Video has emerged of the confrontation between a heckler and Michelle Obama. The First Lady was giving a speech at a fundraiser at the home of a power lesbian couple when GetEqual’s Ellen Sturtz interrupted her. As you can see, Mrs. Obama doesn’t have the soft touch that her husband has in dealing with hecklers — it’s more of a delicate bitch-slap. And as Ellen Sturtz learned, you don’t interrupt MObama when she’s talking about the children.
FLOTUS IN ACTION
WATCH: Video Of Michelle Obama’s Confrontation With Lesbian Activist
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Triple S
Yeah, I don’t see why she matters. She’s the wife of a President that a growing number of people are seeing as a bad one. So what? In any case, I don’t see the point of having to go off on the tangent she did and waste time. Just ignore them, or tell them to shut up and then continue. But still, why is her opinion so important again? It doesn’t do anything
balehead
This definitely proves most gay activists are really just white bigots looking for attention…..
1EqualityUSA
The minute one raises their voice, it shows a loss of power.
balehead
Most people will only remember the rudeness….badly played….
Cam
Again, the First Lady was there at a fundraiser as a representative of the Democratic Party to ask people to donate money and tell them what the party will do for them.
To pretend that this was some sacred church service or that the First Lady there had no connection to the Democratic Party is incredibly false.
Again, remember…
HRC was “Incensed” when Get Equal was pushing democrats to move on gay rights a few years ago. Telling them that that was wrong, gays would never get rights if we upset the democrats and we needed to sit back and let them not move on gay rights, because eventually they would do the right thing. The head of HRC even sent out a memo basically demanding gays do nothing until after OBama left office, AND the White House came out and said there would be NO movement on gay rights in the foreseeable future. Barney Frank even called gays childish and demanded that gays lobby Congress as if we were asking for a bad road to be fixed.
Get Equal did sit in’s in Nancy Pelosi’s office and she forced a Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal down the White House’s throat and on the second try it passed.
Obama COULD wipe out legalized workplace discrimination with the stroke of a pen. You may not like this woman but suddenly that issue is in the news. Just because HRC would like gays to not move ahead so they can keep their jobs, lets not be fooled by their phony outrage here.
This is all just phony outrage by the same usual suspects in HRC who seem to prefer attack another gay group that they see as competition then do any actual work for gay rights.
Spike
Heckling the First Lady, what an embarrassment to the LGBT community.
Figures it would be an unhinged angry lesbian, and ironic that the fundraiser was being held at the home of a lesbian couple.
PSPoolside
@1EqualityUSA: And that would have been Ellen Sturtz.
Spike
@Triple S: “…a President that a growing number of people are seeing as a bad one.” Seriously? Maybe if your only source of news is Fox News.
Yep, I’m sure you believe, if only Mitt Romney were President, LGBT rights would be in the forefront of his first year as President. What nonsense.
Merv
Several things…
The first lady is not an elected official. To treat her like one is ridiculous. She was at this function as a (prominent) private citizen raising money for a political party. That’s how she should be treated.
If you get in someone’s face, don’t be surprised if they get back in yours.
I was critical of Obama for not using an executive order to undermine DADT, but he was right. We are in a much better position now than if we had just an executive order. Perhaps it’s wise to see how the mid-term elections go before acting, on the off chance the Democrats can regain the House.
BJ McFrisky
Michelle Obama vs. a proud lesbian . . .
What’s a loyal liberal to do?
1EqualityUSA
Anyone who raises their voice shows a loss of power.
Cam
@Merv: said…
“The first lady is not an elected official. To treat her like one is ridiculous. She was at this function as a (prominent) private citizen raising money for a political party. That’s how she should be treated.”
________________________
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t have people saying that she shouldn’t have been interrupted because she is the First Lady of the United States. And THEN say that she SHOULDN’T be called out on the part because she is just a private citizen.
She was there representing the Democratic party and asking for money from people. Again, treating this like a church function is silly. AND please remember that it wasn’t until gays STOPPED being doormats in the last few years that anything moved.
sweetbrandigirl2004
I support the President and feel he’s trying in a round about political way. I also feel this lesbian that spoke out had a point though I’m not sure she went about expressing it the right way and I definitely don’t think Michelle accorded herself in the right way by jumping down the women’s throat and having her ejected from the party that she paid to be at. I think a lack of communication on both parts resulted in a missed opportunity to do some real good and to help move the objectives we all support forward. I hope the two can come back together or have further communication so that they can in a calm and rational way heard each others points.
