WH changes Easter Egg Roll admit process; LGBT families 'moved to back'

[PageOneQ]

White House changes Easter Egg Roll admit process; LGBT families 'moved from front of the line'

Washington, DC, April 25 - After waiting outside overnight to be among the first to enter this year's White House Easter Egg Roll, families in line were surprised to learn that the White House had changed the ticketing policy for the annual event, PageOneQ has learned.

The unannounced change means that the families who waited in line the longest, in one case for twenty-four hours, will not be among the visitors at the event's opening ceremonies. The first families in line, who were not part of the LGBT family group, received tickets with an 11:00am entrance time, two hours later than the opening time listed in the White House press release.

Various media reports have publicized participation of lesbian and gay families, including a piece in the New York Times, which ran on April 10th, and media representatives were interviewing families in the line about the small swirl of controversy created by the decision of LGBT families to participate in the annual event. This morning, cameras from approximately half a dozen television stations, including CNN, were on the Ellipse, interviewing families about the decision of LGBT parents to participate.

Full Story: www.pageoneq.com/news/2006/eggroll_041506.html

[DS1]

1. What kind of assclown loser would want to be a part of that anyway?

[Flying Dream Blues]

2. Well I guess this clears up any notion that Easter is about Jesus.

At least at the White House anyway. What would Jesus do, indeed? This really just makes me sick.

What really burns me up, though, is that they don't have the GUTS to say the GLBT families aren't welcome, they just smile their fake-tolerant "not our kind, dear" smiles and make up some polite bullshit excuse.

[King Coal]

6. I don't think Jesus would be in favor of Easter eggs, regardless

of the sexual habits of the parents. Soooooo... it's a moot point.

:rofl:

[xchrom]

7. easter eggs wouldn't bother jesus.

self righteous bigots would.

[flashdebadge]

51. He wouldn't turn tables over at the temple either.

The word easter comes from the word ishtar. Ishtar was worshiped as the "goddess of fertility". Thus the rabbit is used due to its breeding habits as the "worldly" symbol by people who want to avoid the religious elements of the real meaning of the day. Make no mistake, Jesus would not be happy with how many people celebrate easter. I'm thinking of the second commandment.

My 2 cents and just a thought.

[napi21]

3. It was definately wrong for the WH to do that! BUT it doesn't surprise

me! It might have been deceiptful, but the Gay folks shouldn't have made it public that they were going to attend. It gave the WH way too much time to come up with a plan to block them. SURPRISE would have been so much better!

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

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[napi21]

24. Actually it was the media! I didn't say hide permanently,

I said don't give the WH advance notice so they have the opportunity to change their rules!

Once you had the tickets, THEN make your presence known.

[me b zola]

35. Why should they have been quiet about their intention to go?

I believe their point was that they are excepted as long as they are "invisable". That kind of reminds me of families who conditionally "accept" their adult children as gay as long as they don't bring their SO to the parent's house or act like a couple in front of the parents. That conditional acceptance, IMO, is actually rejection. And as far as a citizen's Constitutional rights, seperate but equal is far from equal as well as far from legal.

[HuffleClaw]

4. i think a civil suit is in order

this is about what i'd expected of bushco. though. i knew they'd do SOMETHING to these folks. bush himself was scared off by the GAYS, and the coward sent his wife in his place. and still they had to do something to screw with their rights.

[PaganPreacher]

43. Sue? For what?

Take a look at the Constitution, and browse through the US Code, then tell us all what rights were violated, and how.

The Pagan Preacher
I don't turn the other cheek.

[babylonsister]

5. I thought the wh was "ours" collectively. Guess not. nt

[BR_Parkway]

41. No, I only pay for it, not actually get anything from it - I'm part of the

folks it's ok to bash now to drum up votes and campaign contributions.

As for the gay parents being quiet in advance - the whole idea was to be visible as families - and the advance press coverage probably helped with that. If the word gets out that the WH changed the rules to accomodate some more of the Pharisees, most Americans are going to be unhappy with it - I think that one of the overall American values is a sense of fair play - not changing the rules in the middle of the game.

[rodeodance]

8. rather confusing for me--did they take a group in front and put them in

the back of the line?

In a telephone call and email exchange with PageOneQ earlier today, Deputy White House Dana Perino, the Deputy White House Press Secretary told PageOneQ that, "he number of tickets are the same as every year, and that the large group we invited this year is youth volunteers ... and they are coming in the morning. We invite a group like that every year, for instance one or two years ago it was military families. In order to accomodate all of the people who want to come to the easter egg roll, we stagger the times to ensure maximum enjoyment for everyone."

