I interrupted Obama because we need to be heard

Marshal Phillips

Well, now she has been heard and has gotten press attention. Are undocumented trans people being treated any differently by the administration than others? Has Obama targeted the trans community for specific discrimination or abuse? It seems to me he is a friend and ally of gays (GLBT).

Maria Rodriguez

Here is the information you are looking for:

“The fight over LGBT detention is just another round in a battle between the Obama administration and immigration activists that stretches back to 2009. Advocates complain the administration isn’t doing enough to protect unauthorized immigrants, especially vulnerable immigrants like children, families, and LGBT individuals. The administration keeps putting out policies telling ICE agents to use their judgment and protect vulnerable immigrants, but advocates say that agents don’t follow through.”

http://www.vox.com/2015/5/14/8606199/transgender-immigrant-detention
- Marshal Phillips
  
  Well, she has brought the issue directly to the president; although it seems the administration has been addressing the issue by telling ICE agents to follow guidelines of protection. But most importunately a trans person was invited to the White House! And she blew it by her rudeness; a better more productive way to advocate is by being persuasive without being obnoxious to the point of rudeness. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
- Ameno Sagiri
  
  “Advocates complain the administration isn’t doing enough to protect unauthorized immigrants”
  
  Maybe it’s because they are UNAUTHORIZED immigrants? Obviously those in charge are going to discriminate towards them, they don’t care about illegal immigrants, no matter the gender or sexual orientation, or transgender status.

Alan Abonyi

As an invited guest, she could have easily found another way to raise her concerns. There is no shortage of advocacy groups in DC. Being rude to your host is not going to garner any sympathy.

Megalus Doomslayer

Sympathy wasn’t the goal. Action was.
- Katie B
  
  So what action will this trigger?
  
  Tailoring your message to time and place isn’t respectability politics, it’s Strategy 101.
- BeardtobeFeared
  
  Action as in yelling and stamping your feet like an ignorant child?
  
  That’s the only action that occurred, and there’s not much that’s going to result from it other than a few stupid press articles
- Alan Abonyi
  
  And she achieved that how exactly? She was escorted out of the event. what little media attention she managed to garner will be buried by the SCOTUS decisions. There are far more effective advocacy channels available. She just chose to be petulant, which ultimately doesn’t help improve the situation for trans undocumented immigrants.
- Paul Greenberg
  
  But see Megalus, no action will be taken in response to her outburst. She only managed to call negative attention to herself, rather than positive attention to her cause.

Drake Everett Luke Greyson

made an idiot of herself and the issue has attention but of all the wrong kinds. she made us look bad and also brought even more negative attention to immigrants. shes lucky he made a joke to distract from her idiocity.

Megalus Doomslayer

Made you look bad? You seem to be pretty European to me.
- Liz
  
  You do know that immigrants can be from Europe too, right?
- Drake Everett Luke Greyson
  
  im native american dumbfuck. my father is from mexico. god i hate these dumb mayos so much

vernakitson

I hear you. There’s never full agreement on strategy. But, no matter what people think of how you engaged with Obama, they can’t claim ignorance about the issues facing trans people in relation to immigration anymore. Jennicet Gutierrez – 1; All dissenters – 0.

Evol Hourai

Mental gymnastics aside, the fact remains that if you’re in a detention center, you neither get nor deserve special treatment to accommodate your feelings. If you have a man’s body, you’re going to go with the men. If you have a woman’s body, you’ll go with the women. There is nothing to discuss.
- vernakitson
  
  there’s actually a lot to “discuss”. Catch up:
  
  http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/03/14/how-new-immigration-detention-guidelines-fail-trans-inmates
  
  http://www.takepart.com/feature/2015/05/22/transgender-immigrants-detention
  
  http://fusion.net/story/131166/hillary-clinton-makes-transgender-immigrants-a-campaign-issue/
  - Evol Hourai
    
    You’re in a government-run holding cell because you’ve done something you shouldn’t have. Do you realize how silly you’re going to look asking for special treatment because you FEEL like a woman and you’re stuck with men?
    
    I’m well past the “transgender is a mental disorder” stage of thinking, it’s about as natural as being gay or lesbian. But if you’re gay and request to be put with the women because either the guys are getting boners over you or you’re getting boners because of the other guys, you’re going to be laughed at just as hard.
    
    Let me reiterate. If you’ve done something you shouldn’t have and you’re being detained, you lose all your rights except for those specifically granted to prisoners. You get no special treatment for your poor feels.
    - cisgaypride
      
      Moar false equivalencies pl0x. Because laws are never unjust, or incorrect, or motivated by prejudice and oppression, amirite?? I mean, just look at the spotless record of the America legal system.
    - Evol Hourai
      
      Sure, the laws are broken as hell. I make no notion of trying to cover that up. But you can push for those to change, or you can whine about your precious feelings.
- cisgaypride
  
  Do you hear that trans people? The cisgendered person has spoken and determined that you have nothing to say! In their infinitely expansive wisdom, they have deigned to consider your experience which is basically exactly the same as their own and decided that there is actually nothing to talk about. How gracious of them to spare their precious time to tell you that it’s all just in your head.
  - Evol Hourai
    
    Rather an interesting statement from someone claiming cis gay pride in his username. Call any other kettles lately?
    
    Edit: Guess I should also point out that I’m both black and gay, but somehow being happy as I am is wrong and should be condemned. Good job.
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      Jeez, with that level of ignoring any of the actual criticism that came your way and harping on the way it was presented you’d make Obama proud.
    - Evol Hourai
      
      How can I respond to criticism when there’s literally nothing of substance in his comment to respond to? Let’s try this again.
      
      Infinitely expansive wisdom – hardly. I say what I see, nothing more, nothing less.
      
      Its all in your head – yes it is. It is a mental case, but it’s one that can be solved. Take the pills, get the surgery, realign yourself to the gender you feel you are. Next question.
      
      Experience the same as my own – yes and no. I’ve never been detained, but I was also born in this country to parents who were born in this country, who were also born to parents born in this country. There’s zero reason for me to be detained on the basis of illegal immigration. I’m black, so I’m going to catch some flak for that. I’m also gay, so there’s going to be flak for that too. Similar experience, sure, but not exactly the same, and I acknowledge that readily. However, I do know from a family experience that gender segregation exists in prisons – men with men, women with women. That’s not going to change, nor should it. A man with the mentality of a woman will not be placed with the women for their safety. A woman with the mentality of a man will not be placed with men for HER safety. What are they going to do, make an entire wing for the handful of trans people that come and go? Realistically, they can only be placed in isolation if they genuinely do not feel comfortable with women or safe with men, or vice versa. Granted, maybe the staff can be a little more respectful of his or her pronouns, but realistically again, they’re detained for a reason and shouldn’t be asking for special treatment. The guards and staff I spoke to were generally accommodating and pleasant to talk to when I visited, but they’re still trained to treat men like men and women like women. The majority should not have to revise everything they’ve learned for the comfort of a vast minority.
      
      Satisfied?
    - Culture Club Warrior
      
      Pretty sure that the user name is meant to be ironic.
  - BeardtobeFeared
    
    I love how you immediately call this person cisgendered, like you know exactly who this person is without ever knowing their identity. How incredibly close-minded of you
    - Evol Hourai
      
      To be fair, he’s not wrong; I am indeed cis. But if being comfortable and happy in my own skin is somehow wrong, please never let me be right.
  - Ed
    
    Hee hee hee….”cisgendered.” Always good for a laugh.
- Scheherazade
  
  and you are right. There are the same issues in the prisons right now for the american females and transgenders…I can talk about the last 30+ #charitybeginsathome
  #gottogetthesplinteroutofyourowneye
  #theirbattleistheLords
  - zFashionizta
    
    you are correct, the unfortunate truth is Women, Transwomen & even Men get raped in prison, this vial act is not exclusive to one group of people.
- QueeRevolutionary
  
  How dare you troll this page attacking transgender women denied asylum and raped in immigration prisons. #ShameOnYou
  - Evol Hourai
    
    You… do know what trolling means, yes? Because this isn’t it.
Seanumich

Really? so what did she accomplish? Are those 75 people better off today? Does she have a meeting with the president? Did she get the media to focus on her issue? NOPE, she just got them saying some crazy bitch was shouting at the president. Her strategy was a FAILURE, so I would say Gutiérrez 0, trans people 0. Of course it is people you who put it as a SCORECARD instead of accomplishing a goal. Did she accomplish ANY goal
- vernakitson
  
  So, if her strategy does not produce what *you* think the immediate outcomes should be, then she’s accomplished nothing? Funny how often that has been the attitude of nay-sayers over the past few years regarding same-gender marriage. But all that’s forgotten now, right?
  
  Depends on what media you’ve been tuned into. That’s not what I’ve been hearing. that you think there’s only one response to any strategy is, well, fascinating.
Culture Club Warrior

More people might know about the issue now, but whether her tactics helped or hurt her cause remains to be seen. From the looks of it, she did more harm than good in the eyes of most people.
Paul Greenberg

She did not engage with Obama. In fact she disengaged. She accomplished nothing.
- vernakitson
  
  One of the beautiful things about collective movements is that once the analysis is out in the public domain, we can respond and move it in the directions that we want to. So, you can continue with your me-first individual-level approach to change. Meanwhile, we’re moving ahead.
THEBEARCUB

I hope she’s deported
- vernakitson
  
  …and then what? White folks. Whenever you don’t get your way, you call on the law to punish people. smh.
  - THEBEARCUB
    
    She was wrong in every sense of the word

Maria Rodriguez

People here love respectability politics.

Christopher Carr

I respect your views, in fact I support them. Sometimes heckling is an important form of civil disobedience. However, I think considering your invite, and considering the organization you were there to represent, you would’ve served your cause better by engaging with the President during Q&A, or during the time when you would inevitably take photos. Obviously the team that helped with the selection of invitees knew your cause, and by extending the invite was recognizing the importance of having your voice there. Now, also take into consideration that this President in particular has been treated with the most disrespect of any President in modern history. Not belittling your experience at all, but also taking into context that at some point you can only take so many interruptions and name calling before you say enough. Again, your cause is worthy and your voice is valid. And civil disobedience has a place. But that place was not in the middle of a speech in the East Room for a celebration that you were expressly invited to.

PrincessOfTheCrystal

All the cis white people telling her how she should have acted. You were write there with the crowd telling her “Shhhh”. As a trans woman I’ve heard “Shhhh” all my life, women of colour hear “Shhhh” all their lives too.

If you can’t understand why she felt she had to do this, you’re part of the problem.

Ryan Arko

“All the cis white people…” Heterophobic and racist looks good on nobody. And look through the comments: not just white people saying it. Go look through the comments of other articles. Not just white people saying it. Not just straight people saying it. Not just men saying it. You’ll even see transgender people saying she crossed a line.

So stop using every instance where a minority screws up to say the backlash is straight white males because it clearly isn’t.

She felt she had to do this because how dare Obama not pay attention to people who broke the law while he is busy pitching for normalization of the LGBT community. How dare he not acknowledge the special snowflakes in ICE detention who complain about getting the same treatment those white cis people get in normal prison (at the same rate).

And please do reply because I want to know that I am blatantly ignoring the rhetoric of a heterophobic, racist, sexist.
- thegaypolice
  
  Just get back to renewing your HRC membership instead of wasting energy on trying to stop people from doing their own activism. Why you even think you have the right or need to do that in the first place is unimaginable, but still pretty laughable in a pitiful sort of way.
  - David Weaver
    
    You’re just as big of an asshole as they come aren’t you?
    - ignitethenight
      
      Seems so. There seems to be a couple of them who keep throwing around the HRC as some kind of weird weapon. It’s sad.
    - cisgaypride
      
      You must have missed that part where the HRC recently discovered all by themselves that they’re essentially a gay white men’s club (because, you know, nobody else in the nominal “community” they claim to serve has pointed that out previously like 50 or 100 times or anything CrAzY like that).
    - St Martyr
      
      START YOUR OWN GROUP THEN.
    - cisgaypride
      
      Pssst…the HRC claims that they serve trans people in their mission statement, which is a legally required statement to maintain their non-for-profit status and tax breaks. Calling them out for the fact that they’ve done far more to harm transpeople than to help is the most basic level of accountability.
    - ignitethenight
      
      You must have missed the part where as a Canadian, I don’t follow the HRC because they don’t really extend their reach. But nice try, sugar.
    - cisgaypride
      
      I always did love the way cis white men can contort “LGBT community” to mean or not mean whatever they need it to in order to serve their own arguments. Maybe you should take your own advice and stop concerning yourself with issues that have nothing to do with your country or president then ;)
    - Culture Club Warrior
      
      Maybe you should stop aligning yourself with white cis men if they’re so horrible.
    - Culture Club Warrior
      
      I’m no fan of the HRC, but it’s not like they’re the only organization out there.
    - cisgaypride
      
      Nah, I haven’t even begun approaching maximum dilation yet ;)
  - Culture Club Warrior
    
    If the trans population is affiliating themselves with the LGB population, then the LGB population does have a right to object to how trans people do their own activism because that type of activism reflects on all of us.
- Roxanne
  
  heterophobia isn’t real lmao
  - Baineblade
    
    Suuuure it isn’t. I’m guessing the idea of Fascism’ll fly riiiight over your head too. Cause that’s about the average way I’ve seen a fair number of folk act when it comes to “Defending their rights” over the past 10 years. Sieg Heil anyone?
    - Roxanne
      
      comparing acknowledging the reality that heterosexuals are not victims of structural oppression on the basis of their sexuality to literal nazism
  - Katie B
    
    Neither is racism against white people (in virtually the entire world; yes I’m aware of the way that Japan discriminates against gaijin, no it doesn’t make a difference), but that doesn’t stop people from thinking it is.
    - St Martyr
      
      Tell that to Gypsies or Eastern Europeans!!?
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      Also white people are very good at being racist towards white people. Just ask the Irish and the Jews.
  - zFashionizta
    
    Yes, it is.
- Megalus Doomslayer
  
  Toddlers don’t break the law. Their parents break the law because the government refuses to make access to citizenship a simple process. The government caps the number of immigrants allowed into the country from each country. That forces the rest to do whatever they have to in order to get the hell out of dodge. Just because we’ve been here our entire lives doesn’t mean we have to remove the ladder. If our ancestors could come to this country by hook or by crook, why not theirs?
- QueeRevolutionary
  
  so you are okay with transgender immigrants denied asylum being raped in prison someone should deport you
ignitethenight

There’s a time and a place. If she had waited for .. y’know, a time when she didn’t interrupt and act rudely in a place she’d been invited to, that would’ve been different. (I didn’t know she was trans when I saw the video. I just thought it was an incredibly rude woman, period). She didn’t get her message across.

And y’know, cis isn’t an insult and shouldn’t be thrown around as one. I’m pretty tired of it. One’s not any better than the other, and we’re supposed to be a community. Doesn’t matter what country we’re in, the LGBT community is worldwide. Most of us have each other’s back, whether we’re black, white, Asian, cis, trans, intersex, genderfluid, whatever.
- cisgaypride
  
  Nobody was using cis as insult, you just perceive it as one because you don’t think of your cisgendered status as anything but a ‘normal’ feature of your self that need not be remarked upon. The fact that someone does remark upon it out of a necessity to contrast their own lived experience just seems like an insult to you because you aren’t forced to consider you gender identity on a daily basis. This “supposed to be a community” crap would have been a nice sentiment to express like….any of the times the HRC has repeatedly thrown transpeople under the bus for the advancement of cis gay people. The fact that it only pops up whenever cis gay people have an alleged problem with the way transpeople decide to do their politics just betrays your ignorance.
zFashionizta

What Ryan is saying is true; people of all sexes, genders, ages, races including the LGBT community are saying that the way she went about it was all wrong.

mailericla

When we should be celebrating the fact that an undocumented trans woman gets invited to the White House. You have chosen to make a spectacle of yourself. Shame on you. Honestly.

BordrBndit

Would you say that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made a spectacle of himself when he, too, did peaceful, non-violent disobedience?

Also, “gets invited to”?? So she should shut up and take it just because she was invited to a party where a straight man just happens to live temporarily? Every single person in this country can go to the White House without an invitation. It is every single person’s privilege and right, undocumented or not.

I respectfully challenge you to consider the institutionalized oppression in your statement, which I assume was unintended.

