President Biden and the First Lady Host a Pride Celebration Transcript

Distinguished guests, the President of the United States, and Dr. Jill Biden, accompanied by the Harvey family.

Welcome to the White House and Happy Pride. The Pride Celebration is always one of the most exciting events at the White House. But this year, we wanted to do something a little different than before, not just a reception that recognizes the leaders and the activists of this movement but an all-American picnic, here on the South Lawn, celebrating you, America’s LGBTQ families.

(01:10)
We’re grateful to the Gill Foundation who helped make today possible, as well as all of those organizations who work to bring hundreds of families together from across our country.

(01:27)
It’s such an honor to be here with all of you and to see so many of our friends. As I look around at this crowd, I’m reminded that you’re not just leaders and icons, you’re parents trying to figure out what to make for tonight’s dinner. You’re kids who are hoping to spend every minute at the pool this summer. You’re friends who drop off meals when someone is sick. All of us wants what everyone else wants, the chance to be who we are and love who we love, and make a good life for our families. All of us deserve that.

(02:17)
We know that this year’s pride is caught between the push and pull of progress. Outside the gates of this house are those who want to drag our country backwards and so many battles yet to be braved. But today, we’re not here to be strong, we’re not here to be courageous, even though for so many of you just coming to this event is an act of bravery.

(02:46)
Today, we’re here to find joy. We want our kids just to be kids running around and, hey, eating too much sugar, to laugh with the friends that we wish we saw more often, to find solace in the arms of people who see us for who we are, to celebrate the beauty and the resilience of this community.

(03:18)
The author, you know I’m an English teacher, you had to get a little bit, Rita Mae Brown once wrote, “Every day you’re alive and someone loves you is a miracle.” Today we say loud and clear that you belong, that you are beautiful, that you are loved. That’s the miracle that carries us through the darkest times, that gives us hope for the future that we all want, that strengthen us for the fights ahead.

(03:57)
When you leave here to go back to the place that needs so much change, take that miracle with you. Let it remind you that you don’t have to face those battles alone. You are never alone and you are loved. Thank you for celebrating with us today.

(04:26)
Now, please welcome Scarlet Harvey, a health and fitness coach from Texas who is here with her wife, Krystle, and their three kids. Thank you.

Hello and Happy Pride. We are the Harvey family and we’re thrilled to be here at the White House for this incredible celebration of joy with the LGBTQ+ community and friends from across the country.

(05:21)
We live in Houston, Texas, with our three kids, 12-year-old Josselin, four-year-old Liam, who couldn’t join us today, and Krystopher, who be one later this year on pride, this week. My wife, Krystle’s an elementary physical education teacher, and I am a health and fitness coach.

(05:49)
Growing up in Texas and knowing I was part of the LGBTQ+ community, I had to hide my true self. I never knew if I’d be able to marry the person I love or have kids, but look at where I am today, together with my wife and kids at the White House, and I am so damn proud. We’re a blended family, living out and proud to show our community, our state, and our country that love makes a family. As you can imagine, being out in Texas can be especially tough. In many areas of Texas, we don’t see families like ours, and many times we get looks and whispers behind our backs. But we don’t let it discourage us from being us. We don’t let negativity and ignorance win. We hope being an out and visible two-mom family will help others realize that while we may look different, that we may look different than their family, there’s so much we have in common.

(07:13)
Every week, we try to balance the kids’ school, basketball practice and play dates, cheering them on their sport games and trying to install confidence in them to be the best self. After all, isn’t that what we’re all trying to teach our kids? We teach our children that everyone is unique and we must not only accept their uniqueness, but embrace it and celebrate it. We show our children that love and what love looks like. We practice kindness and respect to all.

(07:44)
We try to be examples not only for our kids but to anyone else’s and anyone who sees us. We always be proud of our family and proud of our love, and we’re also proud that we have the President who gets it and who values us, and knows that love makes a family.

(08:21)
It’s an honor to introduce a true ally of the LGBTQ+ community, the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden.

Hello, hello, hello.

(08:49)
Hello, hello, hello.

(08:51)
You know, I was a lucky kid. I had a dad and a mom who understood that we meant what we said in our, it sounds corny, in we’re the most unique nation in the world. We’re the only nation that is founded on an idea, not geography, not religion, not ethnicity, that all men and women are created equal, endowed by their creator.

