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| Does everyone have to be disrespectful around First Lady Michelle Obama? |
Not from those usual suspects in the conservative agitating circles but a lesbian activist who interrupts the First Lady while she was attending a Democratic fundraiser.
Those in the conservative/white supremacist bubble think of the First Lady as an "angry Black woman" and "primate". This incident will assure the conservatives a reason to attack the only Obama who has high approval among the public.
The woman who heckled the First Lady wanted to make attention to issues surround around LGBT issues.
ABC News reports that Mrs. Obama was delivering a speech at a DNC event at a private home in Washington shortly after 6 p.m. when a protester began shouting for the president to sign an executive order to protect gay and lesbian rights, according to pool reports.
“One of the things I don’t do well is this,” Obama reportedly responded to loud applause. She then left the podium and walked toward the heckler, saying she could “listen to me or you can take the mic, but I’m leaving. You all decide. You have one choice.”
The protester was later identified as Ellen Sturtz, an activist for the pro-LGBT rights group GetEQUAL.
The crowd begged for the first lady to stay and one woman near Sturtz shouted, “You need to go.”
Sturtz was reportedly escorted out, identifying herself as a “lesbian looking for federal equality before I die.”
GetEQUAL later contacted the White House press pool and said Sturtz was calling for an executive order to bar discrimination by federal contractors based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The event, which was also attended by Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, was held at the home of Karen Dixon and Nan Schaffer in NW Washington.
CNN reports that the interruption came less than two weeks after President Obama faced a Code Pink protester who loudly advocated for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison during the president's national security speech.
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| I bet the heckler, Ellen Sturtz won't be invited to any events with politicos! |
The president, who was making his remarks before cameras and a large audience, handled the situation differently than his wife's confrontation Tuesday night.
"This is part of free speech, is you being able to speak but also you listening and me being able to speak, alright?" Obama said upon the interruption. The president has used the tactic before when interrupted.
The woman, peace activist Medea Benjamin, kept up her protest, which also included a rebuke against American drone strikes that have killed civilians. Obama eventually diverted from his prepared remarks to address the situation head-on.
"The voice of that woman is worth paying attention to," he said. "Obviously I do not agree with much of what she said and obviously she wasn't listening to me in much of what I said. But these are tough issues and the suggestion that we can gloss over them is wrong."
As with most controversial moments, the first lady's exchange with the protester was met with mixed reviews on Twitter, but many embraced her approach.
CNN reports that the exchange was captured on film.
Before I go, I want to say this clearly. This kind of behavior never happened to Laura Bush. If they would have done the type of disrespect First Lady Michelle Obama faced, the Secret Service would have taken this person down hard. It's a shame that a Black woman is honored with type of respect.
Never in my day.
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