Peace.
- marcbolansghost
  
  That might be the stupidest comment on this board. She did not just “go to the White House” on a public tour, fool, she was an invited guest at a party held by the President himself. That most certainly is not “every single person’s privilege and right.” And comparing this to MLK is both an insult and false. MLK used civil disobedience against his enemies, not his allies. Jennicet was drunk and made a fool of herself and now is trying to justify it with some high-falutin nonsense. Did she try to raise the issue with Obama in a respectful way first? No. She went into overdrive without thinking. Imagine the impact she could have made if, during a one-on-one moment with the President (which she almost certainly would have been granted, as is customary at these events) she could have raised the issue. The publicity would have been amazing: An undocumented trans woman IN THE WHITE HOUSE having a discussion with the PRESIDENT. But no, now she’s just a drunken loudmouth who shifted the attention away from the issue and onto herself. It was, at the very least, a major strategic blunder.
  - BeardtobeFeared
    
    People act like she was dragged kicking and screaming to this thing, or that she was in the company of enemies. She made a scene and a complete fool of herself, and I would be embarassed to have any of my causes associated with her.
  - hcfricker
    
    Sit your ass down. That is not even close to how activism works. You don’t adhere steadfastly to the rules of respectability; that takes the edge out of your argument and makes you eminently ignorable. If you sit and wait for exactly the right moment to present your demands, you will be waiting forever. Ask anyone who’s involved in the struggle for their own liberation, and they’ll tell you the same thing.
    
    You have no idea how activism works, and you don’t deserve to be a part of this discussion.
    
    As for your assertion that MLK never turned on his “allies” (insofar as the figurehead of a state that perpetuates grievous violence against people like you every day can be your ally), you might be interested in reading what he had to say about white moderates. Or you might be interested in ignoring it, shrugging it off and continuing to insult the people doing actual important work. Your call.
    - marcbolansghost
      
      Sometimes you “don’t adhere steadfastly to the rules of respectability” (god, what a lousy sentence), sometimes you do. Sometimes you yell, sometimes you win a Supreme Court decision. Fool. I’ve been at this “activism” far longer than you, trust me. And that “figurehead of a state” just helped us get marriage equality. And it doesn’t matter what MLK said in private about white moderates, he worked with them publicly. I hope you really are doing important work, but I hope you learn your history before shooting your ignorant mouth off.
- mailericla
  
  Don’t think Martin Luther King would ever have stood up and yelled at a private reception for the president.
  And I don’t think every single person in this country can go to the White House. Pretty sure they check ID nowadays and someone without documentation would need special permission.
  I’m not sure what institutionalized oppression is, but I do know I was raised with a profound respect for the office of the president. Especially this one, who is absolutely willing to have a dialogue on these issues and now, thanks to Jennicet, every move they take on LGBT immigration issues will be analyzed to make sure it doesn’t look like they are reacting to a heckler.
- THEBEARCUB
  
  MARTIN LUTHER KING JR WAS AN AMERICAN! The nerve of you

thegaypolice

Time for all the white gay cismen to come and tell everyone the “correct” way to do activism right before they turn around and pretend like Stonewall was some afternoon tea party where a bunch of respectable homosexuals who are *just like straight people* kindly raised their objections to the benevolent, understanding heterosexuals. Interesting (and predictably disheartening) to see how they behave now that they’re sitting on the other side of the table. This basic-ass “equality!…for us first and then you later, except on our terms because any time you assert your needs, we come in to tell you why you’re wrong” fantasy is getting so tired.

sassymacgeek

In Stonewall the government came to our house to disrupt the party not the other way around. This is the first President to even mention the word transgender in front of the nation and this is what he gets. This is not a dictatorship and he has no magic wand. Fools.
- thegaypolice
  
  The government isn’t involved in it’s own mistreatment of trans immigrants? That’s some interesting linguistic gymnastics. It’s amazing how you just need to pay lip service to some people and they just lap it up. Like you’re so desperate for any kind of political power that you’re willing to just accept what they tell you you should accept and throw any kind of minimum standards out the window. “Look, a straight person said trans! Now all you activists just shut up and let them decide when they’re ready to get around to stopping all that horrible violence against trans people.”
  - Katie B
    
    I’m somewhere between “this is a thing that needed to be raised in a way that couldn’t be immediately played off” and “The best way that you could come up with to bring this up was to repeat the Joe Wilson ‘YOU LIE!’ incident? Are you serious?”
    - Majorana Fermion
      
      Yet, if she hadn’t no one would be talking about it. I’ve been watching this story all year & this is the first time the issue has been seriously considered & discussed by people outside of trans and trans-ally communities.
    - Majorana Fermion
      
      ICE announced yesterday that they’d start holding people in facilities based on their gender identity. :-)
  - seth
    
    “White gay cismen”. Go ahead – make *us* the enemy. See how far that gets you. Moronic.
    - cisgaypride
      
      There is no need. You’ve already done a pretty good job of that all by yourselves!
    - seth
      
      Please enlighten me, post ad hominem rant, how “white gay cismen” are your enemy. I’m *dying* to know. #eyeroll
    - Meldanil
      
      Speaking over us and silencing us while keeping that “T” in your acronym and claiming to include us.
      Does it stand for “token”?
    - Frutica
      
      It will get *us* as far as we have come till now because non-White Transgender people have been in the movement since the beginning. Jerk.
    - St Martyr
      
      No you haven’t LIAR. Go it alone then! Why aren’t you?? U guys are insane.
    - cisgaypride
      
      Please read a history book. Stonewall was mainly transpeople not white gay men like HRC’s whitewashed, respectable-to-straight-people version would have you believe. I mean, literally, really, seriously go read ANY history book with actual accounts of Stonewall.
    - marcbolansghost
      
      Actually, in the spirit of historical fact: Stonewall was overwhelmingly young white street kids, many of them homeless and hustlers, with only a relatively few drag queens present, one of whom made what is considered to be the first move by yelling at a cop, thus starting a revolution. Read the definitive “Stonewall” by David Carter. This in no way denigrates the trans and drag folk and people of color who were there, but Stonewall was not a drag bar. If you don’t want to read the book, just take a look at the pictures from that night. You’ll see the faces.
    - cisgaypride
      
      Did you really just equate drag queens with transpeople? Trust me, I’ve read multiple books on Stonewall and the accounts of transpeople are consistently quite different than those of white cis historians such as the one you mentioned. I imagine it must be much pretty easy to see what you want when you’re only looking to see people like yourself though.
    - marcbolansghost
      
      I didn’t “equate” anyone with anyone. Do you have trouble with reading comprehension? The word “and” is a connective. I also said “homeless and hustlers,” which doesn’t “equate” the groups. And photos don’t lie. Look at the pictures from that night. Although I do suppose that the photos were taken by white cis photographers, so maybe their white cis cameras filtered out all those trans people you imagine were there.
    - Culture Club Warrior
      
      The same could be said about you, actually.
    - Mick
      
      Putting “and” between two terms doesn’t make an equation, speaking of seeing what you want to see.
    - BalancedPerspective
      
      They probably can’t read. Sorry, but this discussion shows the ignorance of some members in our society that disrespectfully scream NOTICE ME without any substance behind their big mouths!
    - Meldanil
      
      You make yourselves the enemy when you shout trans women of color down and boo them for trying to be heard.
  - Rod Blagojevich
    
    Listen, I support Jennicet but this guy has a point. While I wish Obama would express support for Jennicet’s cause, it’s not like Obama could actually do anything about it right then and there. The president is not as powerful of a figure in politics and governing as most people seem to think.
    - Megalus Doomslayer
      
      Executive orders mean nothing? They had congress scared shitless not too long ago.
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      I didn’t say there was nothing he could do, but people seem to think that if he wants some rule changed he can just do it. The whole point of our government is so that CAN’T happen, which is really good when you have a president who, say, wants to strip people of their rights, but in cases like this just means that if Obama tried to help trans people it’d require a lot of time and public approval which unfortunately we don’t have. I do think the president should have done more and should do more in the future but it’s not like he’s the only (or even the most powerful) person who can enact these changes. Call your representatives, send them letters. That’s how the government is supposed to work.
      That said my comment was more to what thegaypolice was insinuating and not a response to Jennicet’s actions. I think, and I could be wrong, that Jennicet just wanted the word to get out and didn’t expect Obama to actually act immediately. So I support Jennicet shouting at Obama, because that’s the best way to get the issue out. As a means of enacting change directly, it’s meaningless, but it gets the word out to get the ball rolling.
    - cisgaypride
      
      Yawn, I’m so glad we’re spending our collective energy trying to justify why something can’t happen. This is definitely a worthwhile derailment, attempting to justify our own oppression. Truly a noble concern.
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      Yeah, discussing ways to enact change and discerning which ways won’t help is useless information. What a bore.
    - cisgaypride
      
      Except you aren’t discussing ways to enact change, you are attempting to justify your assertion that this person should have NOT done so.
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      “Call your representatives, send them letters”
      “That said my comment was more to what thegaypolice was insinuating and not a response to Jennicet’s actions. I think, and I could be wrong, that Jennicet just wanted the word to get out and didn’t expect Obama to actually act immediately. So I support Jennicet shouting at Obama, because that’s the best way to get the issue out.”
      
      You’re misreading what I’m saying. I support Jennicet’s act of civil disobedience, but if you expect Obama alone to be able to enact the change we’re asking for you’re just as big of a factor in the lack of change as people fighting against trans rights. Contact your representatives with your concerns. Engage in protests. Donate to trans organizations. You can shout at Obama all day and night but if you think that alone is going to push any legislation you’re not going to get anywhere.
    - Brian Hanley
      
      He can issue executive orders. The media and liberals have completely ignored how, at every turn, when all the authority and tools are in Obama’s hands, he never uses them except to protect the richest criminals in the nation.
      
      He is the executive. He orders DOJ. He orders the military. He orders the CIA and NSA. They report to him, nobody else.
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      This is an equally valid reason to NOT solely appeal to Obama. If he has a history of not taking action (which he does) then move around him.
      So again, shout at Obama. Protest to Obama. It gets the word out and that’s important. But the people on here who are upset that he’s not doing something about it (and they are right to be upset) need to accept that he’s not the only option, and he’s not the best option. This battle will last longer than his presidency either way.
    - Michael Erickson
      
      And what exactly are you proposing? I see nothing from your posts but hate towards gay and straight white men who are and were born biological men. Forgive us, oh Might Bitter One, for what we have no control over…sorry if I don’t wanna fight your fight. If you’re illegal or undocumented, trans or not, get the hell out! I’m sure there are some battles of mine you’re not interested in either.
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      Because the real victims here are white men. Who can look at the violence, mistreatment and oppression of these imprisoned trans folks and not realize how much worse it would be to be insulted on the internet. You tell ’em, Mike.
    - Seanumich
      
      It COULD happen if Ms Gutiérrez did it in the proper forum. Instead she acted like a child and now she will have ZERO chance of meeting with the president. How effective is an organization that leadership cant talk to the people in power? Pretty much impotent. Your cause has been set back because of being stupid. It would like saying we should not celebrate the end of DADT and DOMA because marriage equality has not come yet. Then we should not celebrate marriage equality because ENDA has not passed yet.
      It is kind of like saying the economy is growing jobs are up and every metric is positive, but since YOU don’t have a job he is doing a lousy job.
    - QueeRevolutionary
      
      Obama could have told Jenniece that he would meet with her later to discuss this problem caused by his cabinet official in the Department of Homeland Security instead of shaming her and violating the First Amendment. The First Amendment requires the president to hear anyone at any time and any place who petitions the government for a redress of grievances. If you think that does not include The White House then explain this https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      I don’t disagree with any of that. I’m not supporting Obama or his actions.
    - planetwingnuttia
      
      did she give him a chance too or was she running her mouth? then he had to ghetto snap on her ass.
    - Meldanil
      
      He could do better than “shame on you” and “you’re in my house”.
  - Maurice Mizrahi
    
    are we treating trans immigrants any different i hear no so this argument is just dumb
- Majorana Fermion
  
  Have you forgotten how with marriage equality President Obama said, “you have to make me”, essentially challenging LGB (and yes, T) people to protest and force the issue?
agarcia

The gay scene can be so sad the way we attack each other, and not quietly and not softly but loud and aggressively. There is so much wrong in the comment above. Example—> “Time for all the white gay cismen to come and tell everyone the “correct” way to do activism” <— I mean why the attack on white guys. I absolutely saw no reason for it. (and before I get attacked for being white I'm 100 percent mexican)

There just is no need for attacks. We have to stop grouping people together into big stereotypes… it hurts all of us when we do that.
Seanumich

Actually your example proves the point. Stonewall was 26 years ago and much of what i being accomplished in the US has taken that long. In Canada same sex marriage is so ten years ago.
Bible Studies from an Asshole

Congrats, gay police, on preemptively dismissing people before they get onto you. Forget that they’ll be correct. You were first so you can feel victorious.
Ed

Haw! Still trying to make ‘cis’ a thing.
Jillian Kong-Sivert

Fair enough. White House functions are attended by relatively privileged insiders. That’s true of any movement. But dag, we should know who our friends are.

sassymacgeek

He holds trans immigrants, WHO ARE ENTERING ILLEGALLY, like every other person entering the country illegally. You do not get to skip the process ahead of a straight man or woman or child or gay man or gay woman just because you are transgender! All these transgender Americans making true progress and opening people’s minds and here you come to make them all look like crazy fools. Congrats!

B Silva

I do not think that “raising these issues” was a problem at all. I think that the MANNER (or lack thereof) in which these issues were raised was counterproductive.

Passion is Good, but Persuasion is Infinitely Better. This brand of protest – much like the ancient practice of confronting folks in bathrooms – reminds me of the Gary Larson’s Far Side Cartoon https://www.google.com/search?q=gary+larson+cartoons+pull&biw=1024&bih=498&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ECuMVcGEGoraoATX5YbAAg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&dpr=1#imgrc=wIsRCiwzMcLNcM%253A%3BJiOLfoZiH0g1dM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.freewebs.com%252Fhorseloversveen%252Fthe-far-side-comic.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cracked.com%252Ffunny-4637-the-far-side%252F%3B300%3B416

thegaypolice

Good on you! I know you’re about to get a downpour of negative comments from the same people who would pretend that you are part of their “lgbtq community” when they pay lip service to so-called ‘equality’, so if I can add even one supportive comment, I hope it helps. You don’t need to do activism on their terms (especially when those terms are “when we decide to get around to it”), you are doing a fine job on your own!

Bible Studies from an Asshole

Or, we would’ve preferred she didn’t do it this way because tantrums just look like Tea Party tactics. I AM in the LGBTQ community. I don’t pay lip service. I am for equality. You presume much about people who dare criticize this, but valid criticism isn’t something she’s above.

Andy Thayer

The fact remains that Obama has deported more immigrants than any president in U.S. history — 2 million+. As racist as the Republican Party has been on this issue, there’s no erasing that fact, nor that Obama’s policies of supporting brutal oligarchies, “drug wars,” and “free trade” in Central and South America have fed the problem. In that, he is an accelerated version of his Republican and Democratic predecessors, but hearing his cynical “Yes We Can” rhetoric (a rip-off of “Si se puede”) just makes it sting more.

Brian Hanley

Yes. Obama is a fake in almost every way. He is far to the right of Richard Nixon. (Nixon, BTW, pushed a single-payer health care bill.)
- planetwingnuttia
  
  kiss my obama voting ass. really what other President has done as much for us as President Obama.
  - Brian Hanley
    
    Let’s see. Obama:
    – Protected Jamie Dimon and the rest of the banking fraudsters. See William K. Black, who prosecuted the S&Ls.
    – Protected them again when they committed the robo-signing fraud.
    – Supported holding homeowners to the letter of the law, handing big banks more fraud-based gains.
    – Pursued policies that have profited the top 0.01% and lowered the value of the middle class.
    – Oversaw the destruction of half the wealth of black America from his siding with rich banking criminals.
    – Never tried once for tax increases, nor made the case for them, not even rollback of the Bush tax cuts.
    – Prosecuted more whistleblowers than any other president in history.
    – Oversaw the persecution of Julian Assange.
    – Prosecuted the whistleblower who revealed CIA torture.
    
    * Worked for a health care bill. The one positive progressive item he actually tried to get.
    
    Tell me more about how much he has done for us.
    - Jacktastic
      
      He did raise income tax, but unfortunately he also raised payroll tax and lowered capital gains tax.
    - Naomi DesMoines
      
      He didn’t raise the payroll tax, a temporary reduction in those taxes due to the recession expired.
    - Greg H
      
      You know if it weren’t for JP Dimon the economy would have been screwed. He single handedly bought failing banks that were bringing down the economy. Also, how could you blame Obama for not raising taxes in a recovering economy, the damn Fed Funds rate is ZERO still. I’m not sure you know much about how the economy is being handled anyway, the Fed basically controls what needs to be done, Obama is a puppet.
    - Thomas Allen
      
      Created race riots
    - David S
      
      How on earth did the president “create” race riots? You mean the racists that can’t stand the fact there is a black president. He didn’t start anything, just by being who he is.
    - THEBEARCUB
      
      Obama created race riots?
    - Brian Lockett
      
      He didn’t create “race riots,” intentionally or otherwise.
      
      They just so happened to happen while he was in office and weren’t really “race” riots. They were riots that occurred because of police brutality. Several unarmed black people were killed by the police and their peers took up protest.
      
      Just because many of the people “rioting” were black doesn’t mean that these were race riots. That shows that the black community cares more about their fellow black people.
      
