White House Names LGBTQ Press Secretary

* * *  SPONSORED CONTENT * * * Back Together In-Person, Pride Season Is Upon Us!

by Clark Simon (he/him) Charlotte Pride President

April’s showers bring May’s flowers — and, gee, aren’t they so colorful?! With the return of Spring comes a whole new season of Pride celebrations across the Carolinas. And, finally, after two years of virtual, socially-distanced, and small-scale events, Pride groups across our region, including us here at Charlotte Pride, are excitedly gearing up for the return of full-scale, in-person festivals, marches, parades, and other special events!

Pride Month has traditionally been in June, ever since community members decided to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in June 1969. But that hasn’t stopped Pride groups from spreading the rainbow joy throughout the year. In cities and towns across the world, Pride events are celebrated in unique ways and in sometimes unexpected months. In the Carolinas, our Pride season generally runs from May through October. In places like Florida — especially South Florida, with its more mild winter climates and scorching summers — you’re more likely to find cities celebrating their Pride events from January through May, with some in the fall.

Charlotte celebrates our festival and parade in August — the result of a rather boring confluence of happenstance and scheduling. A few years ago, WFAE’s FAQ City podcast did an episode asking just this question: Why August? If you’re curious, check it out here: bit.ly/cltpridewfae.

We think it’s pretty cool how our local Pride scheduling has shaped up over the years. In June, the community can come together in a variety of unique ways to celebrate National Pride Month. Local nonprofits create their own events and host their own special fundraisers. LGBTQ-owned and friendly businesses have an opportunity to celebrate and give back in their own unique way, too. Come June 30, Pride doesn’t end here. It’s just the beginning! In July, the celebration continues as our friends at Charlotte Black Pride host their events. Charlotte Black Pride Week is traditionally in mid-July, this year running July 17-24. Learn more and get involved with Charlotte Black Pride by visiting them at charlotteblackpride.org.

As Charlotte Black Pride winds down each July, the community continues its Pride celebrations for a third month! This year’s Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade is scheduled for Aug. 20-21 in Uptown! The big weekend itself is preceded by Charlotte Pride Week, Aug. 12-19, packed full of fun events and activities planned by our local partners, other nonprofits, bars, and other businesses. The Sunday before the festival and parade, we host our annual Charlotte Pride Interfaith Service, scheduled this year for Sunday, Aug. 14, and hosted by St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church.

We have big plans for this year’s festival and parade when we can finally join the hundreds of thousands of smiling revelers on the streets of Uptown again! You can learn more now about involvement opportunities on our website at charlottepride.org/ pride22. There you can submit applications for vendor/ exhibitor spaces and parade entries, as well as make nominations for our annual Champions of Pride Awards and Parade Grand Marshals, apply to compete in the annual Charlotte Pride Pageant, submit community events to be featured in Charlotte Pride Week, and submit your interest in performing on one of our stages or other entertainment activations! And, when August finally passes, don’t let your Pride fade away! Celebrate with events in places like Columbia or Durham, traditionally hosted in the fall! Beyond attending Pride events, put your Pride to work by being active in your community. We don’t think Pride is a single, once-annual weekend event. Pride is service, solidarity, and support. There are all sorts of ways you can give back throughout the year, whether that be by directly donating your time, talents or money to Pride groups or other local LGBTQ nonprofits, by voting, actively volunteering for community service projects, and so much more! Celebrate your Pride 365 days of the year!

White House Names LGBTQ Press Secretary Jean-Pierre worked for Obama administration

BY BIL BROWNING | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Karine Jean-Pierre, an out lesbian, has been named the next White House Press Secretary. Jean-Pierre will be the first out LGBTQ person and the first Black person to hold the office.

Originally from the French West Indies island of Martinique, Jean-Pierre was raised in New York City and attended graduate school at Columbia University. She started her career in politics working for the John Edwards campaign in 2004 and later worked for Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

During Obama’s first term, she worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs, a position Jean-Pierre said was important to her as a lesbian. “What’s been wonderful is that I was not the only; I was one of many,” she told The Advocate in 2011. “President Obama didn’t hire LGBT staffers, he hired experienced individuals who happen to be LGBT.” “Serving and working for President Obama where you can be openly gay has been an amazing honor. It felt incredible to be a part of an administration that prioritizes LGBT issues.”

Outside of her work with political campaigns and the government, she was the national spokesperson for the progressive organization MoveOn in 2016, a commentator for NBC News and MSNBC, and a lecturer at Columbia University. She was the first gay woman and only the second Black woman to lead a White House press briefing in the James S. Brady Briefing Room when she led the briefing last year.

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Jean-Pierre served as Kamala Harris’s chief of staff, making her the first Black person to serve as chief of staff to a vice-presidential candidate and one of the highest-ranking LGBTQ people in the Biden/Harris campaign. She currently serves as Deputy Press

Secretary under Jen Psaki. Jean-Pierre will replace Psaki, who had announced she would vacate the role after a year in the position for a job with MSNBC. Her last day will be May 13. Jean-Pierre led the White House’s participation in Spirit Day last year and said it was significant to her because “I could only hope that young people who might be watching or see clips of this briefing will know that they are supported and represented in the highest levels of government today.” “Karine JeanPierre is a brilliant communicator and person of tremendous intelligence, humor and poise, skills that will serve her and our counKarine Jean-Pierre is the first lesbian and black woman to serve try well in as White House Press Secretary.. (Photo Credit: Facebook) her new role. There are few jobs more visible or more important to our democracy than to share information with the White House press corps and answer their questions,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said after the news of the promotion surfaced. “To have an out queer person of color speak for the President of the United States says everything about Karine’s talent and heart, and recognizes that LGBTQ people can belong, contribute and succeed in every room.” Ellis continued. Our whole community looks forward to seeing Karine deliver for our nation and represent every LGBTQ person with pride.” Psaki also praised Jean-Pierre on Twitter in a lengthy thread. “She is passionate. She is smart and she has a moral core that makes her not just a great colleague, but an amazing Mom and human. Plus, she has a great sense of humor,” Psaki tweeted. “I can’t wait to see her shine as she brings her own style, brilliance and grace to the podium.” This article appears courtesy of our media partner LGBTQ Nation. : :