WASHINGTON -- First Lady Michelle Obama got into a rare confrontation with a protester on Tuesday night after the gay rights activist interrupted her remarks at a private fundraiser.
Mrs. Obama was speaking to a crowd of about 200 people about protecting children from gun violence, when a woman at the front of the group began calling for broader federal protections for gay and lesbians in the workplace.
Mrs. Obama stopped speaking, left the lectern and approached the woman.
"One of the things I don't do well is this," Mrs. Obama said. She told the crowd that the woman could "listen to me or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving. You all decide. You have one choice."
The crowd cheered for the first lady to stay, and she did, ultimately finishing her remarks. One woman told the protester "You need to go!" As the woman was escorted out, she was heard saying, "lesbian looking for federal equality before I die."
The event in a private home was hosted by the Democratic National Committee, one of several fundraising events the first lady attended Tuesday. Tickets ranged from $500 to $10,000, according to a DNC official.
Mrs. Obama is less accustomed than her husband to being heckled. President Obama typically waits coolly for the protester to finish and sometimes follows with a comments about respecting the right to protest.
The gay rights group GetEQUAL identified the protester as Ellen Sturtz, one of a few activists affiliated with the organization who attended the fundraiser. GetEqual has urged the president to sign an executive order barring federal contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
"I had planned to speak tonight with DNC officials," Sturtz said in a statement released after the incident. "But as the First Lady was talking about our childrens' future and ensuring that they have everything they need to live happy and productive lives, I simply couldn't stay silent any longer. I'm looking ahead at a generation of young people who could live full, honest, and open lives with the stroke of the President's pen, and I was hoping that the First Lady would share my concern for all of our young people."
Follow Politics Now on Twitter and Facebook
[email protected]
Twitter: @khennessey
Mrs. Obama was speaking to a crowd of about 200 people about protecting children from gun violence, when a woman at the front of the group began calling for broader federal protections for gay and lesbians in the workplace.
Mrs. Obama stopped speaking, left the lectern and approached the woman.
"One of the things I don't do well is this," Mrs. Obama said. She told the crowd that the woman could "listen to me or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving. You all decide. You have one choice."
The crowd cheered for the first lady to stay, and she did, ultimately finishing her remarks. One woman told the protester "You need to go!" As the woman was escorted out, she was heard saying, "lesbian looking for federal equality before I die."
The event in a private home was hosted by the Democratic National Committee, one of several fundraising events the first lady attended Tuesday. Tickets ranged from $500 to $10,000, according to a DNC official.
Mrs. Obama is less accustomed than her husband to being heckled. President Obama typically waits coolly for the protester to finish and sometimes follows with a comments about respecting the right to protest.
The gay rights group GetEQUAL identified the protester as Ellen Sturtz, one of a few activists affiliated with the organization who attended the fundraiser. GetEqual has urged the president to sign an executive order barring federal contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
"I had planned to speak tonight with DNC officials," Sturtz said in a statement released after the incident. "But as the First Lady was talking about our childrens' future and ensuring that they have everything they need to live happy and productive lives, I simply couldn't stay silent any longer. I'm looking ahead at a generation of young people who could live full, honest, and open lives with the stroke of the President's pen, and I was hoping that the First Lady would share my concern for all of our young people."
Follow Politics Now on Twitter and Facebook
[email protected]
Twitter: @khennessey