary head of the Democratic Party. Nothing is going anywhere without his approval and/or backing. Don’t be so naive.
As long as Obama thinks he can get re-elected without our votes and money, he will run from the issue of our equality as quickly as Enron did to the Bahamas to celebrate after they got their bailout money.
You’re the one who needs to grow up, Burgoon-Clark. No pressure, no results. Got it?