Exclusive: Doug Emhoff Will Meet With Gay and Transgender Kids Today
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will host a virtual roundtable this afternoon when he will meet with LGBTQ+ high school students from across the country to learn how they feel about returning to school in the wake of widespread attacks on LGBTQ+ identity in classrooms.Young LGBTQ+ people have been the target of a coordinated right-wing attack for months to erase them and relegate them back into the closet.Today's meeting comes as Republican governors and legislatures have focused on banning subjects of conversation and books related to LGBTQ+ people and issues from schools and libraries around the country.
Others have gone so far as to make gender-affirming medical health care access impossible with policies with which major medical associations disagree."The Second Gentleman felt compelled to hold a meeting with students following the passage of legislation in states that impacts the LGBTQ community, including the Don't Say Gay bill in Florida," a White House official tells The Advocate.
The call will include trans and cis-gender youth from Florida, Washington, D.C., Connecticut, and California. Among these students are outspoken advocates of LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion, including some of those who led efforts against the Florida's "don't say gay" bill.The White House says the Second Gentleman is committed to ensuring students feel safe in schools.One of the young participants, Daniel, reacted to questions from The Advocate with excitement."I think it's important for young people to speak with political leaders, so they know exactly what we need and want from them at this time," Daniel, 17, said. "The truth is my generation is moving forward and building lives that we deserve.
