He’s not the commander in chief for nothing.
United States President Obama shut down a heckler during the White House’s LGBT Pride Month celebration on Wednesday, telling her to shut up or get out to cheers all around.
On being repeatedly interrupted, an angry Obama addressed the protesting LGBT activist directly, saying, “No, no, no. Shame on you. You shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Listen, you are in my house. It’s not respectful when you get invited to somebody,” Obama told the heckler, giving him another chance.
On being interrupted again, a visibly displeased Obama asked his security official “Can we escort this person out?”
“You can either stay and be quiet or we’ll have to take you out. All right, can we have this person removed, please?” Obama said as the activists persisted heckling the president.
Obama said later if guests are “eating the hors d’oeuvres and drinking the booze,” they’re typically expected to listen respectfully.
Shortly after the incident, an immigration group claimed the protestor was an undocumented immigrant named Jennicet Gutiérrez, who is transgender. According to a press release, Gutiérrez was a founding member of FAMILIA TQLM, established to advocate for LGBTQ immigrants who the group says are often excluded in the immigration debate.
-- With inputs from Agencies
Image: US President Barack Obama at the reception for LGBT Pride Month in the East Room of the White House. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
