First Lady Jill Biden To Host White House Pride Celebration

The White House has announced First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will host a Pride Month celebration on the South Lawn on June 26, 2024. That date – June 26 – has come to be known as Equality Day as three huge decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court that expanded LGBTQ rights were all handed down on the 26th of June: • Lawrence v. Texas in 2003 (which struck down sodomy laws) • United States v. Windsor in 2013 (which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act) • Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 (which legalized same-sex marriage across the nation)

EXCLUSIVE: Jill Biden to host White House Pride celebration https://t.co/2C1RBQOupu

— Washington Blade (@WashBlade) June 21, 2024

More from the Washington Blade:

The White House highlighted some of the “historic action” taken by President Joe Biden to “advance LGBTQ+ equality for the community,” including:

• Signing into law the landmark Respect for Marriage Act which protects the rights of same-sex and interracial couples

• Appointing a historic number of LGBTQI+ and transgender appointees, including the first transgender American to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate

• Directing all federal agencies to strengthen civil rights protections on the basis of gender identity, resulting in agencies working to strengthen protections in housing, health care, education, employment, the criminal justice system, nutrition programs, and more

• Reversing the ban on open service by transgender members of the military

• Signing an executive order focused on LGBTQI+ children and families that directs agencies to address the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy” and finalized rule-making that ends disparities that LGBTQI+ children and parents face in the child welfare and foster care system and protects against disparities in health care

Additionally, President Biden continues to call on Congress to pass the Equality Act which would enshrine civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans in federal law. Last year’s Pride celebration at the White House, held on June 10, drew thousands to the South Lawn.

Happy Pride from the White House! pic.twitter.com/fkL3VOf97d

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 11, 2023