      There have been unarmed whites killed by cops. It’s just that we (whites) don’t seem to care about it or band together when it happens. Otherwise it would make the news more often.
    - THEBEARCUB
      
      Thanks Brian I like this response!
  - Steve J. Brown
    
    Yea, and in your perverted world, it’s all about you , isn’t it?
  - ReallyReadyforJoe
    
    I love to drink and then read glowing comments about Obama. He helped me pay for visits to my baccardiologist.
  - Steve J. Brown
    
    And you’re stupid enough to think that he’s doing it for you!
- Ta Neil Adams
  
  How is he a fake??? I’m so tired of your infantile dizzle. Articulate how he’s flake? Gay marriage isn’t going to be legalized. Never. It’s not his fault. Talk with the zionist. What did you do to change the world sense you know so much about being a president……..h that’s what I thought.
  - Makjang Oppa
    
    LMAO. Gay marriage was literally legalized this morning. HAHAHAHAHAHA.
    - Ta Neil Adams
      
      How many times has it been legalized and revoked? It’s a game. I remember when everyone was running to Canada to get hitched. They have a pattern of legalizing and then taking it back. Try reading history instead of trying to have something to hold on to and just be disappointed.
    - Makjang Oppa
      
      I read history books. I think it is you who need to go read how the higher courts work.
    - Ta Neil Adams
      
      Oh screw off oppa you’re 12 behind a pc. If you read history than you’d know what I’ve referred to but your comment speaks volumes to a mentally retarded prick trying to sound big. Good luck with that. You are in a huge brain fog. Looser.
      
      :)
Sky OfPennsylvania

I bar, abhor and really despise any political party who is anti-LGBTQ… Now, the mainstrean traditional Republicans are very anti-LGBTQ, however they do not speak for all Republicans at all, because not all Republicans, not the most liberal members of the Republican party, they do not endorse the primitive and moronic anti-LGBTQ positions/standings of the party.
- Steve J. Brown
  
  Nobody cares about your opinion. Hell, you don’t even know who or what you are!
  - annamay
    
    Steve is just mad that obamacare was upheld by the supreme court, marriage equality is about to be approved by the supreme court, his ideology is becoming obsolete and his party colleges are becoming extinct. Not his fault really, poor guy.
    - Steve J. Brown
      
      No really, I’m mad because uneducated idiots like you, are allowed to vote, and because of it, we’re about to lose our country. I’m mad because you’re stupid enough to believe that this lying communist president, and his crooked party really give a damn about you. Dumb@ss!
    - Khalil West
      
      This just in: It’s not really ‘your’ country, and never was.
    - Kenneth Munson Sr.
      
      Correct. We stole it from the original americans, killed most of them and forced them to live on reservations.
    - Floridatexan
      
      Why don’t YOU leave and save the rest of us a lot of grief. I’m sick of ignorant, redneck jerks ruining everything for the rest of us.
    - Friesjones
      
      I have a cross-disciplinary college degree, and in my educated opinion, Steve, you are full of it.
    - richard
      
      do you hold yourself as the arbiter of who should be allowed to vote in this country? clearly, you are living in the wrong country, as democracy’s guiding principles are beyond your ken. please, do move and quickly. i will throw money your way if you need funding.
    - Kenneth Munson Sr.
      
      Sorry to burst you bubble but The United States of America is a constitutional republic.
    - annamay
      
      How ironic, a patriot thinking only certain people should vote aka a traitor to your democratic republic. Try using intellect instead of emotion next time you think you’re saying something witty.
    - bmorejoe
      
      You mean you are about to have to share some power and wealth. boo hoo. You stole it all anyway.
    - Rock
      
      You live in the South?
  - Sky OfPennsylvania
    
    The boring and old “Can’t-knock-the-message, then let’s-knock-the-messenger” is the recourse of losers without a point to stand upon. No justifications for lame ducks, baby!
GTFOH

You do understand it’s virtually impossible to maintain open borders and a welfare state, right?
- shadowplay1
  
  Don’t worry, I’m sure they do {{eye roll}}
- Mick
  
  Does that apply to corporations, too?
  - GTFOH
    
    I’m not sure what you mean?
    - dayv
      
      Does 2008 ring a bell?
- Dana Rubera
  
  Unless your goal is to perpetuate a slave state, which is what we have. Foreign slaves sent/lured here to suppress wages and inflate profits while they send money home to prop up corrupt governments who refuse to develop their own countries’ economies.
- Xosgul
  
  The US has open borders?
  - John Parker
    
    uhhh, yes. Have you ever been to one? Like, not on a road or near a town? It’s just a river in Texas, and it’s an imaginary line in Canada..
    - richard
      
      Thank you for adding this useful information to this conversation.
    - Majorana Fermion
      
      What? On my globe it’s like this thick red line!
    - Xosgul
      
      No, John, that’s a border. A normal border. It’s not open just because there’s not a 15 foot high fence there.
- saurabh
  
  I don’t think this is true. World GDP per capita is now something like $15,000, and workers in the first world are some of the most productive. It would be possible, at the very least, and it might be a huge boon.
Geoff Ward

I could not agtee more Andy. Obama has an appalling record. His oratory skills and “Yes We Can” slogans only make his policies all the more disgraceful. The “Bankers President” and now he wants his ‘legacy’ to be ‘frre trade deals’ that only serve the interests of corporations. Shame Obama, Shame !!
- Bob
  
  Bullshit!!! Let’s see what happens when you idiots vote a Republican in office!!!
  - eccles11
    
    Spoken like a true partisan hack.
- Chris Call
  
  What part of his record is appalling to you”
  - Geoff Ward
    
    Utter refusal to prosecute anyone responsible for the Global Financial Crisis is a good opener. How about more extra judicial assassinations than ANY President? Continuing to prosecute the global “war on people who use drugs”. Now wanting his legacy to include “free trade agreements” that only benefit multinational corporations. No action on climate change. No action on gun massacres bar the same old ‘crocodile tears’ rhetoric. No action to rein in one of the most repressive, terrorism funding regimes in Saudi Arabia. Do you want more???
    - David S
      
      So it’s the President’s job to handle Saudi Arabia? When did we become in charge of that. What action can he do on gun massacres? Congress creates the laws in the country not the president. Maybe you should point your frustration in their direction as they do nothing.
    - phil (HARD)COR(E)so
      
      When the Bushes and Cheney themselves made tons of money off saudi oil.
    - didactic1
      
      It’s his job to lead the phaseout of petroleum as a major fuel and polluter.
      
      It’s his job to declare an emergency on climateand to keep Congress in session 24/7 year round until we get off coal and oil within a decade.
      
      It’s his job to keep US troops in the US, and to slash the Pentagon budget and reinvest it in universal world class ed in every city and coutnry regardless of race.
      
      It’s his job to provide universal health care at uniform nondiscrimatory rates, which means no VA, no Private Insureance and No ACA subsidies for anyone. Single Payer tax supported.
      
      It’s his job to figure out what we need to do all this and to then replace the current tax loopholes with uniform rates and no deductions(not even if you have 19 brats).
    - quashi
      
      Stop tripping. Tell you what, when you become President then have at it. He is not here to handle all your grouses singlle handedly.
      Get a clue or find another president to help you out without working with congressional support. Good luck!
    - Floridatexan
      
      Most of what you just stated is not even close to true. Stop watching FOX.
    - didactic1
      
      You forgot his support of the fascist Shia goon squads in Iraq which drove Sunnis in Iraq into the arms of the antigay, antifemale, antieducation ISIS.
    - Rock
      
      If you guys want the President to be able to do things, disassemble the senate, get rid of congressmen/women. The president may be the most powerful man in the country but he can’t actually wield a whole lot of that power.
Ed

Ah, the old “Obama has deported more immigrants” nonsense again. I read that old chestnut at least once a day. You guys LOVE that one! =)
- eccles11
  
  Is it wrong?
  - Brad Erthal
    
    It probably is. Although the administration was using it as a political defense against the right early in the administration, so it’s not surprising that people think it’s true. It’s hard to count exactly, though, and here’s an explanation of why: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/04/21/lies-damned-lies-and-obamas-deportation-statistics/
jeff4justice

The 2-party system charade is one in the same with the same people-oppressing agendas.
THEBEARCUB

Girl bye!!!!!!
Be Verica-Bonner

It is his right and the right of the American people to deport immigrants. Apply for entry, work the system, and you will not fear being deported. If you are trying to make a statement of some kind, heckling a US President is not the way to do it. Shame on you
lilvinnyb

Uhh. If you come here illegally you SHOULD be deported. Actually, by LAW! Thousands get up every morning to line up a consulates around the world to immigrate here LEGALLY. Those who just jump the border and say “IM HERE, NOT LET ME STAY” should get sent back!
- Majorana Fermion
  
  Ever hear of people coming here for asylum? They – especially transgender women – are trying to escape rape, beatings and worse in their home countries. To subject them to the same here while they are waiting for said asylum is morally wrong and goes against what our nation stands for.
- MarieKersey
  
  When it comes to asylum seekers it’s impossible for 99.9% of the people who need to go to the US or Europe for protection to get a visa, that’s the simple reason why people enter ‘illegally’. Once they are on US or European soil it is actually their legal UN-protected human right to ask for asylum and have their claim assessed fairly. Almost every one of those people you mention who gets in line for a consulate because they need protection is denied a visa. The legal ways of going to the US are not for them. If a consulate suspects an applicant may apply for asylum, they will absolutely deny them a legal way to go.
  
  Just realize that when you make that argument.

Wil Gutierrez

Great job, Jennicet! We need to make our voices heard everywhere. People who speak of “show some respect, you were an invitee of the President,” think that Rosa Parks thought “Oh wow, these nice and caring White people at least let me get on the bus. Let me show some respect and acknowledge they have done so much for me!” No, it doesn’t work that way. LGBT immigrants and immigrants rights groups have been asking and engaging the Obama administration for years, however, not much has been done. Jannicet you took this opportunity and I applaud you for it. I admire your courage to do so against the “most powerful man in the world” and against all of the people who tried to shut you down. Thank you for standing up and don’t stand down.

BeardtobeFeared

Except nobody was there to shame LGBTQ people, she was not being oppressed. In fact, this was an event to celebrate and share in the advancement of LGBTQ rights! Nobody will acknowledge that we’re ‘done’ fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community, and Jennicet would’ve had a chance to speak to President Obama, as he had repeatedly said before having her escorted out. Instead she decided to make a scene because a forced feud with POTUS will get more press than a peaceful discussion will.

Thank you for encouraging this kind of mindless, childish discourse.
- Brian Hanley
  
  No. it was a photo-op for Obama to take credit for what he had absolutely nothing to do with. He said nothing and did nothing for LGBTQ people for his entire administration. This was the right thing to do. A better thing would have been to yell, “What did you have to do with any of this?!”
  - BeardtobeFeared
    
    So the appropriate response was to crash the party and interrupt the President’s speech because he has done ‘nothing’ for the LGBTQ community
    
    What’s the point in even speaking to him if he’s only in office for a few more months and has done ‘nothing’ for the community over 7 years? Oh, that’s right, to cause a fuss and capture the press’ attention for 15 minutes. Definitely not childish or mindless.
    - Brian Hanley
      
      Exactly.
    - BeardtobeFeared
      
      I’m confused as to which point you’re agreeing to.
    - Brian Hanley
      
      “Definitely not childish or mindless.”
      Exactly.
    - BeardtobeFeared
      
      So you’re agreeing to sarcasm?
    - Brian Hanley
      
      Exactly. If you read your own prose, beard-dearie, your sarcasm makes the point for crashing the party. With sarcasm.
    - BeardtobeFeared
      
      I’m incredibly confused as to what making a scene and having the Secret Service does to further the LGBTQ cause. If you really think that’s going to further ANY cause, I hope you don’t get invited to any press events. And you’re certainly not coming to my birthday party
    - Robert Miles
      
      @BeardtobeFeared:disqus don’t feed the troll, he claims to have supported Obama, but spouts nothing but FauxNews drivel.
    - Gregory Miller
      
      I thought I smelled a troll. I think you are right.
    - Juan Flores
      
      I could not agree more with you.. love your comment!
  - Brad Erthal
    
    I’ll stand for it if you say that the president hasn’t done enough for LGBTQ people during his presidency, but it’s at least disingenuous to say that he has done “absolutely nothing”. This administration has done quite a few things, such as passing hate crimes legislation, ending DADT, not defending DOMA, various administrative decisions by departments to construe existing law to protect LGBTQ people, and pushing for ENDA (you still need Congress to pass that, but this administration is at least trying).
    - Brian Hanley
      
      DADT repeal was passed by congress in Dec of 2010. It was implemented July 22, 2011. That battle was fought by others. Obama in 2010 voiced support for repeal, then took it as an accomplishment of his. He didn’t stand in the way. That’s about it.
      
      Repeal of DOMA was in his campaign platform. But that was a Clinton thing after he signed it because it was veto-proof anyway. It was also a Gore campaign item. It took until 2011, 3 years, for the Obama administration to decide that section 3 was unconstitutional. He didn’t stand in the way of that history, so that’s good.
      
      ENDA is good. He waited until 2014 for that?
    - actionjackson09
      
      OBAMA had to sign off on it. What part of the legislation process are you in? Oh IGNORANT hate- Obama- a-t all costs- fairly land. You have no point & nobody cares.
    - Brian Hanley
      
      I lobbied on Capitol Hill. I worked on a campaign reporting to the candidate and worked on post-election analysis. Democrat/progressive. I voted for Obama twice despite very serious concerns the second time. Now, what part of the legislative process are you involved in?
      
      I’ll grant to Obama that he got with the program after it was pretty much done. I’ll grant that he didn’t stand in the way. What I won’t do is suggest he deserves credit for what he didn’t do. And he never fought as much as Clinton did – either Bill or Hilary. Both of them actually carried that ball significantly. Obama didn’t block the slam-dunk from getting in the basket.
    - Gregory Miller
      
      You’re not really part of the process when you are a lobbyist, you just impact the legislative process. And just because you are a lobbyist doesn’t mean your retelling of facts are correct. Lobbyists are not omnipotent by any stretch.
    - THEBEARCUB
      
      That’s why Bill sign DADT Girl you’re a HOOT!
    - Gregory Miller
      
      That is a slanted retelling. The fact is that as much as he is able, Obama tried to force this issue first with Federal employees via Executive Orders. I don’t know what the hell you are referencing because your thoughts seemed tangential, but he also refused to enforce DOMA and fought it in court, not something he had to do and somewhat unprecedented. I am no Obama fan but he deserves credit for what he did do and he did work hard to repeal DOMA and DADT.
    - Brad Erthal
      
      If you think that all Obama did was “voice support” in 2010, you weren’t paying attention. He took the massive (and it was massive) weight of the politics of that on, and it may well have cost the Democrats in the disastrous 2010 midterms. He also initiated the process for the military to study whether repealing DADT was okay for morale, without which there is no way that would have gotten done.
      
      Also, the administration’s job was arguably to defend DOMA, and they chose not to do that, which they said was because it was unconstitutional. They made that decision in 2011 because that is when there was pending legislation.
      
      And you’ve clearly just now Googled ENDA for the first time. The act, versions of which have been in Congress for years, was more general, protecting all workers. The administration has pushed for it, and it has been blocked by Republicans in Congress. In 2014, unable to get a law, the President signed an executive order to protect the people he could protect, only unless and until the next POTUS rescinds it.
    - Brad Erthal
      
      The president supported ENDA long before 2014. 2014 was when it had become clear that he couldn’t get a (much more permanent and sweeping) law out of Congress, so he signed a weaker executive order.
      
      DOMA was not going to get repealed, because we have a legislative branch which is conservative by design. The only chance that the administration had to defeat it was to not defend it from a legal challenge. They did that, and they did it in 2011, because that’s when there was litigation.
      