Kieran
Well afterall, President Obama has shown himself to be the most gay friendly US President in history, so his wife should expect to find herself interupted by heckling by a gay activist. That makes perfect sense. Not.
SFGuy79
@balehead: Thats quite an extrapolation to make from one video. You might want to avoid your assumption making so as to not look foolish.
BigDaddy007
Hmmmm…I’m going to keep this simple: The initiator of this confrontation has to ask herself and do so with honesty (and by putting the actual politics aside): did this confrontation further the cause she was attempting to defend in a positive manner? If not, she should have re-thought it. And yeah, the media can spin things, but someone has to give them something to work with. ‘Nuff said.
mlbumiller
@Cam:
first you are wrong that the President can with a stroke of the pen. it would only apply to fed employees and contractors. as i have said in a reply to the same thing you posted earlier, the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act; up until very recently, was thought to have cover GLBT federal employees,(it does not cover contractors) but is new Special Counsel Scott Bloch thinks otherwise, since he has a different interpitation of the act.
again, where the hell have peoples manners gone?
and if you have such a fcking beef the HRC, take it up with them!!!
http://www.techimo.com/forum/imo-community/104366-federal-workers-can-fired-being-homosexual.html
Cam
@Kieran:
Actually this same White house told us that there would be NO movement on gay rights in the foreseeable future, and THEN activists did sit in’s in Pelosi and other Congresspeople’s offices. Suddenly Pelosi forced a DADT repeal down the White House’s throat.
I’m not sure I understand this willful attempt to rewrite history. Obama signed the repeal when it hit his desk and that was wonderful, but lets not pretend that he brought it up. It was forced on the White House. This White House is far better than the GOP, but the fact that he could end legal workplace discrimination with the stroke of a pen and hasn’t shouldn’t be ignored.
Cam
@mlbumiller:
What you are attempting to do is write down a bunch of blather to obfuscate the straight forward fact.
1. This was a fundraiser, the First Lady was repping the Dems and asking for money. This was not a funeral or church service.
2. Lets pretend that you are right about the scope of the Presidents power. That still doesn’t explain why it wouldn’t have been done.
3. Gee, a new Special council who says what his boss wants him too. What a shock.
4. My beef with HRC is that they had an organized effort against the gay community moving forward. They attacked any suggestion that ANY effort should be put into repealing DADT or into Marriage. They EVEN tried to stop the filing of more than one marriage case INCLUDING one of the cases that the Supreme Court is now deciding on.
So again, please don’t try to rewrite history or change the subject. The fact is, positive change could be made with the presidents signature and he has not done it. And the first lady was asking folks for money and selling the Democratic party to them and yet people are acting like this activist interrupted a memorial service.
So nice try, but perhaps they should send a better informed intern to make their case.
Nick
I don’t think it was the time or place for it… and it made us “Gays” as a whole look very bad.
miagoodguy
Heckling makes you look petty and childish, but Michelle Obama’s reaction shows how think skinned she is (just like her husband). I wonder how many people that are “outraged” that the first lady was heckled would feel the same way if it was the first lady (or someone of similar stature) from the opposing party.
Merv
@Cam: I believe George Clooney has served as headliner for a few Democratic fundraisers. Would it have made sense to interrupt him in the middle of his speech and demand he do more for gay rights?
elSac08
@Cam: Great comment, thanx!
mlbumiller
@Cam:
1. it was a fund raiser at a lesbian couple’s home. Again, show ppl respect.
2. So you want the Pres. to sign this order to piss of congress and the senate so the Employment Non-Discrimination Act will continue to hang out ther. Again the order would only apply to federal employees( which can be argued are covered under the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act) and contractor. Here are some facts on the contractors:
—Among federal contractors, at least 61 percent of their employees are already covered by laws or private policies protecting against sexual-orientation discrimination.
—Among federal contractors, at least 41 percent of their employees are already covered by aws or private policies protecting against gender-identity discrimination.
