White House celebrates 'Lesbian visibility week,' declares Biden 'most pro-LGBTQI president' in history
White House guests accused Republicans of 'legislative acts of violence'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden's administration celebrated Lesbian Visibility Week during the White House press briefing on Tuesday, with guests declaring Biden the "most pro-LGBTQI president in our history."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre welcomed the cast and creators of "The L Word" and "Generation Q," TV shows, which are focused on lesbian and LGBT narratives. Jean-Pierre and her guests condemned "MAGA extremists" for their alleged attacks on LGBT groups and civil rights legislation.
"This week is Lesbian Visibility Week, and as the first openly queer person to hold the position of press secretary for the President of the United States, I see every day how important visibility and representation are," Jean-Pierre began, welcoming actresses Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey and Katherine Moennig as well as show co-creator Ilene Chaiken.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As a young, queer woman of color, I felt alone and sometimes invisible," Jean-Pierre said. "For so many people in our community, ‘The L Word's' impact cannot be understated [sic]. Being able to see diverse narratives that reflect our lives is incredibly important. It is important that young people see characters on television and in the books who they can relate to, and whose life stories and identities inspire them to reach their highest potential."
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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (C) hugs "The L Word" actress Leisha Hailey (R) as Producer Ilene Chaiken (L) speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House.
Guests at the White House declared President Biden the "most pro-LGBTQI president in our history" on Tuesday as the White House celebrated Lesbian Visibility Week. (Evan Vucci/ Pool via REUTERS)
Jean-Pierre went on to say that LGBT people face "relentless attacks from some Republicans across the country." She condemned the banning of certain LGBT-oriented books as well as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' so-called "don't say gay" law.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"MAGA extremists want to roll back the visibility and progress we fought so hard to achieve," Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre then turned the podium over to Chaiken, who offered full-throated praise of the president.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We're honored to be here today standing beside the first out lesbian press secretary in our history, who serves the most pro-LGBTQI president in our history," Chaiken began. "We're painfully aware that our struggles are far from over. We face new threats against our community, from online harassment to legislative acts of violence, to actual physical violence."
"They may try to erase our stories from classrooms and libraries, but we're here. We're here today – at the White House – and we won't be erased. We will continue to be visible, powerful and engaged, contributive, creative, loving American citizens," she continued, going on to thank Biden for his leadership on the issue.
The White House hosted actresses from the "Generation Q" and "The L Word" TV shows on Tuesday in celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week.
After the actresses departed, Jean-Pierre went on to field questions about Biden's newly-announced 2024 presidential campaign. Biden's age, 80, has been a major concern for voters heading into the campaign season.
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