      DADT repeal happened because this president initiated the process of having the DoD review the effects on morale. It was his administration which pushed Congress to act, and he used quite a bit of his political capital on it. You don’t probably care that it’s hard to get things done through the political process, but it is hard to do. And this president has gotten more done on LGBTQ equality than any reasonable observer predicted was possible in 2008.
    - zFashionizta
      
      Obama has done a lot for the LGBT community, not only allowing same-sex marriages (which I admit was long overdue) but he also forced the health insurance companies and the taxpayers to pay for gender reassignment surgery (transgender people get free surgery that not even people with deformities get).
  - Seanumich
    
    And what has Ms Gutiérrez done? She shouted at the president and accomplished nothing except making herself look like a spoiled rotten child who isn’t getting her dessert fast enough.
    - Reverse Racist
      
      existing while trans* is an enormous challenge, this is part of the problem. you’re asking a woman struggling with her own survival to do more for the liberation of a people than the president of the united states.
    - Ed
      
      If it’s an “enormous challenge,” she just made it more difficult for others. Jennicet is an idiot. It’s frightening that others are actually holding such a disrespectful moron up as someone worthy of praise.
    - Reverse Racist
      
      she is not responsible for her own abuse… are you actually suggesting this
      
      im not sure what makes you think Jennicet is an idiot .. maybe transphobia? its pretty hard for me to see another way you could think that unless you know nothing else about her…
    - jane smithers
      
      Everyone should behind her cause, but I have zero respect for the act of heckling the President who is trying for immigration reform and gay rights just b/c you want spot light. I hate the hell out of Bush but I didn’t find it funny of cute when people tossed shoes at him. She was in a room FULL of the people she should have been talking to before and after the speech including the President (b/c I have read he account of thing and she says she deliberately didn’t talk to anyone before hand). But the only thing she cared about is exactly what she got, to be disrespectful enough to cause attention. Too bad b/c of how she did it, it will only be a flash in the pan story now, more about what she did then what she said. She got 10 seconds of attention (just enough so people know what she was talking about) for 30 seconds of people debating what she did.
    - Reverse Racist
      
      she didn’t want the spotlight, she wanted the spotlight on the people the event was supposedly celebrating
    - jane smithers
      
      She wanted the spotlight, for her or for her cause, she heckled the President to get attention. More or less declaring the cause she is behind is more important then the respect due to the president, and even more important in my mind, the respect due to every advocate of important issues. There where TONS of people there that are advocates that with her actions said “Forget what YOU are advocating, mine DEMANDS attention, screw the rules that the rest of you have to play by!” Everyone that had something important to fight for do so with respect and understanding that you don’t heckle the guy try trying to help for publicity to your issue.
    - Reverse Racist
      
      lol yeah trans rights is more important than respecting the president are u serious ?
    - jane smithers
      
      Yes, I am. I am also serious about the hundred other activists in the room that she just told with her outburst that what they are fighting for is meaningless in the in comparison of HER issue.
  - The Duchess of Milton
    
    You really are nuts, Brian.
- cisgaypride
  
  Speaking of mindless childish discourse…apparently all you have to do is stick “-TQ” on the end and suddenly a movement that almost exclusively serves the interest of cis gay people becomes an “lgbtq community”. “Discover this one linguistic trick to cover up all your problems–activists and social scientists hate him!”
  - Culture Club Warrior
    
    Actually, it’s the Ts who stuck themselves on the end of LGB. Trans people didn’t like being associated with issues related to sexual orientation until it became politically convenient. If you’re not happy with how it’s turned out for you, then you are welcome to take your toys and go home.
- Wil Gutierrez
  
  No body was there to shame LGTBQ people nor did she shamed LGBTQ people. She simply took the opportunity to speak for those who cannot speak. For those who trans women who are in jailed with men, who get raped by fellow inmates, who are put in isolation units for “their own protection”. There are many ways to get attention. She did get it and she’s making sure those women also get the attention of the president. Nothing comes easy, people must speak up even when the crowd says no, even when when people want no noise. We forget the people who fought for our LGB rights didn’t do it peacefully. We now have it easy compared to those who came before us. I think simply taking the opportunity as she is nothing wrong. She knew she was going to get escorted out, no one was expecting POTUS to stop his speech to have a candid conversation with her. A protest is a protest to get attention.
  - Gregory Miller
    
    Nobody spoke, it was just a bunch of screeching. No message of solidarity was heard and it was incredibly ungracious grandstanding.
    - David S
      
      I concur. I don’t understand what they expect the president to do. Can someone explain this to me? Executive orders are not the law of the land. Anyone in the next administration can reverse it. Things need to be made into law, which is the job of congress not the president.
  - sujumyeolchi
    
    I don’t blame her for choosing to speak out for such an important topic I’m just kind of iffy on the following a) painting Obama ‘s shutdown as transphobic when it’s not clear from the video what her message is or if he’d heard it before getting aggrieved and b)I personally think all detained immigrants should be set free and have worked with organizations that do so, and I understand the specific struggles that trans detainees deal with — but how can a politician legally justify releasing only lgbtq detainees? other than visibility it’s hard to understand what actions she wants.
- Reverse Racist
  
  yes, and more press is needed for trans advocacy. this was effective and strategic protest.
  - Culture Club Warrior
    
    You’re kidding, right?
Brian Hanley

http://www.hy-ls.org/index.php/hyls/article/view/57/0 –

Dual-gender macro-chimeric tissue discordance is predicted to be a significant cause of human homosexuality and transgenderism (2011)
BalancedPerspective

Revisit your history books. Your facts are distorted and not even accurate. And this case it’s apples to oranges.
VA Williams

FYI Rosa Parks PAID to ride the bus… She demanded a seat because she PAID probably not a good analogy and definite not even similar circumstances
- THEBEARCUB
  
  Thank you
THEBEARCUB

I hope they deport her! What does Rosa Parks have to do with an illegal immigrant? Rosa was an AMERICAN!
jane smithers

Everyone should behind her cause, but I have zero respect for the act of heckling the President who is trying for immigration reform and gay rights just b/c you want spot light. I hatted the hell out of Bush but I didn’t find it funny of cute when people tossed shoes at him. She was in a room FULL of the people she should have been talking to before and after the speech (b/c I have read he account of thing and she says she deliberately didn’t talk to anyone before hand). But the only thing she cared about is exactly what she got, to be respectful enough to cause attention. Too bad b/c of how she did it, it will only be a flash in the pan story now, more about what she did then what she said.

David Boling Jr.

You’re calling for the release of 75 individuals who are in detention based on their gender identity? Shouldn’t they be released because they are being held without cause? I understand the disproportionate statistics that you mentioned and they are tragic but just as you are condemning the special treatment that trans folks get you are calling for special treatment of trans folks! Maybe, one should concentrate on why they are put into detention in the first place….trans or not.

Wil Gutierrez

The issue is that many females are put into male prisons and many of them are jailed in isolation units “for their own protection.” We are not asking for special treatment, but for protection. Female trans are the most sexually abuse group by ICE officials and fellow jail mates. We are asking for protection.
Michael Erickson

They aren’t being held for no reason. They’re illegal and/or undocumented. Seems a pretty valid reason to detain someone.
- David Boling Jr.
  
  you need to read my comment again, we make the same point

liseypeace

Oh please. Obama’s reaction was not ‘heartbreaking’, despite how important this issue may be. How else was he supposed to respond to such a rude, childish and selfish interruption? What did you expect? Him to break from his speech and have a meaningful discussion with you on how he can work on solving this issue? Grow up. If you have an issue you want addressed, act like a mature adult and raise it through intelligent means, not through low brow cheap and downright rude tactics.
Shame on you indeed. You should be offering Obama an apology for your actions.

BordrBndit

Have you considered the decades worth of work that both the transgender and undocumented rights communities have done via asking, pleading, voting, donating money, campaigning, writing, story-telling, marching, and much more that you might consider “acting like an adult”? Nothing has budged since then. Nothing. People are dying, and nothing has been done except more deportations than any other president.

What if it was about all women getting raped and dying in detention centers? Or about an upsurged of thousands being lynched today? What if it was your family?? Would you ask for polite, intelligent conversation then? I imagine you’d demand answers, too. Just like Dr. King and Rosa Parks did.

Peace.
- liseypeace
  
  Actually, I would demand polite intelligent conversation in those instances as well, because I believe that is truly how important issues get raised, discussed and properly solved. What is interrupting a speech going to accomplish? She’s bought light to the issue, yes….but majority of people are too pissed off at her childish behaviour to even listen to what she was talking about, let alone get behind her in taking action.
  In any event, she was in the same room as President Obama, at his invite, it would not have been difficult to force an audience with him when he wasn’t in the middle of a speech.
  Again – I don’t think this issue is unimportant, and I believe it does deserve to be heard, but that’s no excuse for being uncivilized and downright rude. There’s a time and place for everything.
- zFashionizta
  
  Women and other people are getting hurt in detention centers, this problem is not exclusive to one group.

seth

You owe Obama an apology. A leader you are not.

cisgaypride

Yes, Gay White Man, Dictator of Trans Politics! Right away, Gay White Man, Ombudsman of Appropriate Behavior for Trans People!
- Katie B
  
  The game’s corrupt and rigged. Flipping the table isn’t an option, it’s bolted to the floor. Now do we play to win?

BrooklynBoy

Yuck! You should be ashamed of yourself. This president who has done more for the LGBTQ community than anyone before him, deserved your unqualified respect even if you had issue with him. The shame is on you for your lack of home training. You don’t represent LGBTQ people, you only represent your misguided self. Enjoy your five minutes of infamy. #byefelicia

dayv

done more??? society has evolved and he’s been forced to come with us.

dreamlogicc

lol

parkwood1920

Shame on any LGBT person dismissing Gutiérrez for “rudeness” when President Obama is allowing immigrant trans women to be brutalized in federal detention. It’s disgusting that nearly 50 years after Stonewall, cis LGB folks are so quick to defend the very same government that persecuted us for centuries (and STILL is persecuting those of us who are trans and Black and Brown). So if a president or governor throws some free drinks and snacks your way, y’all will just shut up and roll over like a trained dog, right? Is it that easy to buy your silence? White and cis privilege are some powerful drugs, ain’t they?

I’m proud of Jennicet Gutierrez. Her protest is exactly what the LGBTQ justice tradition is about: putting human justice and dignity first, and to hell with being polite about it.

dtm

You do nothing to help the cause with this…You were an invited guest. Act like a guest.

MarieKersey

I can’t remember ever being more furious at the “liberal” reaction to something in my life than I am now. Thank you for still having a moral compass and sense of what democracy and equality actually mean. There is NO more just, urgent, yet ignored cause for the US LGBTQ community today than yours.
Remember that it doesn’t matter what these cowardly “allies” have to say – what matters is *results* for the most powerless people. When it comes to this group, any action, any awareness, any acknowledgment that they even exist is better than nothing – which is what the “mainstream” LGBTQ movement have accomplished for detained trans women migrants. Thank you for restoring some faith in humanity for me.

Seanumich

No, it is NOT the most pressing issue of the community. It might be to those who are experiencing it but a gay child who is thrown out of their home and left to fend for themselves, or sent to a conversion therapy program and can not leave because they are a minor is in a worse position.
The issue s there, but making YOUR issue the most important one is why you dont succeed.
- MarieKersey
  
  It’s not my issue. I’m a citizen, cis, white. I’m not going down your road of trying to quantify and compare suffering – although I can’t help but remark that I really think you should read up on the everyday realities of trans women in detention. The important difference to me is that there is today comparably massive awareness around of one of those issues, with actual initiatives to address it budding around the country. The other one will never be taken up and championed by any larger group of people except those personally affected by it, who invariably and almost by definition are among the most powerless people in the US.
- MarieKersey
  
  As an aside, if you don’t think undocumented trans minors are detained, and sexually and physically abused – read up. I’m trying hard to overlook your “in a worse position” remark, but I honestly can’t fathom how you came to that conclusion.

Lee Wicks

Good for you …. trans are not treated fairly in society and some in the LGB community couldn’t care less as they are advancing much more quickly in society, than trans … They also have to endure bigotry and hatred from within the LGB & outside. one must always stand up against oppression of anyone – this covered both racism and transphobia. I am guessing stonewall wasn’t a polite affair over afternoon tea? Obama is a public servant – he should expect to be criticised. Solidarity from the UK

Martin Rios

Remember guys… 2015 is the year of the transgender movement (And it’s not me who says that).

Russell Bennett

The President layed out an extensive list of achievements in assserting LBGT equality and human rights during his term of office. He also admitted that there was more work to do. It seems churlish to disrupt a ceremony of this nature just because the work remains incomplete. Glass half full…..

cisgaypride

Must be pretty nice, having a glass to fill.
- St Martyr
  
  Awwww, next thing your going to say that Trans people are a majority and you even have it worse then some of my relatives in war torn Africa! How do you even live?
  
  U do know it is legal to be trans in India, Thailand AND the middle East but NOT gay?
  
  Or does that spoil your false victim status?
  - Megalus Doomslayer
    
    You have close relatives in war torn Africa? That’s so neat, egg with special snowflake name.
  - cisgaypride
    
    uhhh, no? I think you gravely misread my comment. I was responding (in disagreement) with the sentiment that we should be looking at the ‘glass half full’ here because some people in the so-called lgbtq movement don’t yet have glasses to fill while others (i.e. white cis gay men) have theirs overflowing. i will blame it on the confusing metaphor i chose to further confuse.
  - Rod Blagojevich
    
    This is a relevant point in a discussion about American politics.
- Katie B
  
  Before Obamacare, my insurance company may have tried to play off my broken leg last month as transition related to avoid paying for it.
  
  Sounds like I’ve got a glass to fill.

DavidG57

Thank you for speaking up! I am appalled and disgusted by the GL community that is applauding the president on this. Once again they get their rights and expect us to shut up.

Robot

So instead of bringing up your issue in a respectful manner, you’ve just set yourself back by deciding to heckle the president, and guess what, you got your ass thrown out. Every action you take reflects on those you represent. Choose your actions and words more carefully next time.

cisgaypride

Does nobody remember that gay people set fking cop cars on fking fire during Stonewall? Yet, yelling words at somebody is somehow an unforgiveable offense that can only “set you back”? The selective memory and shifting standards of some people is almost unbelievable.
- Joe Gillis
  
  This is an argument about misdirected activism, not violence committed by gay people. This woman has strong points to make and is a good writer, but she should have saved her feelings for this op-ed instead of heckling the President. You don’t get to heckle the person who’s on stage, whether they’re a standup or a politician. Period. If you have a problem with something that somebody says, talk to them after the show, write to them about it, start a dialogue. But don’t heckle. Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever heckle.
  - Rod Blagojevich
    
    Be real, if she didn’t heckle the president you wouldn’t have read this op-ed. If you think she was “rude,” then congratulations, you’re right. And even if a wealth of these comments are cis people saying “You should have behaved yourself” or even better “Now your whole cause looks bad” that doesn’t change the fact that a shitload of people wouldn’t have had ANY idea about her cause had she “saved her feelings”
    - Evol Hourai
      
      That being said, if she hadn’t made her case so rudely, it might have been more favorably received and we might have seen a shift in attitudes towards trans people as sanctioned by the president. No one is going to give you the time of day if you yell at them, radical feminism is a good example of this. Present your case professionally and respectfully and you’ll get things done.
    - Joe Gillis
      
      Any movement within the first couple years of its existence has to learn to sort between the belligerents who want to fight no matter what, and the leaders who understand tactics and strategy to get their way. It happened with women’s rights, it happened with civil rights, and we see it happening today with the transgender rights movement. And as someone who is a strong supporter of transgender rights, I know many people who consider themselves transgender, or are in the transgender movement, who misdirect their anger towards “enemies” like Lena Dunham or Jeffrey Tambor.
      
      The great problem with social media is the fact that we consistently misdirect our anger, over and over again. And we spend much of our time attacking people who are already on our side. We saw this recently when Hillary Clinton said “all lives matter” rather than “black lives matter.” If I were her, I would have said the latter, but it was disappointing to watch people start immediately jumping on her as though she wasn’t an ally towards African Americans. Hillary’s already on the side we want her to be on – she can take criticism and learn to use the right phraseology with time – but policing and yelling at your supporters is not good strategy.
      
      The transgender movement will eventually look at itself and start to direct their anger in the right places. And by all means, criticize the President for his policies – but do it in a way that doesn’t demean him or his office. Control your voice and your rage. All movements learn how to do this over time and I think that soon we will see the transgender movement hone its voice in a similar way.
    - Rod Blagojevich
      
      Yeah, if only MLK had presented his case professionally and non-violently. He might not have been shot.
      
      If you really believe that changes get enacted through silent respectability you’re ignoring not only the history of gay people, of trans people, of black people, and of women, you’re also ignoring the way this country was founded.
- Michael W.
  
  There’s is a big difference here. The cops came after us not us after them until they went to far. The case in point is that the woman would have gotten an opportunity to talk to the president and gotten much more productive results had she kept her mouth shut. She always could’ve said something later if she got ignored. Quit comparing stonewall to this incident. They are totally different situations. And let me say this, if it weren’t for stonewall we wouldn’t even be talking about this because homosexuality would still be illegal. Wise up people.
  - Frutica
    
    Stonewall ? Cognitive dissonance much ? Does the name Sylvia Rivera ring a bell to you ? We’ve been all the way in the fight hun and promtly pushed aside by Gays after they get some recognition.
    BTW: those people Jennicet is speaking of behalf did not walk up to the cops, they were escaping abuse from their countries only to get detained here and get more of the same.
    - Michael W.
      
      First of all you must not be literate or you would have understood what I said. We didn’t start the fight at stonewall, can you understand that much? Secondly those that are here are here illegally and what did they expect exactly. The U.S. Isn’t open for every soul to just waltz in and get what they demand. I was born here many years ago before it was legal to be gay and I went through hell for years. But you think just because is the U.S. I was treated wonderful. It’s taken many years of people like me peacefully fighting back to get what little right a gay man has. So shut the ‘F’ up and stop whining and start advocating for yourself and others like I have. Smh.
    - Frutica
      
      Shove that ‘F’ right back in your backside, I know precisely well what you meant. Those Stonewall and other incidents both prior and after were not as peaceful as people like you want to make them seem, and rightly so. No one is asking for special treatment but equality, Trans people in detention are treated and get a far worse outcome than other migrants. No whining, simply demanding fairness from a government that should know better than the republics south of the border from which these people are escaping.
    - Michael W.
      