One ticket recipient who was approximately fifty people behind the Family Pride Coalition, told PageOneQ that he was "upset, very upset, that they would change the policy to make those of us who spent the night be the last ones to get into the event." When asked his name, the man said that, "Because my brother works for the State Department, I'd rather keep my name out of the article.

[cyr330]

9. Get to the back of the bus where you belong!

Haven't we heard this refrain before? I thought it had been settled back in the 1950's, but I guess not. . . .

[Skip Intro]

10. flat out discrimination - that's good amerkan bush vaules

pisses me the hell off

[cyr330]

34. disgusting

makes me fucking furious

[movonne]

11. The gays will become the blacks that had to go to the back of the

bus.

[Ezlivin]

12. I love fair play, honest and integrity

Too bad I can't get any of these out this administration.

These are the kind of people I despise, the ones who change the rules to suit them but force the rest of us to abide by them.

[Pathwalker]

13. The back of the bus is getting crowded. The right hates so many,

and they've shoved so many to the back...there's very little room left for their privileged asses!

[Divernan]

16. Hey, Bush's Base fly on private jets; never been on a bus in their lives!

They just distract the vast majority/rest of US citizens by playing us off against each other through various racist, sexist, class issues.

[Supersedeas]

52. Hate is their money maker and they are shakin it up.

[SoCalDem]

14. NEXT time... do not announce the plans in public..

I wish they had been able to meet privately, make their plans and just get the tickets and show up.. They took a page from the Democratic Party Playbook, and as usual, the repubes had it "covered"..

Impromptu,or the appearance of impromptu is what works when going after repubes. They have everything covered if they have advance notice :)

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[SoCalDem]

22. Sorry you misunderstood my intent

It's just that the people in charge at the WH had advance notice, and the willing media played it up so much, it's not surprising that these cheaters changed the rules..

The element of surprise is what works with *² and his crew..

"blame" was not the word that came to mind when I wrote it..

bigotry is NOT my thing, and I would have loved to have had things play out fairly,but FAIR is not in the republican dictionary..

I merely commented on the tactics...

Dems do this all the time when they do get to speak on tv. they announce they things they are "gonna do" in the next election, and it's never surprising to me, to see that by the time it happens, the repubes are all in place , ready to counter everything they say..

the "PUBLIC" part of my post, (if you re-read it) refers to the PLANNING of the "ticket getting and attendance". I would have loved nothing more than to see junior HAVING to acknowledge familes of ALL kinds...not just his hand-picked "chosen"..

I am sorry that it did not work out fairly, but I am never surprised anymore by ANYTHING this crew does :(

[pnwmom]

23. I don't think the poster was blaming the victim.

He was just talking tactics, and doesn't deserve the epithet.

Maybe you weren't aware that gay-led families have always been free to attend the event. For all we know, last year some gay families may indeed have been in the front of the line.

And before you flame me, you should know that I'm a fairy child myself, and I've always had doubts about the wisdom of this whole "showcase our children" kind of thing.

Taking them to have some fun like other families -- great. Turning your kids into "poster children" for the cause. Maybe not so great.

[Jersey Ginny]

28. That was the plan. But once emails were sent, it got publicity

It was supposed to be kept quiet and the day was supposed to be just a bunch of families. I considered going, but if it became an issue, like it did, I don't want to put my kids on the "front line" so to speak.

[Botany]

15. bigotry

come on ..... I want gays doing my easter eggs ..... the egg colors will match the outfits of
the people and the party table wil be to die for.

they are here ..... they are queer ..... and it is time for people to grow up.

I have had gay & lesbain neighbors for years and I haven't caught "it" yet.

[pnwmom]

17. It's a shame, but not surprising at all, that the WH did this.

But the only thing that has happened is that this may be less of a media event.

Even now, the gay families still have tickets. Their kids aren't going to feel they're missing out on anything, unless their parents tell them so. Who wants to sit through those boring opening ceremonies, anyway?

[goclark]

46. They waited in line the longest and they should

be able to see the ceremony.

First Come first serve should matter.

As a Christian I am appalled, as an American I am appalled, as one that believes in justice for all I am devastated!

There is absolutely no excuse!

"Forgive them for they know not what they do."

[TankLV]

18. Change the rules in the middle of the game - this is becomming VERY old!

What a bunch of scum.

I am hardly surprised.

[Evergreen Emerald]

20. This is just another example of the lying liars that run our country

and the press will not press them, and the citizens who pray the loudest and most public will smile and agree that all is well at the white house egg roll and what a lovely christian couple at the head of the table.