—Requiring federal contractors to have policies protecting against sexual-orientation discrimination would provide protections to an additional 11 million U.S. workers; 16.5 million more would be protected from gender-identity discrimination.
—The top five federal contractors are all defense contractors—Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and United Technologies. Together, they receive about a quarter of all federal contracting dollars. All five have nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity.
—Nearly all of the top 50 federal contractors (90 percent) already include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy. Most (67 percent) include gender identity.
—Looking at employees of federal contractors that are in the Fortune 1000, 92 percent are already protected by a companywide sexual-orientation nondiscrimination policy, and 58 percent are already protected by a gender-identity nondiscrimination policy.
3. The special counsil was appointed by Bush. Again a fact.
4. I am a retired service member. Served under pre-DADT and DADT. I wanted Clinton to sign an order lifting the ban same as he did for blacks, but he failed to follow thourgh and we got DADT. DADT was a law, so it had to be repealed. Signing an order would have been fruitless
also, most of what can be said to support HRC wanted to abondon repeal of DADT is from an un-named source…. and by the way i did read all post on the subject here in 2009.
lab
EQUALITY USA maybe you should remind your members about this loss of power thing…ms obama did a great job. people came to hear her and not several ranting crazies (another person did it earlier at this event) the heckler tried to take the microphone and lecture the crowd…I would have loved to hear that speech
Cam
@mlbumiller: said…
“2. So you want the Pres. to sign this order to piss of congress and the senate so the Employment Non-Discrimination Act will continue to hang out ther.”
_____________________
Oh, that’s right, the phony “It will upset people” comment. Please explain to me a few things.
1. How exactly is enacting something that the majority of Congress supports but can’t get through the GOP controlled House going to “Piss Them off”.
2. Since the House GOP has stated they will block most of Obama’s agenda if given the chance and we still have no budget and no substantive legislation coming out of Congress, please explain how giving gays work protection is going to somehow make things worse. What will they do if they are “Pissed Off” not enact a budget? Gee, they’re already doing that.
This is the same phony line you all used to try to keep people from pushing for the DADT repeal and for Marriage. It sounds just as idiotic today as it did a few years ago and was just as wrong.
LpLover
Would a Republican ever be at a fundraiser at a Lesbian couples home? NO!
I sometimes get discouraged with my gay community. We are so quick to throw our allies under the bus.
mlbumiller
Cam….. give me some hard core facts other than your bable.
classyinc
I think Michelle Obama handled herself very well. Are the haters on this can “HAVE SEVERAL SEATS.”
Google it. :p
DirtyOleMan
Ellen Sturtz needs to pick her battles better. Quit fighting with frends
2wheels2four
Mrs. Obama is not only FLOTUS, but has earned respect in her own right by her level of education, her public service, her comportment as a partner and mother, AND as FLOTUS. interrupting or heckling ANYONE, especially someone who is an advocate for our rights as well as many other worthy causes, is IGNORANT BEHAVIOR. Plain and simple. I’m personally happy that she addressed rather than ignored this rude bitch.
2wheels2four
Mrs. Obama is not only FLOTUS, but has earned respect in her own right by her level of education, her public service, her comportment as a partner and mother, AND as FLOTUS. interrupting or heckling ANYONE, especially someone who is an advocate for our rights as well as many other worthy causes, is IGNORANT BEHAVIOR. Plain and simple. I’m personally happy that she addressed rather than ignored this rude twit.
FStratford
Too bad for Michelle.
Why is it that talking about gay rights in a lesbian’s house is off the table? Can she not see why this is important? Is she saying that the message is wrong simply because the messenger was not a smooth talker?
This whole meme that when you talk about kids, you cant talk about gays too, is a Republican talking point. If the FLOTUS agrees with that talking point, then I think I have a theory now why Obama dragged his bum when he clearly supported gay rights: this woman was working against us in the background.
If so, screw her.
jeff4justice
I support Ellen Sturtz. However, like most of the LGBT mega groups, GetEqual should get a clue and realize the 2-party system will be irrelevant soon enough.
Give me a fucking break with the “think of the children” Obama bullshit. They don’t give a fuck about the children they’re killing with drone bombs including American Abdulrahman al-Awlaki.