      Again you can’t read!!! I never said that stonewall was a peaceful event. I know first hand it wasn’t. You probably weren’t even born then. You, like the woman this thread is about have no respect whatsoever for anyone that has furthered the LGBT movement. The only reason you have anything to be positive about is because of what we have done through many years. As far as them migrants they took their chances coming here illegally and they have to live by those choices. I don’t condone what’s being done to them but the United States and my tax dollars can’t help everyone and I don’t want to either. There is something called the U.S. Constitution that the president must go by. He can’t magically make things happen. Us gay men have done our share of fighting to secure the few rights that we have. We’re still not treated great even after all these years. So stop whining because you haven’t.
    - Michael Erickson
      
      Well first of all, transgender and homosexuality have nothing to do with one another so I have NO idea why we’re lumped together. Second, no one is under any obligation to support something if they don’t want to. All this complaining about gay people not supporting trans people and the vitriol coming from trans people is pointless and counterproductive. It’s mirroring in a bad way the whole “all gay white men are evil racists” BS that’s been flying around lately. And then you wonder why some of us don’t actively support you… I don’t relate to trans people cuz I don’t get it. I accept it but it makes no sense to me. Therefore I have no passion for that fight and whether you like it or not I’m not going to waste my time. There are others that will.
    - Frutica
      
      You don’t have to get it, that you don’t support Transgender rights means nothing. We are here, we’ve always been here, even to help you achieve the precious Gay rights you now enjoy. We were the unashamed, the visibly identifiable faces of Queers when many closeted Gay white men dared not come out. So Gay White males like you getting us or liking us is irrelevant, we were fearless enough back then we can still be now. Keep enjoying your recently gained Gay White privilages. We don’t expect any thanks from you nor want it.
    - zFashionizta
      
      How does she or you know that is a fact, they could be lying just like a lot of the other detainees who are claiming exactly the same thing.
      And please tell me how are all of these people supposed to support themselves and their families, on the taxpayers dime? This country does not have enough housing, jobs and money for its own people, the US citizens need help and when things get better for the majority they will be able to help others.
- Culture Club Warrior
  
  Oh, so now there *were* gay people at Stonewall? I was beginning to think that it was all trans people.

Matt E. S.

Interruption of a speech is not ideal. But don’t call out Ms. Gutierrez, who acted out of desperation to bring awareness to an urgent issue. Instead, call out the President who’s offered no serious avenue for discussion of this problem.

Megalus Doomslayer

Blame those who are at fault? That’s revolutionary! But, then I don’t get to oppress the oppressed. ‘MURICA!
BeardtobeFeared

Obama said repeatedly that he would give her a chance to speak when he was finished with his speech – but of course, you get more attention and press when you act like a fool and yell at POTUS.

Gregg Masuak

When you go somewhere let someone speak. We’re talking about The President, who has invited you in. If during that time you can get your two cents in, well done. But don’t hold up a president’s (probably interesting and important) communication through just plain incessent inaudible and useless sound-like-a-petulant-teenager heckling. There’s other forums and smarter ways of expressing yourself. This is just an annoying, ignorant, stupid waste of everyone’s time. Did anyone hear you? No. Did anyone care? No. If you had eloquently or even charmingly made your point, it would be understandable. But just loud-voicing over someone else trying to speak and shouting over them, is as ineffectual as it is irritating, and completely counter-productive because all that comes across is a belligerent, childish, bullying brat. I’m gay. And I hate the way this member of my community is acting. I hate the whining and petulance that continues to exist. If things need addressing, then do it in a manner that has style, dignity, and resonance. This is just ego-filled White Noise and detrimental to any point you wanted to make. If you think you’re doing this on “our” behalf, think again.

Michael W.

Well said!! I’m a gay man and feel this sort of behavior hurts the entire LGBT movement. We’re all a community of different sexual orientations. Why is it that so many LGBT people want to isolate themselves and have a stage of their own. Let’s attempt to be a gracious supportive community for each other.
- cisgaypride
  
  Uhhhhh a cis gay man who not only doesn’t understand that ‘sexual orientations’ =/= ‘gender identities’, but thinks it his place to explain to transpeople their own oppression and how they should appropriate behave in repsonse to it? That’s cute.
  
  I like how it’s always “hurts our community” this and “sets us back” that whenever cis gay men have a problem with trans activists, yet when HRC throws transpeople under the bus for the sake of gay people while still maintaining that the work on behalf of the ‘lgbtq community’ it’s just crickets from the same exact people. Trans people are only part of your community when you decide you need to reprimand them, never when they need you to support justice for them.
  - Michael W.
    
    I’ve have volunteered many times for trans events and equality rally’s. You’re pathetic!!
Rod Blagojevich

“Did anyone hear you? No. Did anyone care? No.”

Then why are you here? This dialogue would not have reached this many people had she stayed quiet like you’re telling her she ought to have. Is there room for debate? Fine, sure, there is. Are you objectively wrong that nobody heard her or cared? Yes. You obviously are.

Evol Hourai

Why is this a difficult concept to understand? If you’re found to be in the country illegally, you’ll be held and shipped off regardless of who you are, what you think you are, or what you do. You’re not going to get special treatment if you’re in a detention center, end of story.

cisgaypride

Why is this a difficult concept to understand? The concepts of borders, immigration, and ‘illegal’ people are archaic, unjust, harmful, and based at least partly on racism. If you’re going to pretend like you have something of value to contribute, catch the fk up with the conversation and stop trying to bring it back to point A–we are far past that point. May I suggest Google, or a local library, or perhaps (dare I say it?) a bookstore?!
- Michael Erickson
  
  Blah blah blah. That’s not how the world works. One day you’ll grow out of your idealistic utopia when reality sets in. Until then, enjoy your childhood.
- Evol Hourai
  
  Every country in the world has rules and regulations about who can enter the country and how to do it. If you come into country by breaking the rules, you’re going to get shipped the hell out. The argument that it’s archaic to keep people out is accurate because one because communities like this have existed for thousands of years, but also absurd BECAUSE communities like this have existed for so long. Regardless of social or political, a community will have rules about who can join, when, and how to apply to join, even if the rule is “there are no rules.” This is the reality we’re living in.
- kvindicator
  
  undocumented border crossing and “illegal” people become a problem when their income can not be taxed and they use public services.
  
  Undocumented citizens do a great deal of work for our country, most of them are admirable, affable and hard-working. But their inability to contribute monetarily to society (due to them being undocumented) creates a strain.

St Martyr

President Obama should NOT help the LGBT community. No one likes a white knight and he should not expect people to be thankful because why should they be? Smaller government. Let people fight their own battles and live it to outside organisations NOT the President.

Michael W.

Well you can find a hole and bury yourself. No one needs your kind of advice. Hate much??
Rod Blagojevich

In fact, Obama shouldn’t help any American people. Figures elected into positions by the people to represent the people should ignore the people and do absolutely nothing. This is how government works. Ideally, Obama would spend eight years sitting in the Oval Office with his ears plugged. Our founding fathers would be disgusted to see that our current government shows small hints of representing its citizens.

Julie T

I agree that transwomen should not be placed with men. I don’t agree that people can simply come here and expect a home.

Megalus Doomslayer

Good to know charity is dead and gone.
- Julie T
  
  I believe in charity. I don’t believe in allowing just anyone into this country-a big difference.
Michael W.

Totally agree!!

Terribly Hansome

er……he can’t use executive order to allow what you’re asking. I wish folks would actually educate themselves on how these things work. Tans individual have gotten more rights and freedom under this presidency than ANY OTHER in our history and you still crap on the man? What did you expect him to do at that moment for you? You meant to embarrass him and you’re no better than the white bread GOP.

Megalus Doomslayer

The guy who can legally hand out pardons like it’s water can’t issue yet another executive order on immigration?
- Andrew Spruce
  
  If you paid attention, you would see that the executive orders he has produced on immigration have come under much legal scrutiny, re: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/obamas-immigration-executive-actions-hold-legal-challenge-resolved/
  
  The president isn’t as all-powerful as all the american public seems to think.
- Terribly Hansome
  
  Hopefully, this will not require further explanation to you. Things like this is why we couldn’t get the ACA exactly as we wanted it.
  
  Executive Orders are controversial because they allow the President
  to make major decisions, even law, without the consent of Congress.
  This, of course, runs against the general logic of the Constitution —
  that no one should have power to act unilaterally. Nevertheless,
  Congress often gives the President considerable leeway in implementing
  and administering federal law and programs. Sometimes, Congress cannot
  agree exactly how to implement a law or program. In effect, this leaves
  the decision to the federal agencies involved and the President that
  stands at their head. When Congress fails to spell out in detail how a
  law is to be executed, it leaves the door open for the President to
  provide those details in the form of Executive Orders.
  
  Congressional Recourse
  
  If Congress does not like what the executive branch is doing, it
  has two main options. First, it may rewrite or amend a previous law, or
  spell it out in greater detail how the Executive Branch must act. Of
  course, the President has the right to veto the bill if he disagrees
  with it, so, in practice, a 2/3 majority if often required to override
  an Executive Order.
BeardtobeFeared

Sadly no one is going to respond to you because it’s a logical, thought out explanation as to why certain injustices are still occurring today.

It’s more fun to scream ‘respectability politics’ and call the people who disagree with you ‘cisgendered brainwashed sheeple’

The world is full of injustice, and our job should be removing them one by one. If we’re all going to scream at the leader of our country because our problem isn’t getting taken care of the fastest then nothing is going to get done, period.

Healthcare is a mess. People are sitting in jail are charges for a drug that is quickly becoming legalized, will they ever get their lives back?. Racism is rampant in our police force. Etc. Etc. Etc. There are a lot of things to be done here, and something that you would call NOT productive is acting like a fool and shaming your allies in an attempt to get attention for an LBGTQ cause that the president would’ve been happy to discuss at any other time.

This is embarassing.

Terribly Hansome

Your message was valid. Your approach undid all that. You made yourself look like every other disrespectful nut job out there. And while your heckling folks – please heckle your OWN brethren who are voting republican in droves and against their OWN interests, please.

cisgaypride

The irony of seeing a comment calling this ‘disrespectful’ directly above the comment that people here love respectability politics. So ignorant, it’s almost adorable.

Andrew Spruce

You were being an ignorant ass in the White House where you were formally invited and privileged to be at. This president has worked harder on immigration reform then any predecessor in recent history and has been stone walled every step of the way by congress (who you should be focusing on). I’m sorry for any plight that you feel isn’t getting the attention it deserves, but pick the correct venue for your activist plans. This was insulting, belittling, and unbecoming in so many ways and absolutely shouldn’t have been tolerated. Respectfully, I request you learn how to respect others.

Rod Blagojevich

“Listen, Dr. King, I support your cause but you should really do these sit-ins at the colored restaurant down the road. You really ought to respect others.”
- BrianQTD
  
  Some people actually did say that! Even some in the black community! Smh at respectability politics.

BrianQTD

I have read a lot of comments by people who say “This President has done more for US than any other President.” But define “US.” If you’re a trans undocumented person it could be argued that this President has done LESS for you than all the others because he has deported more than previous Presidents.

I understand the reaction of some. This President has been subjected to all kinds of racist abuse and may be one of the most disrespected Presidents in a while. A lot of us are tired of people yelling at him (as in the State of the Union) because we know where it’s coming from.

I have no doubt in my mind that if Larry Kramer were ever invited to the White House, he would have yelled at Reagan. If you think you can’t compare Reagan to Obama, see paragraph 1. Lots of trans people clearly believe this is an urgent life-and-death issue that both the LGB(T) movement and the Administration have ignored. Yeah Gutierrez was “rude,” but I think trans people being sexually abused in ICE facilities is a bit more than “rude.”

disqus_VcrJkxDGGK

Pardon me, but if you honestly think interrupting the President making a televised speech, in the White House, would get you any sympathy…or magically get him to declare that all Trans prisoners would be immediately released (they are prisoners for a reason by the way), then you really don’t understand much about how America works. Screaming and acting like a child in someone else’s house gets you thrown out and dismissed as ignorant (like you got), and then your voice won’t be heard. Scheduling a meeting and expressing your concerns like an adult gets people’s attention better.

Rod Blagojevich

“Scheduling a meeting and expressing your concerns like an adult gets people’s attention better.”
You’d be surprised to know that Jennicet’s caused has been “respectfully” discussed in many venues without anyone raising their voice. The reason you’d be surprised to know that is because it didn’t get people’s attention better.

Abishai

And what about the voices of tri-racial, asylum seeking, veteran, hermaphrodites?

Rod Blagojevich

Very brave of you to trivialize the oppression of a minority group through an internet comment. That must take a lot of courage.

chris968

I am glad you spoke out for our trans brothers and sisters who are locked up and being mistreated in holding right now. However I feel that this could have been done in a more progressive manner that could have even possibly started a conversation between you and the president. I have a strong feeling he would listen to you, but yelling over him was not the way to do it. However, all of the other men in the room “shushing” you was quite obnoxious, and it actually made MORE noise (it always does), and I found it quite rude when they were booing you. I am a white transman, so while I do know the difficulties of being trans, even I don’t know what it’s like for trans women of color who experience life at so much more of a difficult experience than me. Rock on.

Sky OfPennsylvania

Greetings! Had made some comments this morning in re of this event, however at the time, I was not informed, nor aware of the actual reason of the “LGBTQ Heckler at the White House”… Now, now that I know, yes, I do understand why this human being, member of the LGBTQ family felt the need to shout out her intended information/message, because she wanted to bring much needed attention to LGBT immigrants, chiefly those of third gender “Trans”, who are in prison in the US… Reason for the “Being in prison”, they have entered the land without invitation, without required legalities and associated documents, and in short, they are unlawfully in this country.
Of course, because they “HAPPEN TO BE” of the LGBTQ Family, well, we are LGBTQ Family members, it makes sense to defend, to fight for members of one’s own family. Ergo, now I do understand her actions.
I am sure that if there is a way to legally and officially assist these illegally-in-the-country LGBTQ Immigrants, chiefly, our Trans sisters and brothers, I am confident that OBAMA will do his best to make it happen.
I still think that Obama has been, will always be and still is, the most LGBTQ Friendly President this country has ever had in its history.
I also know that Obama is not God, he’s not perfect but he is a good human being much alike as most of us, we try our best to do what we think we can… The fact is, nobody has a permanent answer that fits for everything and everybody all the time and at all places on earth. After our own humanity, I let his foibles pass… And that’s because, I happen to like Obama as a decent human being that he is and for his presidency.
Perhaps, well-meant and meaningful LGBTQ Heckler in the White House might have lit a fire of awareness and new perception which will bring about the postive and life-affirming changes which our LGBTQ Family needs, whoever you may be.

Frutica

We are aware that he is not ‘God’ as you put it, nor a dictator but he certainly has the biggest pulpit in the land to set the right tone in addressing this issue. He missed that opportunity and perhaps has made it worse I fear.
- Sky OfPennsylvania
  
  As being the most powerful man on earth, president and leader of the free world, Obama has many helpers ( both the overt and the covert ones ), it is quite easy for me to realise the fact that by now, the President has been made aware and well-informed of “Who did What” and Her Reasons, “Where and Wherefore”…
  Ergo, not everything is what it seems from here, it is quite different from inside looking out.
  I am quite sure if Obama can “Officially” / Legally assist the Unlawfully LGBTQ Immigrants (who are temporarily detained
  
  for being in the US without any legal status nor official invitation), he surely will and our detained LGBTQ Family people shall be promptly released.
  There are no guarantees at all but I prefer to remain always optimistic as we all know very well, anything is possible and all we do is wish sometimes.
  Cheers!

Brian Hanley

Obama is the guy who called Jamie Dimon and the rest of the banksters into the Oval Office and told them they were golden. He protected them from prosecution, and to the extent he could from investigation. He protected them again in the robosigning felonies by ramming a bribe down the throats of the broke states – states that were broke because of the criminal actions of Jamie Dimon and friends. (Look up what William K. Black has said. He was prosecutor for the government in the much smaller S&L crisis.)

Obama is the guy who oversaw the persecution of Julian Assange by dirty tricks worthy of the Cheka during Stalin’s time.

Obama has pursued and prosecuted more whistleblowers than any other president in history by an order of magnitude. He incarcerated those who revealed government torture.

Obama oversaw the destruction of half the wealth of black America. I know he blames Bush for that, and yes, Bush was the one who let the banksters run wild and crash the world banking system. However, it was Obama who pursued the banana republic policies that held no rich criminal accountable and held the feet of the little guy to the fire. Iceland did the opposite and it’s just fine.

Obama has kept a trade treaty a secret document while pushing for it to be voted on, which is utterly antithetical to democracy.

