Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, shared her experience of coming out in honor of National Coming Out Day.
JEAN-PIERRE: “So today is National Coming Out day and so I wanted to start by sharing my own coming out story. Like so many in the LGBTQ community coming out wasn't an easy thing to do. My family was traditional and conservative. Being gay in my family wasn't something that you mentioned out loud or celebrated. But my family like many, many other families grew to accept who I was. They saw that who I loved didn't change who I was as a person, it didn't change the things I like to do and it didn't change the goals I had for my life. The beauty of America is its freedoms and the promise that you can achieve your dreams no matter your race, sex, country of origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This is something we continue to strive toward and fight for particularly as we continue to see a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country. And it's why I'm so honored to serve the President and the First Lady who have stood with the LGBTQ community for many years, and will continue to stand with all those who come out. And we are thinking about those who are coming out or those who are thinking about coming out and we are here for you and we will continue to support you. Thank you.”