[Robb]

25. No kidding. Where the FUCK is the press on this?!?

This is EASY. It practically WRITES ITSELF. :banghead:

[me b zola]

36. This morning, before the change, cnn was doing quite (smear)job

The news reader this morning on cnn actually asked the WH corespondent if the WH was expecting any violence or upheaval from the gay families. I kid you not. I don't expect they will be covering the bigotry of the administration.

That's when I turned off cnn. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

[goclark]

48. The "press" is stuck on Aruba Girl 24/7

[ninkasi]

26. I believe that since G/L/B/T couples and their children

are treated as less than equal citizens, you know, put them in the back for the Easter event, deny them the right to marry, and in some cases, adopt, refuse to let them in the military, they shouldn't have to pay taxes. When a group of people are denied the right to participate in society, then that group should not be burdened with supporting that society with their tax dollars.

This is the 21st century, and such ridiculous restrictions placed upon people because some bigots object to them on moral grounds, should not be tolerated. There should not be two-tiered citizenship for anybody, regardless of race, sexual orientation, age, gender, etc. We should have evolved beyond that point by now.

[Sub Atomic]

29. I actually had this argument with my tax accountant yesterday.

She said that the government would eventually take all assets I had, in regards to property and bank accounts.

IMO, there are ways around that.

State taxes? Sure. Glad to pay them. At least California recognizes me as a human.

The Federal Government? Can't say that anymore.

Fuck 'em.

[MadMaddie]

30. Sorry about being Nosey....but why would the gov eventually take

all of your assets?

[radfringe]

39. regarding 'gay marriage'

a week or so ago there was a story on NPR about a catholic group fighting for the Man-Woman marriage amendment.

it was mostly the same BS and Spin - however something the spokesperson for the group caught my attention...

she described marriage (between man-woman) as being a "special privilege"

welllllllllllll, anytime a GLBT group has sought legistation to include us in an equal rights bill - the CONservatives/fundies start screaming "NO SPECIAL RIGHTS NO SPECIAL PRIVILEGES"

seems to me when you want to prevent people from having the same privileges or rights -that you are making certain privileges/rights "special" for a select group

[Radio_Guy]

27. Bush is a coward

He won't face the LGBT, he won't send his own daughters to the war he started, he won't appear on AAR, he won't call on Helen Thomas ever again. He is the Coward in Chief.

[MadMaddie]

31. Well that was obvious when he ducked his duties in Vietnam..

and then didn't even serve his time in the states according to regulation...

Once a Coward always a Coward!! Like you said Coward in Chief!!

[johnfunk]

32. Gay is the new Negro...

... and George W. Bush is the new George Wallace.

[DBoon]

33. And like the old Negroes

GLBT will get to sit on the back of the bus, to accomodate the bigots who can't stand to be near them

[DarkTirade]

37. Okay everybody who's not one of the majority, to the back of the bus...

[radfringe]

38. GOP's big tent?

yeah right... they'll parade a Log Cabin-eer on the podium when it suits their spin, but otherwise gays and lesbians please move to the back of the tent

there's a toon in this - and you bet yer butt I'll be working on it

[lostnfound]

40. Why did they make this about the parents and not about the children?

Jackasses.

*On edit, in case anyone thinks my comment unduly ignores the obvious aspect of the marginalization of gays, I wholeheartedly support gays and hate the administration for what it does to them. It's just that the fact that the GOP's hatred of gays leads it into discrimination against children of gays tells you something about its 'family values'. They don't place much weight on children.

[drm604]

42. Isn't this supposed to be about the children?

They're punishing the children over a disagreement they have with their parents. (It's a stupid disagreement, but I digress...) That is disgusting, and that should be part of our frame.

[killbotfactory]

44. What a bastard thing to do

But what else can you expect from the Bush admin?

:mad:

[Lefty48197]

45. I'm surprised the WH didn't send them to a "free speech zone"

three blocks away...

[WindRavenX]

47. How heartwarming

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[BigDDem]

49. Meanwhile, Uncle Tom's Log Cabin

is still "working from within" to change the rethuglican party.

[ripple]

50. Why is the article dated Apr. 25th?

I didn't see a date on the linked article, only the posted clip. Just wondering...

If this is true, the WH is actually providing the LGBT families with MORE media attention than they would have otherwise received for their participation in the event. It's a story that would have otherwise disappeared in a day. If the WH truly discriminated against or segregated these families, they just gave the story the legs it needs to get media attention for at least a few more days. Cool.