The proper retort to Obama on gay rights is, “What on earth did YOU have to do with any of this?!”

Maribel Hernandez-Green

Go sister so PROUD of you

yurpnova

whatever part of the matrix you people live in… must be nice… carry on though.

QueeRevolutionary

You had every right to petition the president for a redress of grievances when he invited you to the White House on LGBT Pride Day.

Shame on any gay or lesbian or bisexual Americans who do not get that the First Amendment includes the right to petition the president any time anywhere and especially in the People’s House.

President Obama is allowed to LIVE in the White House because he won a majority of electoral college votes.

The White House is NOT his house but belongs to We the People of the United States of America and as one of those people I KNOW you have the right to petition the president to end the attacks against transgender immigrants denied asylum in the United States.

Shame on President Obama and shame on any gay, lesbian or bisexual Americans for not knowing what the First Amendment is.

For those transgender bashing Americans who do not think that the First Amendment applies to the White House, how do you explain this? https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/

Katie B

Ok, but what about those of us who think this was more about venting frustration than about getting anything actually done? That we’ve seeing this exact sort of flagrant abuse of the President from the other side for years, pointing out that no White President has ever suffered this sort of constant rain of indignities, and feel uncomfortable that we have no explanation that can justify why it’s ok when people we sympathize with interrupt and heckle but not ok when people on the other side do the same thing.

Before this President’s term of office, it was well understood by everyone that no matter how much you disagreed with the President, no matter how angry you were with the President, when the President is speaking, you listen respectfully and wait.
- Brian Hanley
  
  Sure, this president has faced racism from day one. But he has also been a marionette for moneyed criminals from day one. I am appalled at the race-based hatred of Obama.
  
  However, I am far more appalled by Obama being allowed to use that racism as a shield against all criticism. He has done so many things that are outrageous, the most recent being classifying a trade treaty and pushing for a vote on what the citizens can’t know. From prosecution of whistleblowers and domestic spying, to persecution of Julian Assange, protecting the biggest banking criminals in history, and destroying half the wealth of his own people – this president is an appalling opportunistic empty suit.
  - Michael Erickson
    
    Thank you!
- Brian Hanley
  
  And that guy in the White House had nothing to do with helping LGBTQ people. How dare he hold a celebration to pretend that this was his legacy? He didn’t “come out” for gay marriage until 4 years after he was elected, after seeing how the states were going. Seeing where the wind was blowing, he jumped on. But it was words, not much action. That’s what this guy is.
  
  Talk. Late. Then grab the celebration and hold a parade.
  - Katie B
    
    For those of us who look at calendars now and again, that was in the middle of his re-election campaign, at a time when his re-election nor the eventual fate of the four marriage ballot questions that were on the docket for that year was still up in the air. The idea that it was without risk for him to take on the marriage question when he did is only tenable through the power of 20/20 hindsight. Maybe the President’s team had better number crunchers than the rest of us did, but here in Minnesota defeating the marriage amendment did NOT look like a sure thing until early October and there were several months in mid-2012 where the amendment’s “yes” was polling above 50%.
    
    I want to see people using basic strategy and tactics, not just venting their spleen whenever they want to. Yelling at the President is cathartic but you know what’s better? WINNING.
Culture Club Warrior

Heckling is now considered petitioning? Good to know.
- Paul Greenberg
  
  Exactly. What she did was completely ineffective.
  - dayv
    
    or not.
Paul Greenberg

Certainly you are right that the First Amendment applies to the White House, but what she did was ineffective. Instead of calling positive attention to her cause, she called negative attention just to herself. Nothing accomplished at all.
Brian Ivy

What’s with LGTBFGHs thinking they deserve so much attention? Is it cus they were showered with attention all their life growin up?

yurpnova

you demand respect… in the most disrespectful manner… What did you expect to happen? Logically? was he suppose to stop his speech, disregard everyone else in the room to come focus on you… He is not Jesus, and you are not a blind cripple… get a grip… not saying you should not stand up for what you believe in… but get a dam grip… time and place….

BrianQTD

She may have expected exactly what happened–to be thrown out, to cause a scene and bring light to this issue–which it has done.
- yurpnova
  
  maaaaaaaaaaaan, if those folks locked up are not related to a kard(Ass)sian… America sadly doesn’t care… and the out burst will be forgotten in a week… this issue will fall back to the abyss of other problems this country has…

BalancedPerspective

How RUDE! How DISRESPECTFUL. And if you wanted to be heard, then do it with some class! Use your manners next time. Your “rights” don’t supersede the rights of other members in our society. Show some dang respect towards others specifically the President of the United State of America. WTH is wrong with you? My transgender and homosexual friend are equally aghast at your behavior! You have turned me and others away from your cause, not towards it with stupid self-serving behavior!

Mike

lol, nice to know your support for a civil rights cause hinges on whether an activist makes you mad today. Some friend.
- BalancedPerspective
  
  Don’t pretend to know what I stand for. You don’t know me or my beliefs. That’s as ignorant as they come. Above all, I believe in respect! You can fight for rights without being disrespectful.

Lish Lash

Obama blew this one with his condescending reaction, which trivialized Gutierrez on a personal level instead of taking her concerns seriously. That encourged some of his LGB loyalists to openly shush her and heckle her back, as Obama persisted way too long in trying to humiliate Guterrez into shutting up. Instead of using this LGBT event as an opportunity to show how hip he is, Obama should have treated Guterrez with respect, and assured her that he’d respond to her concerns in the follow-up QA session after his speech. By failing to do so, Obama exposed the superficial quality of his lukewarm support for LGBT issues.

planetwingnuttia

She deserved it she was heckling!
Typical

he should have put her on a bus for deportation.
- zFashionizta
  
  if Trump where the president she would have been deported immediately!
planetwingnuttia

And look warm …the supreme court is talking about Marriage equality NOW IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF WHAT HE’S SAID.

Typical

I’ll bet other criminals face discrimination too. Come to this country legally, jack ass, and you don’t have a problem.

Frutica

Many can’t, these are not simple economic migrants, many are escaping persecution in their home countries for being Transgender.
- Typical
  
  pretty sure we have an asylum process to that’s more involved than “pay the coyote”

Joe Lumello

So sad to see some of the comments below. I hate it when we eat our own and make horrible generalizations about our community. Ms. Gutierrez chose to take this opportunity to make a statement. I clearly wouldn’t have interrupted the first LGBT-friendly President in US history as he honors pride month but, that is my choice and perspective. I do not see the world through Ms. Gutierrez’s eyes because of my privilege – I am a US Citizen and white. What concerns me about her decision to speak out about her truth is that it give rise to the idea that as a whole, the LGBT community is only focused on securing the rights of some of its members. As evidenced by comments below, some of us believe we are a fractured and selfish community who is distrustful and uncaring of the “other”. While this may be true of some LGBT people, it does not define our community and I resent the implication. This kind of propaganda has been used by oppressors since the beginning of time. Casting doubt weakens the movement from within through dissention. The more we fight amongst ourselves, the greater the chance we will not achieve quality for all our brothers and sisters.

yes

I stand with you, Jennicet! íLA LUCHA SIGUE!

house_cat

Does anyone have a source for these stats? “Immigrant trans women are 12 times more likely to face discrimination because of our gender identity. If we add our immigration status to the equation, the discrimination increases. Transgender immigrants make up one out of every 500 people in detention, but we account for one out of five confirmed sexual abuse cases in ICE custody.”

truth hurst

You get invited to his event, you drink his alcohol, eat his food, get a chance to mingle with important people and then you interrupt/heckle him like a classess bitch……
No, you’re not a cunt at all.

dcinsider

You are a fraud, and you have glommed onto the coattails of gay and lesbian civil rights successes long enough. I, for one, have had enough of listening to transsexuals and their nonsense. I’ve had enough of putting up with their ceaseless demands, and their ever-changing wordplay on what is and is not acceptable language.

This is not the first time a transsexual has stepped onto a gay and lesbian event and demanded attention in an entirely inappropriate manner. This juvenile attitude must change.

Perhaps it is time for the transsexual community to find their own path to civil rights. I see no basis for the gay and lesbian community to continue to permit transsexuals to drag down our advances with their demands. We have spent 30 years building relationships, funding our civil rights, lobbying for change, and when we see even the slightest progress, transsexuals show up and try to make everything about them.

I wish transsexuals well on their fight for civil rights, which I support, but I do not want my dollars donated to gay and lesbian political organizations to be used for that battle.

Obviously, this woman cannot act decently in our community and thought nothing of interrupting an event meant to bring some celebration and joy into the lives of gays and lesbians. Selfish, self-absorbed, and juvenile. It is time for transsexuals to seek their rights elsewhere.

I am done with them.

Reverse Racist

notice how this resembles white feminists disavowing black liberation when their own liberation became feasible? we have a history of the more privileged in a marginalized population abandoning those who fought alongside them when their personal goals come within reach. shameful.
- dcinsider
  
  Wrong. When I was fighting 30 years ago, there was not a single “trans” person to be seen. This recent phenomenon has attached itself to the gay and lesbian community like a tick.
  - Reverse Racist
    
    i dont care, they existed and have been working with the movement for years. if you cant recognize how their oppression parallels your own and see why your civil rights needs overlap, you are complicit.

J.r. Graff

How about you start by BEING documented?? Start by going about the process to become a legal U.S. citizen? Yes, it’s a lengthy process, but plenty of people have done it. You have no excuses … and by insisting on remaining an undocumented citizen, you have no right to interrupt our President. Oh, and FYI: Pride started because police were raiding gay bars, arresting their patrons and the drag queens and gays said “enough!”, not because we were interrupting the President or someone else while speaking. Read up on your history, honey.

Reverse Racist

analogy at the end makes no sense, obviously she is not speaking up about herself interrupting the president?? mess
Nornwen

You shouldn’t speak about experiences you do not understand. Unless you have been or are undocumented and are trans, you don’t know how hard or easy it is for them or if they have excuses.

I am saying this as someone who is not an undocumented immigrant and is trans.

David Murdock

I have no problem with trans people wanting their voices heard, they should be. But there’s a time and place for everything and that moment, when he was being so supportive of our entire community, was NOT the time to do it. It wasn’t the time to be divisive, but a time to be unified in support of a President who has done so much for gay rights.

Nornwen

Does Obama have the authority to release them?

I hope that question doesn’t seem dismissive, I really just don’t know. I think if he does he needs to be transparent about it, and he needs to acknowledge and speak about this issue more because he has a great deal of power and influence.

I think your activism is amazing. :)

I can’t seem to find any videos of this which is frustrating, like they were taken down?

SirKnows DevoidofPunk

Obama is deporting lots of immigrants—largely based on policies enacted by Congress and that will take congress to overturn.

Speaking of Congress, I’m always amazed by how litte interest Progressive activists take in taking their own House and Senate reps to task on issues but expect Obama to fix stuff that under the rules of the US Constitution he’s not allowed to.

You want policies and laws amended/enacted/overturned, you go to the LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, not the Executive Branch. Obama signed an Executive Order to close Guantanamo Bay his first 6 months in office. Singed the order on National TV in fact. Congress refused to fund it and and refused to take those prisoners into SuperMaxes in their respective states. So what did Progressives do?

“Obama won’t close Gitmo!” Wahhhhhhh! Wahhhhh!

He signed the damn order on TV, but your Senator/House Rep bitched a fit in defiance.

Same thing on immigration and detention. These are federal laws. The system is broken from top to bottom. But instead of looking at your Senator and your House Reps and your Governor (if you’re a border state), you blame the one person with the least amount of ability to fix this thanks to the checks and balances that our government puts on each branch.

That aside, interrupting a speech by a president who has done more thatn any admin past and who’s contastly being attacked and disrespected at everyturn by everyone who thinks it’s his job to kiss their ass is why you’re seeing the reactions from obama that you’re seeing these last few months.

Like it or not, the White House is his house during his tenure, just as it was Clinton’s house during his, Bush’s house during his. They down own the house, but when guests show up and disrespect them don’t expect them to smile thru it. Sometimes enough’s enough.

But don’t let any of this stop you from blaming Obama for not being magic negro enough for you.

James Dennin

5 stars

Alias Seudónimo

I stand for the cause, but still think it wasn’t the smartest way to make the cause be heard. Sad output from both ends

Addoublee

I respect and understand transgender issues and I support you as well. However, HE is the president of the United States. I don’t care what job he is or isn’t doing by OUR definition or what the media feeds us. The fact is that you were both rude and crass to our leader in front of the whole world. There is and will be a time to fight, rightfully so and it will take time, just as with the gay community. Fight the good fight, but disrespecting the president was ill advised, especially for someone fighting for non citizens and with someone that has done the most as a President in regards to equalization and rights for LGBTQ community.

Tera Paillet

I don’t know where these people who are complaining about President Obama, deporting immigrants, but I started to notice a big change in 1992 through the southern states of more Hispanic. The borders are on the lines of the south and Texas is the melting pot of entrances. See that year above 1992, that was the year when G.W.H. Bush was running America then and technically now, if you want my opinion regarding this whole disturbing problems in America. President Obama, have tried to clean that WHITE HOUSE that Bush son left with a mounting amount of disturbing problems yet; America still need to recognizes a old wound that been done to the black communities who build this place for them to be wealthy off their backs. So, you house guests want America to do what for you? Obama cares! The above past Presidents care ONLY to build pipelines and better power grids for more wealth in their utility enterprise. No more JEB!

Donna Chambers

Did you give this a go? https://www.whitehouse.gov/participate

MelaninManson

I would have preferred this op-ed over the public disrespect employed to justify hearing from this passionate voice. Thank you for your contribution, Jennicet.

Jane Lucille Black

What she is advocating isn’t the problem. It’s the time and place. Shouting constantly over the president during a speech isn’t shedding light on much and it certainly isn’t going to get him to say, “You know what, you’re right. And I have 10 minutes free, so let’s talk about it.” It’s going to get you thrown out. You can’t say it’s heartbreaking to see how he received the ISSUE. He didn’t receive the issue; he received disruptive heckling. If you’d have had the chance to speak to him in an appropriate setting and THEN he was dismissive of it, then you can say it’s heartbreaking to see how he received the issue.

While that chance may never come, your shouting didn’t shed light on the issue for him that evening; it opened the door to a lot of news coverage – which is still great for the cause! But don’t pretend like your heckling was a composed conversation with the president where he then spat on your concerns. That’s not what happened.

Paul Greenberg

Jennicet…all you accomplished was calling negative attention to yourself, rather than calling effective attention to your cause. You have much to learn about civil disobedience. Interrupting the President of the United States as he is speaking in the White House is not something that advances a cause. I wonder why you didn’t know that.

Nornwen

It isn’t disobedience if you do not disobey.
- Paul Greenberg
  
  She didn’t disobey anything. She just screamed and caused everyone in the room to want her to leave. Therefore she accomplished nothing. Aggressiveness and obnoxiousness does not bring effective attention to a cause.
  - Nornwen
    
    Why are you here then?
    
    Apparently quite a few people’s expectations were disobeyed, including yours.
    - Paul Greenberg
      
      What a crazy thing to say. How on earth would I have had any expectations about this woman? My point here is that when you want to advance a cause, you have to communicate it in a way that it will be fully heard. This woman did just the opposite. Nobody was interested in what she was saying. They only wanted her to leave because she had interrupted the President. She did nothing for the cause.

Cecelia O’brien

not buying this – one interruption – okay – repeated interuptions after being asked to quiet down? not okay. This is not effective strategy.

kntmds

You want to be heard? Don’t be an asshole who interrupts people. That’s how you do NOT get heard.

Istanballu

Yeah, because that’s exactly how all activism has worked, like ever. Everyone sat down and waited their turn.
- Jeni Hanson Aubrey
  
  Well, yes. And when you get your turn to speak, and you say your piece, everyone listens. I think you were trying to be sarcastic, but that IS the way it works. Pointless noise never got anyone anywhere. First, you have to have something valuable to say; then, you have to say it firmly and assertively. Passionately. At the right time and in the right place. And, never, never, NEVER judge other people or call them insulting names. You won’t get heard that way!
  - Istanballu
    
    Yeah, I’m sorry, but that’s the stupidest comment I’ve literally read. Ever. And it’s not even in line with the vast history of queer activism. Learn your history:
    
    “Before Occupy: How AIDS Activists Seized Control of the FDA in 1988”
    
    http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/before-occupy-how-aids-activists-seized-control-of-the-fda-in-1988/249302/
    
    Apparently white gay men and their enablers like you don’t care about civility if it has to deal with them and their life and death issues. But whatevs. Be polite! that’s always worked and how it’s been,.
  - Istanballu
    
    And:
    Support for Confrontational Tactics among AIDS Activists: A Study of Intra-Movement Divisions
    
    http://www.jstor.org/stable/2111626

Brian Ivy

There are seriously bigger issues in the world than this.