(09:15)
I’ll never forget, I was going down to get an application when I was in high school to be a lifeguard in a city pool. My dad would drive me down on his way to work and drop me off. Wilmington, Delaware is a corporate capital of the world. It was, anyway.

(09:36)
But all kidding aside, it’s a place called Rodney Square. The DuPont Building was there, the Hercules Building was there, all these major corporations. I was getting out of the car to go in the city hall and there were these two well-dressed men standing on a corner. The light changed, they kissed each other and went in different directions. One went to the DuPont Building, one went to the Hercules Building. I’d never seen that before. I looked at my dad, he looked back at me, he said, “It’s simple. They love each other. It’s simple.”

(10:12)
To me, it’s that simple. It’s that straightforward. Scarlet, thank you for introducing me and for the hope and optimism you and your family represent for our entire country. To all of you, Happy Pride Month! Happy Pride Year! Happy Pride Life!

(10:36)
We’re joined today by leaders across our administration, which has more proud staff at every level than any administration in American history. Our Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. We have the first and second transgender Americans to be confirmed by the United States Senate in History, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, Admiral Rachel Levine, and Undersecretary of Defense, Shawn Skeely. By the way, by I’m proud that back home in Delaware, the first transgender state legislator in American history, Sarah McBride.

(11:17)
I also want to thank two people who couldn’t be here, but who made this possible. My dear friend, Tim Gill and his husband Scott Miller, who’s doing a terrific job as my Ambassador to Switzerland.

(11:37)
It’s wonderful to welcome all of you and over a thousand Americans from all across the country. We’re gathered here today to honor the extraordinary, and I’m not being solicitous, the extraordinary courage and contribution of LGBTQ community, to celebrate their legacy and their progress. We welcome to the largest pride month celebration ever held at the White House, but just the beginning.

(12:05)
Jill and I, Kamala and Doug, the entire administration, are doing everything we can to advance equality for the LGBTQ community in our nation, the entire nation. As Commander-in-Chief, I was proud to have ended the ban on transgender Americans serving in the United States military.

(12:25)
I signed historic executive orders strengthening civil rights protections for… He’s running from me. I don’t know where he is going. Do that again, man. You’re a sprinter. I don’t know if he’s running to something from something. I don’t know.

(12:42)
But look, we provide… We put protections for housing, employment, healthcare, education, and the justice system. We’re combating dangerous and cruel practices of conversion therapy. We’re launching a new national strategy to end HIV epidemic by 2030.

(13:03)
We’re working with communities to treat and contain the M-pox outbreak. We’re ending the disgraceful practice of banning gay bisexual men from donating blood. Making human rights for LGBTQ people around the world, not just here around the world, a top priority for my foreign policy, including review of our engagement with Uganda following its recent anti-gay law, the most extreme in the world.

(13:32)
Last December, we felt such pride here in the South Lawn when I signed the historic Respect for Marriage Act. It protects the marriage of same sex and interracial couples.

(13:45)
But for all the progress we made, we know real challenges still remain. When a person can be married in the morning and thrown out of a restaurant for being gay in the afternoon, something is still very wrong

Wrong in America. That’s why the Congress must pass and send me the Equality Act to qualify protections for the LGBT community. Joining us today are survivors of Club Q and Pulse, the shootings that took place remind us why we must fully implement the significant gun law that we passed, the most significant 30 years that I signed, but it’s not done yet. We have to ban assault weapons. And families across the country face excruciating decisions to relocate to a different state to protect their child from dangerous anti- LGBTQ laws. We have to act. We have to act as a nation. We need to push back against the hundreds of callous and cynical bills and laws introduced in states targeting transgender children, terrifying families, and criminalizing doctors and nurses. These bills and laws attack the most basic values and freedoms we have as Americans. That’s not hyperbole, that’s a fact.

That’s quite a waste.

Three minutes.

The right to be yourself, the right to make your own health decisions, the right to raise your own children. I recognize for a lot of folks across this country, maybe it’s not you, your kid. You’re a family member going through whatever our transgender child and family’s going through. But I think we all agree if it were you, you’d want the space to figure it out with your family and your doctor, not being told by anybody.

Okay, I’ll stand by it.