Wal-Mart propagandist Michelle has as much blood on her hands cheerleading for this evil empire as any other of these 2-party system goons.
Democrats only care about LGBT equality when it’s convenient.
Cam
@mlbumiller: said… “Cam….. give me some hard core facts other than your bable.”
________________
Please point out which part of what I said you believe to be untrue. Otherwise your comment is nothing more than an attempt to deflect from the subject. As is the rest of this False anger.
DarkZephyr
@FStratford: I am with you there, and now that I see the footage I am even more taken aback by how Michelle acted. She looked to me like she was pitching a fit “Fine! I’m leaving!” I don’t see her behavior as being any better than what the activist did, despite what the White House bootlicker may have said.
andy0529
Some of people are clueless are crazy, do you morons realized a gay man, who later married his partner, crafted DOMA and DADT. The reason DC doesn’t have a gay white male mayor or a Jewish gay activist both won the black vote is because the Republican party backed their democratic opponents. You have to be really naive to think you would have Gay marriage and Gay men/women serving openly under a republican president when so many in the republican party even oppose the Civil Rights amendment. Gays and blacks need to take their hands off their hips and stop screaming “It’s 20___ I can’t this still happening” and go after your enemies not your friends. Notice Mitt did not touch on any social issues.
Cam
@andy0529:
Hey Andy,
Before you have a hissy fit and run around calling everybody “Morons” please explain your odd belief that just because the GOP is a nightmare that means that the DEMS are perfect and we should never ever question them.
Allow me to remind you that the White House stated there would be NO movement on DADT. And HRC demanded gays sit down and shut up and how dare we question our “Friends”. The community didn’t listen, pushed and complained and got the repeal through.
This administration had to be pushed to move on gay rights. To their credit, when pushed they gave in and went with it unlike the GOP would have done, but NEVER forget that they had to be pushed. So please stop pretending that our rights suddenly appeared to us gift wrapped by the White House.
Cee
@Spike: LOL I always laugh when gays complain about the president. He’s done more for gays than any other president and this is how they repay him by heckling and criticizing him. I’m always hearing complaints and disrespect. Gays should be thankful for the support he’s shown. I don’t care how big or small. No other president has stepped up to the plate on gay issues like Obama. How dare gays. These are moments that make me ashamed of the gay community.
Cam
@Cee:
Funny Cee, it’s posts like yours that make me ashamed of you.
How dare YOU act like gays are lucky to be second class citizens as long as 2nd class these days is a bit better than 2nd class was yesterday.
Again, Obama’s White House said NO to any movement on gay rights until activists forced the issue down Congresses throat and Pelosi in turn forced the issue down the White House’s throat. Obama at first would not call congress to advocate for gays. FINALLY after the Dems lost seats in the mid-term election and polls said it was because the White House wasn’t being supportive enough on issues like gay rights, he THEN supported the repeal and it finally passed.
How dare you act like gays are spoiled and demanding when we still do not have the federal right to Marry, when we are taxed differently and can’t even adopt or have rights of survivor-ship in multiple states. Obama came out in favor of gay marriage AFTER polls said that a large majority of Democrats felt this way and his not being for it was harming him.
I think it’s wonderful that he signed the DADT repeal and that he finally came out in favor of marriage, but don’t you dare pretend that he was at the forfront of anything. He had to be dragged to the table kicking and screaming.
Cee
@DarkZephyr: It was not as bad as you are making it sound. The lady was heckling and Michelle told the audience she doesn’t do that well. That was the first warning. Then the lady continued and Michelle said stop or I’m leaving, you all decide. The lady continued AGAIN by saying I need your husband to sign blah blah blah. That’s when Michelle was like I’m leaving and the crowd started yelling NO. I mean the lesbian lady who was heckling is an idiot. She has no self control and does not know how to conduct herself. Michelle was there to talk about the kids. That’s why she was invited. The lesbian lady is so wrong to try to shift focus of why Michelle was there in the first place, which was for the kids.
Cee
@Cam: Because I said gays should be thankful to president Obama for showing support you interpreted that as being thankful to be a second class citizen? Boy have we got some work to do.