White House Heckler Gets Booted Over Deportation Policy Protest [Video]
The White House is President Barack Obama‘s home, and as one heckler found out, the president had no intention of being disrespected “in his house.” The showdown occurred on Wednesday in the East Room during an LGBT event at the White House. A reception was arranged in honor of LGBT pride month.
At the beginning of Obama’s reception speech, the heckler began to interrupt. The individual repeatedly called the president’s name and spoke over him.
“No, no, no, no. Listen, you’re in my house… You’re not going to get a good response from me by interrupting me like this.”
Even after the warning and a chorus of boos from other attendees, the heckler continued to interrupt the president. “Shame on you,” said Obama, “you shouldn’t be doing this.” The heckler was then escorted out of the East Room at the president’s request. The individual reportedly shouted “Not one more!” and “stop all deportations” on the way out.
The person who was booted from the White House event was later identified as Jennicet Gutiérrez. According to CNN, Gutiérrez is transgender and a founding member of FAMILIA TQLM. The organization is an advocacy group focused on deportation issues that concern LGBT immigrants. It’s felt by members that gay men and women are often left out of immigration discussions.
Jennicet is also reportedly an undocumented immigrant.
.@BarackObama shuts down White House heckler: http://t.co/3UN4VyE6W1 pic.twitter.com/V6elJP7M8M
— CNN (@CNN) June 25, 2015
Yesterday was far from the first time President Obama has had a heckler interrupt him over immigration policies. CNN reported that it was a more common occurrence when the president is speaking on the road. Perhaps that’s why Obama has so little patience for being interrupted while speaking in the White House.
“As a general rule, I am just fine with a few hecklers, but not when I am up in the house. My attitude is if you’re eating the hors d’oeuvres, you know what I’m saying? And drinking the booze? I know that’s right.”
In other words, it’s not as though President Obama has no interest in listening to concerns about deportation and LGBT issues. But if you are heckling him while trying to make these points, you’ll ultimately fail to have a conversation at the time you want it.
But hecklers typically have no intention of having a conversation — the goal is drawing attention to themselves and their causes. In the case of this White House heckler, that mission seems to have been accomplished, despite the circumstances.
[Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images]
