'I Love You, Your President Loves You!': First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Hosts WH Pride Month Celebration

3 months ago

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hosts the White House Pride Month Celebration

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00Hello, everyone. Happy Pride! I am so grateful to be with all of you tonight

00:27to celebrate Pride. I grew up with two loving parents who told me that I could be anything

00:35and that they would love me. And I remember feeling so safe and secure in their unconditional

00:43love. I'm a social worker now, and I see every day how important it is for children to feel

00:55loved, accepted, and supported. It's everything. Unfortunately, as we know, not all children

01:04grow up this way. Too many LGBTQ children grow up in homes that don't accept them, or

01:13if they're accepted at home, they go to school each day and either have to hide a piece of

01:19who they are or are bullied because of it. LGBTQ students deserve to be safe at school,

01:30at home, and in their communities. Period. Period. They should never, ever have to endure

01:43violence or cruelty because of who they are. My parents know that. It's why my dad has

01:51built the most pro-equality administration in history. And all of you know the importance

02:04of this work, too. I am so grateful that there are people like you who are working to make

02:11sure our kids get the love and the support that they need and they deserve. In towns

02:17and cities across America, there are countless LGBTQ people who are able to find community,

02:25belonging, and refuge because of all of you. Thank you so much for your tireless efforts.

02:32It changes lives, truly. Please, please make a promise that you will never, ever give up.

02:47And remember why we celebrate Pride this month. Because 55 years ago, Marsha P. Johnson and

02:56Sylvia Rivera and other trans women of color stood up and said, enough is enough. And with

03:09a flash of courage, they began a movement that brought us here today, to this moment of hope.

03:15And so many LGBTQ people of color, so many of you have continued to lead their fearless fight

03:24against injustice here and around the world. And now, I would like to introduce the woman

03:36who taught me how to be myself, who loved me unconditionally, who has showed me in so many

03:44ways how I can make a difference, and who works every single day tirelessly to ensure that all

03:53people have the opportunities and freedoms that they deserve. Welcome to the stage, my mama,

04:00your first lady, Jill Biden. She's pretty amazing, isn't she? Actually, your dad and I are so proud

04:26of the Women's Center that you're building in Philadelphia. And the women that you're going to

04:33help have been through so much. They deserve a second chance and the support to restart their

04:39lives. I'm so grateful to be joined by so many members of Congress, along with Governor Polis

04:47and elected officials from all across the country. And we also have with us incredible

04:56leaders in Joe's administration, like Secretary Buttigieg and Chastin, wherever you are. And to

05:05the Gill Foundation, thank you for making this moment possible. Joe and I are so grateful for

05:14Tim and Scott's friendship and vision. And DJ Trice. Didn't he do a great job? Oh my gosh. DJ,

05:29you created the perfect, joyful soundtrack for this event. So yeah, give him another round of

05:37applause. He did an amazing job. And he's here with his mother. So I'm so happy to be here with

05:46my daughter as we celebrate your families, those families that you're born into, the ones you build

05:53and the ones you choose. Looking out at all of you, I see America. And it's an honor to welcome

06:06you to our home. But home isn't always a place. It doesn't always have an address or a parking spot.

06:14It isn't just four walls with just the right color couch inside. Sometimes home is the bonds we build

06:22through choice and chance, the communities that we create together. It's those people whose love

06:30you feel deep in the marrow of your bones, the ones who will always pick up the phone when days

06:40are long and times are hard, the ones who lift up our joys and breathe life into our hopes, the ones

06:50who don't ask us to be strong or brave, who don't need us to explain who we are because they already

06:59understand. I hope that all of you feel that freedom and love on the South Lawn today because your home

07:09is here too. But even as we celebrate, we know that this community is under attack. Many of you know

07:22that all too well and have come here from states that are passing laws targeting LGBTQ Americans.

07:31And it feels like we're just caught in this push and pull of progress. There are those who see our

07:40communities and our families and wish to tear them down, those who can't see that the world is so

07:48much bigger and beautiful than they know. But when our homes are threatened, when they strip away our

07:56rights and deny our basic humanity, we say, not on our watch. Pride is a celebration, but it's also a

08:13declaration that we will not be silenced, that we will show up for ourselves and for our country and for each

08:22other. Our victories testify to that strength. Nine years ago, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage

08:32across the country. And now, thanks to Joe, my husband, marriage equality will remain the law of the land. His

08:47administration also ended the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. He's standing firmly against conversion

08:59therapy. And almost 14 years ago, it's hard to believe it's been that long, Joe stood beside President Obama as he

09:11signed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Then, as president, he made it possible for trans Americans to serve openly

09:25in America. Just this morning, Joe took another step to right those decades of injustice. Maybe you heard about it.

09:39Pardoning. It was so great. Pardoning many service members who were court-martialed for being, simply being

09:47themselves. Honoring those heroes. Honoring those heroes. I'm sure there's many of you in the crowd and the service of

10:01many LGBTQ troops, veterans, and their families who have given so much for our country. Joe will never stop fighting for

10:13this community. These are big victories. Ones that bloom across history. But our triumphs live in the small moments too.

10:28Moments that would have been unimaginable a decade ago. Walking down the street without fear. Coworkers who use your chosen

10:40name and pronouns. Kids with two moms and two dads on the playground. Celebrating pride together on the White House South

10:52lawn. Yes, outside those gates are those who want to send our country backwards. And tomorrow, we will face them with the

11:07courage and the strength that we always have. But today, we're here to find joy. To feel at home. To be free. To say loud and clear

11:53Thank you. So I'll continue. That you are beautiful. That you are loved. And to all the kids here, you can tell your parents that I said to

12:13make sure that you enjoy the best lawn in America. Eat some good food. Run through the grass. Do cartwheels. Have fun. And when you leave

12:25here to go back into a place that still needs so much change, just take all of that with you. Let it be a reminder that you don't face these

12:37battles alone. You are never alone. I love you. Your president loves you. Thank you and happy pride. Thank you.

'I Love You, Your President Loves You!': First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Hosts WH Pride Month Celebration

Category

Transcript

Recommended