Look, I think we can all agree, no one should have to fear for their safety in this country. No one should be singled out or demonized or made to feel less than anyone else. There are some things we should never question or put at risk. Your life, safety, your dignity, they can never be put at risk and they are still. Too many people in the LGBT community are worried and afraid about their future and their safety. So today I want to send a message to the entire community, especially to transgender children. You are loved, you are heard, you are understood, and you belong. And as I made clear, including in my State of the Union, address, your president and my entire administration has your back.

(16:49)
We see who you are. Made in the image of God, deserving of dignity, respect, and support. Two days ago I announced a series of new initiatives we’re taking to protect the LGBTQ community. First, ensuring your physical safety, whether you’re organizing a pride parade, running a small business, or just trying to focus at school, you shouldn’t have to deal with bomb threats, harassment, and violent attacks. That’s why the Department of Homeland Security, with the support of the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services is launching a safety partnership that’s going to provide critical training and support to the community. Dedicated resources to better protect festivals, marches, community centers and businesses to better protect health, healthcare providers, serving the community and help folks report hate crimes. Second, we’re taking on these civil rights violations because that’s who they are.

(17:51)
For example, we’re addressing how the growing threat to book bans may violate the federal civil rights laws when they target LGBTQ students or students of color and create hostile classroom environments. Third, we’re investing in the future of LGBTQ kids. Last year we launched a nationwide crisis hotline, the LGBTQ youth who are feeling isolated and overwhelmed. If you need help, if you’re worried, if you’re just concerned, not sure what to do, you need somebody to talk to, you can now pick up the phone and call 988 and talk to a counselor who can give you help. And don’t hesitate to call. This year we’re committing more mental health resources and new funding for programs to help families support and affirm their kids. A new federal initiative to address the LGBQ homelessness, new proposed regulations requiring states to protect LGBTQ kids in foster care and so much more. Let me close with this. I know it’s hot out there and you’re probably, “When’s the man going to finish?” Let me close what I see today.

Four more years.

Thank you. Well, let me close with what I see today at the White House, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart. I see families who testified in state capitals against laws stripping them of their freedom. I see students who are leading walkouts and protest of hateful bills like “Don’t Say Gay” and all of you. And this is not hyperbole. And all of you, what I see is courage. I mean it sincerely from the bottom, I see courage. Courage. And those who were the generation before you who stepped up, there’s even more courage. They worried not only for their lives, they worried for their jobs, they worried for whether or not they could even be involved at all in the community.

(20:15)
Imagine what it took 40 years ago to stand up and say, “I’m gay.” What would’ve happened? No, I mean, people who had to fear for their life just acknowledging it. We all talk about courage. Well, I see more courage in this law than I’ve seen in any time in the recent past. But the thing about y’all is you not only are about courage, you generate so much hope for people, hope and light. You enrich every part of American life. Educators, entertainers, entrepreneurs, athletes, actors, artists, scientists, scholars, diplomats, doctors, service members, veterans, and so much more.

(21:09)
As I said, I mean this, I swear to God, you’re some of the bravest, the most inspiring people I’ve ever known. And I’ve known a lot of good folks. You set an example for the nation and quite frankly for the world. We all move forward when we move together with your joy, with your pride lighting the way. So today, let us proudly remember who we are, the United States of America, and there is nothing beyond America’s capacity. When we decide to do it together. As you’re doing today, we shall get better every single year. Happy pride. Enjoy the celebration. And in just a few minutes, still is going to come back and introduce our own body’s joy of this community. God bless you all and may God protect our troops.

I think that, yeah, this is on. Joe, you’re going to have to come back out because we have our entertainment and everybody’s waiting for that, not that they’re not waiting for you. So, Joe, come on back. He’ll come back out. He’ll come back out after the entertainment because…

We love you, Dr. Biden.

Thank you. I love you too. Thanks. So now we’re going to bring out the incredible, the exciting, the amazing Betty Who.

Talking until somebody yell, “Yeah.” Hello, D.C. You can’t hear me again? Oh, but it sounds like you can now. Oh, heck yeah. I’m going to do it one more time. Hello, D.C. My name’s Betty Who. Oh, there we go. Feels nice, doesn’t it? Okay. I love you guys. I’m so happy to be here. I just want to say what an honor, and I know what a big deal it is that I’m here, the largest pride celebration the White House has ever had. And something that I just really am so honored and can’t believe that I’m here.

