LGBT Families Get Moving at the Easter Egg Roll

On April 25^th, the First Family hosted the 133^rd Annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House.  Families came from far and wide to join the First Family in games, crafts, live music, healthy cooking demonstrations, sports activities, and, of course, egg rolling!  The President and First Lady are committed to ensuring that the White House truly is the People’s House.  That’s why the First Family opened their backyard to over 30,000 people from all 50 states on Monday. 

The 2011 Easter Egg Roll included families from a wide variety of backgrounds.  Dozens of LGBT families enjoyed the wide range of festivities.  Some traveled from as far as Guam and most family members had never been to the White House before.  The excited families reported back with stories of incredible double-dutch performances, story time with John Lithgow, and interacting with the children’s book characters from Suzy’s Zoo.

Brian Bond, the Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement, personally extended an invitation to over 60 lgbt families because he, like the President and First Lady, believes in the importance of representing America’s diverse families at the White House.

The Easter Egg Roll, like the White House, is rich in history and the President and First Lady are committed to having the White House Easter Roll be a fun and exciting experience for all families.  As the First Lady has said before, the White House is a place where everyone should feel welcome.  When I saw the excitement on the faces of the children after they hunted for eggs and danced to Willow Smith’s musical performance, I could tell that the LGBT families felt right at home in the People’s House. 

(All photos were provided by participants in the Easter Egg Roll.)

Monique Dorsainvil is a Staff Assistant in the Office of Public Engagement focusing on the Council on Women and Girls and LGBT Outreach