AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Michelle Obama
is receiving a lot of media attention after her confrontation with a
heckler at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser on Tuesday. About
halfway through the first lady's 20-minute speech, a female gay rights
activist began to shout a demand for President Obama to sign an
executive order that would ban federal contractors from employee
discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In contrast to her husband's generally calm responses to
hecklers, FLOTUS (am I the only one that thinks this acronym sounds like
the name of a spa?) took a slightly more aggressive approach. "One of
the things that I don't do well is this," she said to a roar of applause
from the crowd when she was interrupted. Obama then left the podium and
approached the protester, stating that the attendees could "listen to
me or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving. You all decide. You have
one choice." The crowd shouted that they wanted the first lady to stay,
and the woman was escorted out of the room. Michelle Obama then resumed
her speech about the importance of educating children.
The protester was later identified as Ellen Sturtz, a
member of the gay rights group GetEqual. As she exited the event, Sturtz
shouted that she was "... lesbian looking for federal equality before I
die." Check out the audio of the incident below. She later told the Washington Post that she was "taken aback" by the confrontation, stating that the first lady "came right down in my face."
The fundraiser was a private event held in Northwest D.C.
at the home of LGBT power couple Nan Schaffer and Karen Dixon. Sturtz
reportedly paid $500 to attend as part of a scheme cooked up by GetEqual
to draw more attention to the employment discrimination issue.
While Sturtz's cause was admirable, her choice of venue
and target was extremely inappropriate. News sources are expressing
mixed reactions to the way the first lady handled the situation, but one
thing's for sure, Michelle Obama has once again proven that she is not a
woman to be messed with.
No comments:
Post a Comment