Yesterday was 138th White House Easter Egg Roll, and the White House has put out a great little video that includes a bit about the history of LGBT families at the event.
David Eddy and Steve Richardson have been volunteering at the event for seven years. Steve speaks in the video about the socioeconomic diversity of the families who attend and the importance of President Obama as a role model to show all children that they could be president one day. He also notes that as members of the LGBT community, he and David were aware of the inclusiveness represented by President Obama and the First Lady’s 2009 invitation that specifically reached out to LGBT families for the event. And the Egg Roll is open to both Republicans and Democrats, too, he reminds us.
Also in the video is the woman who produces the event, Ellie Schafer, director of the Visitor’s Office and one of the many openly LGBT people in the administration. Capitol File once called her “The Most Important Person in Washington That You’ve Never Heard Of.” Schafer married her now-spouse last fall.
My spouse, son, and I were honored to attend the Egg Roll two years ago, and had a blast. It’s great to see the event’s welcoming nature is not only continuing, but is being highlighted by the administration.