The first openly gay press secretary for the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre, celebrated National Coming Out Day on Tuesday by sharing a personal experience in a series of tweets and telling reporters that “coming out wasn’t an easy thing to do.”
Although being LGBT “wasn’t something that you said out loud or celebrated” in her “traditional and conservative” family, Jean-Pierre remarked on Twitter that she was pleased to tell her personal story.
But Jean-Pierre, who was reared in New York after being born on the Caribbean island of Martinique, claimed that her family eventually came to accept her.
She echoed her tweets and said during the press conference on Tuesday that she wanted to mark her own identity,
“especially as we continue to witness a surge of anti-LGBTQ legislation around the country. They recognized that who I loved didn’t change who I was as a person. No matter your ethnicity, sex, place of origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, you may realize your aspirations in America thanks to its freedoms, according to the speaker. “This is something we still fight for and work toward.”
When Jean-Pierre replaced Jen Psak as deputy press secretary in May 2021, she made history by being the first openly gay person to brief the media on the president’s behalf.
After taking over for Psaki on May 13 and having a daughter with her partner, CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, Jean-Pierre made history by becoming the first openly homosexual White House press secretary.
When the White House announced her promotion, she and Psaki appeared in front of the microphone to talk about the chance.
“I am aware that this is a historic occasion. I am aware of how crucial it is for many individuals and groups across a wide range of areas, and I have been throughout my career “When he said that, Jean-Pierre.
Psaki made a similar observation at the time, noting Jean-Pierre set an example.
She will fill this position as the first Black woman and the first openly LGBTQ+ person, which is great because representation counts “added Psaki.
This summer, Jean-Pierre revealed the details of her coming-out journey in an interview with ABC News Gio Benitez. “When I was 16 years old, I realized that I was different — and I kind of knew,” she said. She told her mother she was gay at that point.
Then Jean-Pierre stated, “You could see her brain whirling.
She observed me living a completely different life, “About her mother, she remarked. Years later, when her daughter was born, “nearly everything changed” for the better with their relationship.
Since then, Jean-Pierre has made use of her position as President Joe Biden’s spokeswoman to denounce legislation that she claims discriminates against LGBTQ people, such as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” rule, which forbids instructors from discussing gender and sexuality in younger classrooms.
“Simply put, this is prejudice. It’s a part of a troubling and dangerous national trend when right-wing politicians shamelessly target LGBTQI+ children, educators, and people in order to gain political advantage “In a July White House statement, Jean-Pierre stated.
She continued, “Teachers who identify as LGBTQ are being told to take down family images of their spouses and wives—cherished family photos like the ones on my own desk,” which she claimed were “being told to take down.”
In her final tweet for National Coming Out Day on Tuesday, Jean-Pierre offered consolation to fellow LGBTQ individuals.
Don’t be disheartened if your family doesn’t accept you immediately away after coming out, she said. Love always triumphs.