Brian Hanley

This is true. But that does not mean it is not an issue. Any time people are being raped and murdered is not a time to turn a blind eye. Most especially there is not a time to turn away when it is the simplest thing in the world for the president to command it to stop.
- Brian Ivy
  
  At a time like this, with terrorism and shaky economics, you want the president to tend to your little sexual whims? You need special attention do you? Stop thinking only about yourself and begging everyone for attention. You like men/women/dogs cool story. Let’s deal with big problems and if we have time to spare, we can revisit it?
  - Brian Hanley
    
    I am as straight as they come myself. Try this paper Brian. http://www.hy-ls.org/index.php/hyls/article/download/57/57-264-1-PB.pdf
    
    Your implicit proposal that the nation or president can only address one thing at a time is called a false dilemma. By that logic, we can’t fix water and natural gas pipelines at the same time. After all, we have terrorism and economics to work on, right?
    
    BTW – I have published chapters through West Point on Terrorism. I have also published papers in economics. And you?
    
    Here are one of each.
    Terrorism – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/200112463_Understanding_and_Countering_the_Motives_and_Methods_of_Warlords
    
    Economics – http://www.economics-ejournal.org/economics/journalarticles/2012-3
    - Brian Ivy
      
      Why are you lumping everything into two categories? There are things that concern the welfare of the whole country, and there are things that concern the welfare of a small percentage. Which takes priority? Those LGBTFEJSFJSE rights are great, big win.. and then what do you know the economy tumbles. Who wins?
    - Brian Hanley
      
      By that logic, we shouldn’t be bothered with murders. They don’t concern the welfare of the whole country, just the few killed. It is in fact, implicit in your position that you think murdering, beating, and raping some people is ok. Because that is, precisely what we are talking about here. By extension, we shouldn’t be bothered about it for anyone. It’s a tiny minority who get murdered.
      
      You can argue, perhaps, that it is a distraction to the mainstream media from things that matter to more people because our mainstream media can only talk about a few things each day. However, those same media outlets are quite deliberate in their choice of what they won’t cover.
      
      That mainstream media hasn’t covered the causes of the 2008 banking crash, but instead has studiously avoided it. Similarly, in recent time, very little media attention has been given to the biggest issue of the present day – the TPP.
- Evol Hourai
  
  “Because the president said so” is a horrible reason to do something, or to not do it.
- Brian Ivy
  
  She was disrespectful. Why to these people think they’re special enough to deserve special attention, when they can’t even behave like civilized people?

Renae Dutkowski

While I agree with you and support your cause, Jennicet Gutierrez, I don’t think a presidential speech is the time or place to make your points. First, you disrespected the office of the president. Second, you disrespected a man who possibly more than anyone else in government today is likely to support your cause and is in a position to do something about it, And third you didn’t stand a chance of being heard and you weren’t heard. Not only that, you may have harmed your cause and your own credibility. Pick your battles carefully, Ms. Gutierrez. Time them well. Speak thoughtfully and with dignity. I don’t think you could emulate better examples than Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gandhi, both of whom changed the world in thoughtful, respectful ways.

JPeron

Bravo. Obama promised a lot but didn’t deliver. He deported more people than any other president in history. He assaulted civil liberties with massive data collection on civilians.

He opposed gay marriage until well after the polls showed it was safe and then only voiced support after Joe Biden beat him to the punch.

When DADT was up for repeal, Obama said it was too soon, that he had other agendas, that it was a bad idea. The gay servicemembers group fought anyway and some in Congress helped. Obama refused to lift a finger, saying it would hurt Democrats. When it passed the White House took credit for the work of others.

In his reply in the White House he had the audacity to pretend that marriage rights going from 2 states to 37 were his doing. It was the work of people who ignored the Democrats and top LGBT groups telling them it “was too soon” or “the timing isn’t right.” Obama didn’t do it. What an ego. What arrogance.

BigBooButch

Yeah, you seriously need to use citations when you make fake claims like, “Immigrant trans women are 12 times more likely to face discrimination because of our gender identity. If we add our immigration status to the equation, the discrimination increases. Transgender immigrants make up one out of every 500 people in detention, but we account for one out of five confirmed sexual abuse cases in ICE custody.”

Those are completely fabricated stats that cannot be proven as true because, to be honest, they are -not- true. The next time you use stats like that, use citations; and blogs do not count. Try using actual stats from an official entity.

Or you could just keep spreading these fake stats. As we proved with the totally made-up (he even stepped forward to admit that he made it up) stat, 1 in 12, people will believe a lie if you just keep repeating it.

house_cat

I’ve asked twice now if anyone has sources for these stats. I’ve looked on the Web and can’t find any. I’m seeing a disturbing pattern of throwing around numbers with no basis in research or fact. In addition to the figures included in this article I’ve seen trans activists claim that 1 in 12 trans people are murdered in the US and that the average lifespan of trans people in the US is 24–both with no citations. Also, when the author says that trans immigrants are “12 times more likely to face discrimination because of our gender identity” with whom is she comparing trans people to, and is this stat applicable to both trans women and men? C’mon. I’m all for trans rights, but basic intellectual honesty would be nice too.

Across my memory

As much as I am for the rights of all LGBT Americans (and I am a big advocate for them), this is pretty irrelevant. They are not in this situation because they are transgendered, so the point does fall flat. Shouldn’t Jennicet Gutierrez be requesting that everyone be released, whether they are transgender or not?

I am not against immigration. I am married to someone that emigrated here. But they did it legally, and we have a wonderful life together. Seeking asylum from a war torn or dangerous country is one thing, but we need to stop being the world’s adoption agency. This country is deteriorating. So many don’t have food, jobs, or even a roof over there head. I now believe we must heal our country first, before we welcome everyone in with open arms. So many other countries have such restrictions on residency. Even in Canada you must be going there to work or have something to provide the country (such as a skilled worker in a field they are lacking in).

I am not a capitalist. I am and will always be liberal. But I see our country and its people falling through the cracks and it breaks my heart. I do not believe that every immigrant must be deported. Residency and a bridge to citizenship are key and very important. However, so is being able to support yourself and your family. As I’ve gotten older my views have changed. I still firmly believe in welfare programs, even for immigrants, but they should be actively looking for jobs or working, to benefit – unless they are unable to for health reasons. That is not to force anyone into deeper poverty but to ensure that these programs are able to continue on for many years to come. Failure to adhere to these policies could put their immigrant status in jeopardy. I also also believe these “job creators” (gag) need to do their part and bring jobs back to this country so that everyone can work. They must be forced to do that (because they will not willingly, they’ve been given too much leeway). Governmental programs to offer job assistance for immigrants needs to be put in place. A living wage for all is essential. This is what Jennicet Gutierrez should be fighting for. She should be fighting for every immigrant (along with Americans) to take part in rebuilding this nation, becoming a resident, with a bridge to a future as a citizen.

Furthermore, I do not believe what I stated should apply only to immigrants (in terms of receiving supplemental and welfare benefits). It should apply to every able bodied American.

danieladarko

You were INVITED, that’s the key word here…. and yet you acted like an ass. You bit the hand that fed you… I understand that you felt you needed to be heard, but there are ways of going about that, especially when the person you want to be heard by is already listening.

Eric Kaylor

“A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him.”
~ Aesop

Bob

Very disrespectful!!!!! He s on your side! You were out of line!

Istanballu

He’s on the side of the white upper middle class gay version of gay life, you twat.
- Jeni Hanson Aubrey
  
  Seriously?
  You just called someone a “twat”??
  Do you even know what that means?
  It’s a derogatory term for a very private part of a woman’s anatomy. It’s extremely insulting. I don’t know anything about you, but your words don’t paint a very pretty picture. (Um, speaking of pictures, where’s yours?
  - Istanballu
    
    It’s a British term for a dumb person. Or is the English language entirely owned by Americans? You twat.
    - Jeni Hanson Aubrey
      
      Don’t call me that. Now that I’ve explained to you what it means, you just insulted me in one of the worst ways possible. I looked it up in several dictionaries, including British English ones, and the first definition is always “vulva” or “a woman’s genitals”. The British slang for the same word, always after the main definition, is indeed “stupid or obnoxious”, but should never be used in conversation with anyone who is aware that it’s “vulgar slang for the vagina”. (I think that may mean everybody but you.) I believe the word you were looking for is “twit”. It also means “stupid or obnoxious:, but has no reference to anything else. If you continue to use the other word to insult people, you’re not worth listening to at all…sort of like someone who would interrupt a prestigious and gracious host, and just keep on yelling insults. You, sir, are a twit.
    - Istanballu
      
      No, I was looking for twat. Because your mind is simple, unlike a vagina–which is complex and wondrous. You’re just a fool and not worth discussing with. Enjoy your authoritarianism, you twat.
    - Jeni Hanson Aubrey
      
      Ass.
    - Istanballu
      
      Dumbfuck.

Quentin Jersey

“In the tradition of how Pride started, I interrupted his speech because it is time for our issues and struggles to be heard. I stood for what is right. Instead of silencing our voices”

Um, someone needs a history lesson.

Angela Burnham

Write a blog, post a video to youtube, or open up a twitter account; but don’t interrupt the President of the United States of America when he’s in the middle of a press conference.

Bren

“Moral indignation is a technique used to endow the idiot with dignity.”

trains

i like trains

Mamabeagle

I’ve seen the footage. You sounded like a ranting fool while Obama and Biden smile and talk jokingly about the rudeness of a guest who comes into your house, drinks the booze and eats the food you lay out and then disrespects you. They looked cool, calm and funny in that moment while your voice sounds desperate and ranting. Whatever you think you accomplished you did not.

Istanballu

All of your comments are anti-protestor on your DIsqus, so who cares what you think?

Danielle

Wrong time and place. I’m a part the LGTBQ+ community and a huge supporter of LGTBQ+ rights, but this wasn’t the way to do it, and in my view was disrespectful. I think it ends up having the opposite effect of what you are trying to accomplish. My opinion, for what it is worth.

Istanballu

And if every LGTBQ activist over the years just sit down and shut up, if things like ACT UP had just gone to tea parties, or if Stonewall had never happened—then all would be well and right in the world and gay rights totally would have happened. Just admit you’re an Obama Kool-Aid drinker.

Scott

Message sent to Ms. Gutierrez from me…I am a former teacher/school administrator that has had to fight my entire life as a gay man. I have always been out, had respect because of my demeanor, and was on the front lines of passing the once civil unions…we were one of the first states (DE) to pass gay marriage for all. I live in Rehoboth Beach, DE and we have moved mountains for all! Where were all the immigrants when we were speaking and rallying in our state and federal
level? We have a large Hispanic population and they were not afraid to be seen, just complacent! I wasn’t risking career, family, etc. just for fun. I worked in unison with all my brothers and sisters in the GLTB community and we got things done . I applaud your passion, but there is a way to present yourself. You made a mockery of your cause and identity in
society by being a somewhat intoxicated, transgendered, rude, *invited*quest. We have a very strong GLTB community that reaches all and have moved mountains…check out CAMP Rehoboth. Those in my generations (50’s +) really suffered, laid the ground work, and gave the younger generations
the easier path. Do you think that if I acted like you in the White house in my 20’s I would have not been brutalized or even killed in the streets of DC? I was born there and suffered many beatings in an alley because I did not fit the norm of the 60’s stereotype. You have done nothing more than made national headlines as absurd. Thank you for setting us back!
Scott

dayv

please, this is just another step forward.

Mick

I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and try to believe that you passion for helping to end the suffering of others and not your shameless egotism prompted you to behave that way. This letter would have received the same attention simply by identifying yourself as the immigrant trans woman who had received the honor and respect of an invitation to the White House. Did you decide that sign of progress and acceptance needed to be thrown out in order to give you more cache as a radical? Now you’ll have no place at the table, so I hope you make the most of this fleeting moment of notoriety. Your behavior overshadowed your message.

Brian Hanley

No, that is not true. That has been done many times over many years. No response. This little publicity stunt has finally gotten some attention to the problem.
Istanballu

How is caring about the rape and poor treatment of transgendered immigrant migrants shameless egotism? You’re such a shallow person.
- Mick
  
  The entire conversation in the media with the exception of this very narrowly viewed thread is focused on Gutierrez’s perceived incivility rather than the message she wanted to present. Placing one’s desire to be heard over one’s desire to effect change for a cause would qualify as egotism. And certainly, being human, both caring and egotism can exist within the same individual at the same time and be motivations for the same action. I heard much less in the mainstream media about the reason or Gutierrez’s outburst than about the humorous admonishment Obama chastised her with which diffused her message.

CloudSurfer

Something about this whole incident seems wrong to me. Being black and gay the whole spectacle of a mostly white mob trying to shut up a single glbt person of color makes me uneasy. Dunno but i’m not down with this, the president should’ve known better and handled it in a different way, the optics look bad.
Personally i didn’t find anything offensive in what she was saying or doing, many of us who are active have done similar acts – and don’t give me that bull jive about us not doing what she did to this president cuz we did when we thought he wasn’t backing us up in the fight for marriage equality, both to him and to Michelle. So please those hating on her because of her legal status or becuz she was uppity enough to stand up for her people, or because she is T or latinos in general – we know were you coming from.

jeff4justice

Exactly. The movements that gave both gays and Obama equality were founded by both tactful activists and also loud and disruptive ones too.

jeff4justice

Disgusted by the Obama-worshiping LGBT cult and how they shouted down Gutiérrez. This is reminiscent of when the lesbian heckler tired to make a point with Michelle Obama and Michelle freaked out. The Obama machine can’t handle off-script realness with tact. The 2-party system charade is war,
poverty, pollution, and eradication of civil liberties. So sad how LGBT
groups brainwash the LGBT majority to turn a blind eye to other
marginalized groups while demanding everyone else care out our
oppression. Hypocrites.

Riverhead

No, they just don’t want to deal with obnoxious fuckwads who think they can interrupt the President of the United States during a press conference. Learn to have some respect. You aren’t any better than someone else, you don’t have the right to walk into a room and start interrupting because “mah ishuuuus!!11!!”
- jeff4justice
  
  Spare the BS. If this was a Republican Prez all the phoney outrage would instead be cheers as if she was Cindy Sheehan. And of course the 2-party system charade hates when people go off script. All hail Obama!
- Istanballu
  
  You have no idea how the history of activism has worked in this community, you privileged twat.

beyond partisan

If you are being put in detention centers with men it is because you are biologically MALE. Sorry, not going to support you in trying to invade women’s spaces like that. Go ahead and label me a TERF. Penises are weapons of rape and you have no right to be in women’s spaces while you still have yours attached. I don’t care how much “Ladyface” you have put on.

Julena Waters

LGTB has never even been uttered before Obama. At what point do you feel you did anything to gain positive attention. You stated you were invited to the White House? But instead of being a respectful guest you act out like a pouty child demanding to be heard. And you were heart broken when it wasn’t received well? Smoke another one sugar….

Angelina Proia

You’re an illegal. Have you looked up illegal in the dictionary? I dont take issue with being LGBT, but you have no right to stand in the white house demanding what the leader of MY country should do, when you didn’t work your ass off like the rest of us, or our relatives did, to get here. Hopefully, you’ll be deported.

Istanballu

Wow. The racism and lack of compassion in the LGBTQI community is astounding. If we didn’t learn anything from being a discriminated against class of people, than we should have our rights stripped back until we can be compassionate again., You’re a disgusting person.
zFashionizta

(applause, applause) BRAVO!

April Scott

Not to be disrespectful but why don’t you all speak up against leaders in your own countries? You come here and demand more than what some citizens get and way more respect than you fight for in your native lands. I don’t get that part of it. Blacks have had to fight and still are fighting for our civil rights here in our own country. You all should do the same in yours and you wouldn’t have to leave your own homelands.

zFashionizta

Great point! I don’t understand that either, people should use that kind of passion to fight for rights in their own country.

Lish Lash

Obama blew this one with his condescending reaction, which trivialized Gutierrez on a personal level instead of taking her concerns seriously. That encourged some of his LGB loyalists to openly shush her and heckle her back, as Obama persisted way too long in trying to humiliate Guterrez into shutting up. Instead of using this LGBT event as an opportunity to show how hip he is, Obama should have treated Guterrez with respect, and assured her that he’d respond to her concerns in the follow-up QA session after his speech. By failing to do so, Obama exposed the superficial quality of his lukewarm support for LGBT issues.

zFashionizta

Only a person who is respectful deserves respect.
Being invited to the White House is a privilege that most of us Americans will never get, she made a fool of herself and made those of the LGBT community and the Hispanics look bad.

Jeni Hanson Aubrey

Um, Jen? You were indeed fortunate to be invited to the White House. It’s been a dream of mine ever since he was elected; however, I’m just one of many millions of his admirers – and he can’t meet us all. I don’t have any “in”. I’m just me.
You were not, however, invited to speak. It was your host, the President’s, turn to speak. You had one job: to be quiet and respectful of President Obama and the other guests while you learned something from the things he had to say.
You blew it.
You kept shooting your mouth off even after you were asked, kindly and respectfully, to stop heckling him. Obama was patient with you, but he had to stand up for himself and the audience. He even gave you a choice, before he had you escorted out, to behave and quiet down so you could stay. You blew that chance, too. Now your complaints probably won’t be taken seriously because you destroyed your own credibility by yelling out words nobody viewing the videos could hear anyway, and by now we
aren’t interested in your diatribe. You did it to yourself – and to whomever it was that you were speaking for.
No one wants to hear someone who shows no respect to those who might have listened. It’s too bad, but it was your fault.