(24:04)
And I just want to tell every single one of you that the things we just heard the president say on the stage, I feel like are miles and miles in the right direction. And so I’m just, I’m really grateful, I’m really moved. And I write these songs with the intention of trying to find myself, find home, find community, find joy. And so many people have shared with me that these songs help them find their community, their joy in their lives when they can’t find it. And I know so many of you who are here, that’s what you do for this community. So on the days when it feels like you’re shouting into a void and nobody’s listening and you’re not making change, you are. We’re so grateful.

(24:49)
Thank you so much to the President and to Dr. Biden for having us. So I’m going to start with a song to me that I wrote about finding myself all these years later. It’s been a long journey. It takes a long time, as some of you may know, to arrive in a place where you think, “This is who I am. I’m proud to be this person.” And that’s what we’re celebrating today. So I wanted to do the emotional one first and then maybe we’ll get a little sweaty out here and we’ll do some dancing. What do you think? It sounds okay. How are you feeling today, by the way? It’s warm. The weather cleared up for us. Okay, that feels pretty good. Can I get way less click in my ears, please? Thank you so much. We’re just getting settled here. Singing.

(singing)

(29:02)
Excellent job. I see some singing along in the front. This is what I love to see. This is excellent news. I work very well with positive reinforcement, so if you guys think I’m doing great, then I will do great. Thank you. All right, let’s get my friends up here. I just want to say, this is Jasmine, this is Ricky. I’m Betty again, in case you forgot already. We’re obviously very honored to be here, so this is a pleasure for us. And we’re just so excited. Now we want to dance for you. Is that okay? We love to dance, so much that I wrote a song about it. So are you ready?

Yeah.

Okay, we’ll get moving and grooving. How does that sound?

Yeah.

(singing)

(32:57)
Go Jasmine.

(32:57)
(singing)

(32:57)
DC., put your hands up.

(32:57)
(singing)

(32:57)
Everybody better watch out, because Ricky’s a sweater, and it’s hot out here. So you’re in the splash zone at the front. This is what I like to call it.

(33:03)
(singing)

(33:03)
Okay, this one, it’s one of my favorites. I wrote this about my best girlfriend, who has terrible taste in men. So if you know anybody like that, this one’s for us.

(36:29)
(singing)

(36:29)
Thank you. Can you please put your hands together for these incredible movers and shakers up here? Jasmine and Ricky. We got three more left for you. We’re going to keep shaking it. This one, actually, speaking of happy Pride, this song came to me… I was very lucky to have this song be the start of my whole story, because it went viral in a gay marriage proposal flash mob video at a Home Depot. And the joke is that that’s a very lesbian thing to do, but yet the gay men were at the Home Depot doing it. And it had 14 million views in a weekend and it got me to sign my first record deal when I was 21 years old and it brought me here. And has brought me into the community in a way I never expected. So this is for the one that started it all. We’ve got a couple more for you. Let’s dance.

(40:49)
(singing)

(40:49)
Sing it with me, ready?

(40:49)
(singing)

(40:49)
D.C. what?

(Singing)

(42:00)
DC, what?

(42:00)
(Singing)

(42:00)
Here we go.

(42:00)
(Singing)

(42:00)
Let’s go.

(42:00)
(Singing)

(42:00)
Let’s go.

(42:00)
(Singing)

(42:00)
Come on.

(42:00)
(Singing)

(42:01)
Sing it.

(42:01)
(Singing) Happy Pride.

(44:22)
This song means a lot to me. It’s about being who you are regardless of if other people don’t understand. So I think it’s very fitting.

(44:28)
( Singing) This is our last song. I just want to say again what an honor it has been to celebrate with you today, to be ourselves. You’re so wonderful. Let’s do this.

(47:46)
(Singing)

(47:46)
DC, sing it with me. Come on.

(47:46)
(Singing)

(47:46)
Here we go.

(47:46)
(Singing)

(47:46)
DC.

(47:46)
(Singing)

(47:46)
Sing it with me.

(47:46)
(Singing)

(47:46)
Little louder.

(47:46)
(Singing) Here we go.

(49:42)
(Singing)

(49:42)
Thank you so much to the White House for having us. My name’s Betty Who. Please give it up for Ricky. Give it up for [inaudible 00:51:51]. Give it up for amazing crew, John, Seth, Joshua, Owen, and everybody else who made this show possible today. It is my honor to tell you, you are beautiful exactly the way that you are. I love you. Thank you so much. Happy Pride. Oh, there we go.

There we go. Can we give her another round of applause?

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks. It was great.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thank you.