Deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre became the second Black woman to lead the White House’s press briefing in 30 years in May. She followed in the footsteps of Judy Smith, who served under President George H.W. Bush, beginning in 1991, and also became the first openly gay person to hold the position.
Jean-Pierre shared her coming out story on Twitter this weekend as Pride Month comes to an end. She was born in Martinique to Haitian parents and her family moved to New York when she was 5. According to Jean-Pierre, her parents weren’t accepting of her sexuality initially.
Hoping to encourage young people or anyone fighting with the choice to remain silent, she also shared her experiences further and how her close relatives kept it a family secret.
“I dated, but I hid those relationships from my family. Just as American society has evolved over the course of the past couple of decades to embrace the LGBTQ community (never forgetting we still have work to do), my family has evolved to embrace my membership in it,” Jean-Pierre wrote.
The White House briefing spokeswoman further explained that her mother has come to accept her lifestyle and their love remains stronger than ever. Check out Jean-Pierre’s tweets below.
Check out the tweets below.