Istanballu

God, this comment drips with white privilege. Seriously, get over yourself and believing that everyone needs to politely wait their turn to be ‘heard’ properly’. It’s awfully ironic coming from a woman even, a part of the population who have long been told to sit down, act nicely, and you will be heard—but never are. You’re a sad human being who doesn’t learn from your own histories.

Mary Standifer

That’s all very noble, but you should have waited your turn to talk. I can’t even hear what you’re saying in the video. I understand you don’t want to be silenced, but literally going to the white house and yelling at the president during a private event is kind of rude and honestly accomplishes nothing. The articles that are getting more attention are the ones that say “Heckler interrupts Obama”, not “LGBTQ immigrant activist gives speech”. It was a great idea, poor execution.

Ta Neil Adams

I don’t care!!! What a sad sad sad story. You’re an immigrant and you were rudely interrupting the President for your own selfish reasons. You’re not being hurt but you hurt another human being just to spout your mouth off. Go back to where you were before if you can’t learn manners. Very tired of this BS from undocumented, racist immigrants who are getting free rides in this country for being here illegally. It was not the time or the place and you know it. No sympathy here. As a BLACK LGBTQ I know to well how whites and hispanics think the community is theirs and use Blacks as the fonder for their little meaningless issues.

Istanballu

You know what we don’t need in the queer movement? supporters or racist people like you. You know what? She’s a woman of color speaking on issues that matter outside the white, upper middle class contingent of gay men that the President cares about. She’s not racist because she interrupted a black president, but you’re disgustingly racist viewpoints are a blight on a progressive future.
- Ta Neil Adams
  
  Don’t give two sticks about your mental masturbation. This was illegal undocumented immigrant with sexual confusion and a racist opportunist! It was rude and Obama was ready to have a discussion but hispanics being full of themselves can’t have sane mature discussion. It’s inappropriate. The rest of your drizzle is nonsensical. I don’t think you know what you’re arguing so the discussion was over before it began. Calling reason racist is a zionist tactic. Kudos!
  - Istanballu
    
    Ah, there you go. You’re transphobic too. Good for you! Now you can officially not call yourself a part of the LGBTQ community.
    - Ta Neil Adams
      
      Nope there is no “there I go” You’re needy for attention and very shallow and immature to think that people are going to all themselves to be threatened by opportunists and racists by a few century old buzz words and put downs. This isn’t high school this is reality. To miss the point or simply ignore it because it would blow you outta the park, that this creature was rude and not arrested and deported because of the racism zionists have staged against ALL Blacks to get us back into slavery and appease whites who built their emotional world on such a perverse thing is in fact racist on this hispanics behalf. Again you’re outdated and out of time.
    - Istanballu
      
      rofl. you’re insane.
    - Ta Neil Adams
      
      You’re in 1984! Feeble mind.
    - Ta Neil Adams
      
      Sorry predator that tactic doesn’t work on me. hispanics will have to understand you can’t be rude and bully people into giving them what they want. Have some respect. Come into the country legally and don’t murder, run drugs, rape, kidnap, and make terrorist threats. You don’t win sympathy that way. It’s savage behavior. It’s the behavior you’re avoiding address.

Squashy1

Aren’t these people in the US illegally? This fact seems to be conveniently missing from the protest. What are the rights of illegal immigrants in detention? Cite the relevant law(s).

Batters Box

it was a publicity stunt for this persons own career not the movement
And how does Obama think Americans feel when illegals break the law and make demands for Amnesty he got upset with one heckler we the people have 20 million of them in this this country and this is our house President Obama.
Democrats will start to be be abandoned by hispanics many will start to vote towards Jeb Bush with his pro hispanic positions and Amnesty, the Jewish vote and influence will start to favor republician Christian’s friendly towards Israel.The Democrats will have the LGBT vote..prediction Jeb Bush will be elected next president. The truth is black,hispanic and many whites support a more conservative lifestyle the LGBT issues will become a albatross that delivers very little actual real votes.

JamieSays

Thanks for humiliating the trans community Jennicet Gutierrez! It was huge that the White House invited several transgender active duty service members to the Pride Reception as part of the ongoing effort to end the ban on trans military service. And you had to go and shame the whole trans community by your actions, which were absolutely disgusting.

Istanballu

Yes, Obama sure has done a great job supporting members of the queer community that fit into the homonormative, family friendly, friendly to White America version of being queer. Military and Marriage Equality, woohoo! . That’s what we got from this president. Now we can be good citizens of the Empire just so long as we want to get married and fight wars! Meanwhile, our poor, poc trans brothers and sisters are facing deplorable conditions in these detention centers for years and you are worried about impropiety.

Congrats on being a heartless tool of the Empire, you disgusting human being,

THEBEARCUB

These comments!!!! Amazing

jen

*squints* so he was literally in the middle of talking about POC trans issues…and you interrupted him because POC trans issues ‘weren’t being heard’? Just admit you wanted the press.

Lovebandit

Why hasn’t this rude cvnt been deported yet? GFY, Jennicet Gutiérrez!!

Rodrigo Bravo

I’m not well versed in LGBT history but I didn’t think that was appropriate. I’m all for free speech and expressing our thoughts but that was just rude, let the man do his thing and bring up the issue appropriately. I mean, no one responded positively to your outbursts (well, I heard one person) but it just shows your arrogance to say your cause justified your disrespect to everyone there.

In regards to your cause, I agree the there needs to be more done for everyone to review equal treatment while being detained.

lilvinnyb

Im not an Obama fan, but I agree with him 100% on this. You were invited and showed a total lack of dignity, class and respect! If it were me, I would have had them carry you out and open the door with the top of your head!

By the way, if you come to this country illegally (trans or not) not only should you be detained, but immediately DEPORTED

happycozy

The problem wasn’t Ms. Gutierrez’s message. The problem was that she interrupted him while he was speaking during a gay pride ceremony. She demonstrated that just like right-wingers, she has no respect for this POTUS. He just got tired of people doing that, so he shut her ass down.

Katherine

You were a jerk.

ginasf

Thank you for doing what needed to be done Jennicet. This is what Stonewall was about, not scarfing down hors d’oeuvres.

Keith Meinhold

Deport Jennicet Gutiérrez

Xosgul

You are being dishonest, which insults us all. You didn’t “raise the issue”, you interrupted a celebration that you were privileged to be invited to. As the President said, you were eating the food and drinking the drinks in his house. Shame on you. Shame on your parents for raising you this way.

My2Cents

I’m sorry, the reason she gave for doing this is in my opinion, BULLSHIT. Now, And I agree, sometimes civil disobedience is called for. But I don’t see how it was in this case. And, I am someone who believes it is a topic that should be brought up and talked about. The Obama administration has many meeting with the LGBT community, and your concerns could have been brought up that way.

Now, to the Obama-haters. There is no way that I can sit here and defend many of the things his administration has done. Just like I can’t defend many of the things Bill Clinton did, while he was president. And I’m sure that I will be saying the same thing about Hillary Clinton, once she is elected.

But, what I can say is that in a two-party system, having Obama is way better than it would have been having president Romney. Or, can someone point out how it would have been better to have Romney?

I live in the real world and understand that the REAL power is MONEY. Always has been, always will be. And the people with money run this country. No matter who the president is. I guess, I always knew that Obama was a politician. And like all politicians he promised more than he could deliver. So, grow up and deal with reality in the real world. Obama NEVER had the power to change immigration, lower taxes, pass gun control, pass climate change legistlation, etc. That is done by congress. And again, his administration has done things that I do not like. But that is the way this game is played.

Oh, and if you think it will different with Hillary. Or Bernie Sanders. You are just living in a fantasy world. And I like Bernie Sanders a lot. BUT, he will NEVER be president. He is too liberal. Sarah Palin has a better chance. Again, that’s the way our system works. And until something is done to change that system, you have to get over it and deal with the facts as they exist in the REAL world.

*********climbs down off of soapbox**********

Floridatexan

There are other ways to get through to the President than interrupting a speech at the White House. Your behavior was inexcusable, which is why you were escorted out. I do not feel sorry for you.

CoryIntheHouse

No one cares what you think about anything you fat disgusting pig.

Shut your mouth.

Mantaradio

I agree with the author that something must be done. But though this is a related topic and I don’ believe it should wait, these women don’t want to get married, they want asylum and humane treatment. Shouldn’t it be a totally different and separate conversation than what happened today?

Terry Call

So, it’d be OK with you if I walked into your house and started shouting demands? Isn’t that the reason you invited me to come visit?

Sorry but it was neither the time nor the place to confront the President who has done more for our community than any other. If you wished to make a statement you could have handed a written piece to any of his staff in attendance but what you did went beyond rude.

Terry Call

On another note, my husband (23 years together) is a LEGAL immigrant from Mexico through the marriage VISA process. As an illegal guest in this country you should be more than grateful you’re allowed to be here.

John Parker

Devil’s advocation: Do you really think that the president of the most powerful country in the world has time to take on the rights of every single division inside the divisions of groups in this extremely diverse country? I can’t believe an editor even published this nonsense, op-ed or not. Transgender immigrants in detention? I didn’t see anything about what any of them did or didn’t do, whether they immigrated legally, etc… you want people to listen to you? Give them a good reason, and heckling the president for what you and maybe hundreds of other people think is a big issue isn’t the way to go about it, you self-important idiot. Greece is trying to drag down the entire EU, we’re trying to keep Iran from getting the bomb, ISIS is killing people and recruiting people from everywhere, we have the one non-Isreal ally in the mid-east being led by someone who’s turning out to be something of a despot, Russia is thumbing their nose at our power every chance they get, and China is building new islands strictly for military purposes which threaten interests of at least 4 or our close allies, and YOU want to complain about how the president hasn’t done enough for transgender immigrants?? How about the guy gave amnesty to a TON of immigrants ILLEGALLY and gay marriage is now legal. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT OR EXPECT?! That being said, I am not the least bit of an Obama supporter, but anyone that thinks he deserves this or that this story deserves any play is a nincompoop.

Dee Balliet-Castillo

So where might these estimated 75 trans women in detention be placed if in fact they were released? Problem with no solution?

house_cat

I posted this yesterday, but I’m posting it again because I hope someone will respond.

Does anyone have a source for these stats? “Immigrant trans women are 12 times more likely to face discrimination because of our gender identity. If we add our immigration status to the equation, the discrimination increases. Transgender immigrants make up one out of every 500 people in detention, but we account for one out of five confirmed sexual abuse cases in ICE custody.”

house_cat

Also, with whom is the comparison being made when the author says that: “”Immigrant trans women are 12 times more likely to face discrimination because of our gender identity?”

jerseycityjoan

Does Jennicet Gutierrez know why every single one of those 75 people are being held? I do not think so.

Yet she says they should all be released.

Who does she think should not be released who is being detained?

These demands don’t ring right in my ears. I am no supporter of abuse in our prisons but the answer can’t just be to let everybody out. The US cannot be a place that takes in everybody in the world who wants to live and work here. We just cannot do that.

zFashionizta

You are correct, she does not know the background of the detainees for her to ask that they get released, some of them are criminals and only left their country to avoid prosecution in their country.

ACEE

Shame on you. If you want to be heard, you don’t do it by rudely heckling the man that is tirelessly working to help advance civil rights in this country. Be legitimate, don’t provoke him into a confrontation at an event meant to celebrate the progress being made, and then lambast him through the ever-drooling media who is ready to help you spin anything if it sells papers and causes controversy. I repeat, shame on you!

Mickey Bennet

So you’re an illegal immigrant that’s heckling our President (not yours, even though he has fought for you) and prevented him from making his speak in defense of the LGBT community in order to say “Hey I’m a criminal, respect us transgender illegals”. He has fought for LGBT, he has fought for “undocumented” immigrants for both terms and you’re going to disrespect him just so you can post this bullshit? Sorry, not sorry.

edithrua

OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! . . . . the gathering, the chant, the silencing . . . it sounded like a mob.

bmorejoe

Is anybody bothered by the fact that this person hi-jacked an LGBT event for her own ends? Or are y’all too busy trashing Obama?

annamay

I’m sitting at my computer, here on my own terms, an official U.S. citizen, in a good neighborhood, safe, and in an air conditioned room. Translatinas are being sexually abused while people are trying to deport them, uproot them, relocate them back to their abusive relationships across the border in which they were trying to escape.

Of course I’m bothered, how dare she waste 2.5 minutes of a meeting addressing LGBT issues, those issues of which usually involve discrimination, oppression, hate speech, violence, and emotional abuse.

didactic1

You were heard and as a result, we now know who to ignore. Thanks for your tactical stupidity. BTW did you get any hors d’oevres before you were kicked out:? You could have asked Michelle Obama out for a date.
Would have been easier.

InvisibleZombie

I agree, you don’t deserve abuse in ICE detention. So apply for citizenship LEGALLY! Don’t illegally cross the border, I can’t even imagine how you got invited to the White House. And yes I’m a gay man who has many trans friends, that’s not the issue here, you’re a law-breaker.

Aaron Schultz

The fact remains that there is a time and place for all discussions. The disrespect for our President is appalling. To be invited into such a momentous occasion to celebrate the LGBT community, it as marred by a disrespectful, self centered person. The lack of decorum, respect, taste and reverence to the achievements of the LGBT community, being celebrated by the greatest ally US President to our LGBT community is a spit in the face to all. Classless, disrespectful and contempt..Disraceful!

. .

Obama -> John Kerry -> Randy Berry, special envoy LGBT rights
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/02/237772.htm

Michael Sze

yeah real smart to heckle the president who INVITED a undocumented illegal alien transgender women to celebrate diversity in the annual “pride” event at the White house,both of which would have NEVER happen with any other president, to say president Obama is insensitive is to say earth is flat, there is no equality issue here, all illegal aliens are deported, that is our law, you can not enter into our country illegally, there is no selective abuse of trans people or deportation of only trans people, she has no cause to take up, and yes, she does not have right to heckle our president as she has no right to be here in the USA, where do you get the data that trans people are being rape everyday? if people are being rape in detention centers, not likely it is being perpetrated on trans people alone and the perpetrators are breaking the law, it is not sanction by anyone or any law, her actions does absolutely nothing except make trans people look like lunatics

Lefty Hall

The REPUBLICANS WILL Deport MORE !!
ANYTHING BETTER THAN WHATS
COMING IF YOU DON’T VOTE IN MORE DEMOCRATS IN 2016

BETTER VOTE for HILARY, ,,,
If you THINK it’s so BAD NOW,,,,???
LOL, ,,,

Keep thinking about what’s going to
AFTER He LEAVES OFFICE and your Right Back in the HANDS of the
RIGHT WING,,,,HATE MONGERS,,,,

CTFU

disqus_h97Rsxtk6Q

time and place is everything when it comes to having your voice heard.

ikonoklast44

If you are invited to somebody’s house you don’t start screaming at them. Shame on you for using an invitation to the White House to berate a man celebrate a great day for Civil Rights.

jonhuie

The only moral answer is OPEN BORDERS. It is time to end discrimination based on county of birth.

annamay

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/06/29/3675419/immigration-detention-transgender-guidance/

Jennicet Gutierrez made a difference.

Majorana Fermion

06-29-2015 Update: ICE has announced that people will now be held in detention facilities according to their gender identity.

THANK YOU, MS. GUTIERREZ!!!!

Joan

Woot! Thank you for posting this!

Josue Alcantara

I am completely in accord with this message, but not in the way it was done. If you have facts, there are more than enough media outlets around to be able to bring this to public light and fight for the cause. Even waiting for the question round at the end of the speech would have been awesome and would have been an accepted remark among the ones there. But, rudely interrupting the president in the middle of the speech was not the proper way of bringing up injustice.
I’m definitely pro equality in every sense, but there are channels… Those need to be utilized first!

Reason convinces, it doesn’t scream!

zFashionizta

It’s extremely biased to only fight for the release of a few selected people, if all of them can’t be treated equally then they should all be shipped back. Leaving your country seeking asylum is the excuse most detainees claim so how does one prove who is being honest. The truth is that many people are coming over here because they find out that they get free services on the taxpayers dime, services that even natural born Americans don’t often get and they don’t even have to work for it.
I am not saying that I am crazy about Obama, one reason is because he broke the treaty with the Native Americans and many of them lost their source of income but yes I can say that he has been very good to the LGBT community not only because he passed the marriage equality act (which honestly was long overdue) but because he made it possible for transgender people to get free surgery paid for by the taxpayers and the health insurance plans (services that people with deformities are not entitled to).

zFashionizta

If she were really a leader then why did she not go directly to the government officials of her homeland to fight and demand for equal rights and protections for her people?