Valerie Jarrett speaks at the 2010 HRC Dinner - part 1 of 2

Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement, addressed the nearly 3,000 attendees of the 14th annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner on Saturday night, Oct. 9, at the Washington, D.C. convention center.
Jarrett, who mentioned the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," focused on bullying, highlighting the recent suicides of young people harassed because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender nonconformity. "No young person," she said, "should have to endure a life of relentless taunts and harassment, just because they're gay."

Introduced by HRC president Joe Solmonese, Jarrett noted that she had met earlier in the evening with the mother and brother of Justin Aaberg, who was 15 years old and committed suicide recently after being harassed following coming out at age 13 as gay.

Video: Aram Vartian

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• valerie jarrett
• white house
• metro weekly
• metroweekly
• washington
• dc
• human rights campaign
• gay
• lesbian
• lgbt
• glbt
• obama
• President Obama
• HRC
• HRC National Dinner
• bullying

[tenore23]

HRC has done nothing in the past 2 years but bend over and take it for all of us. Jarret and this administration have done nothing but insult our intelligence by pretending that they are working to make the lives of LGBT citizens better while at the same time going to court to defend DOMA, DADT and every other anti-gay legislation.

Enough with the euphemisms and enough with the lies. HRC and this administration both need to be shows that the "GAY-TM" is closed to them.

[rg0057]

@SmittyNmo , why did Jarrett tell the Washington Post (yesterday, I think) that Aaberg made a "lifestyle choice"? This slip reveals what the people in Obama's circle really think about us. What lifestyle? What choice? This is one reason Barack Obama will not be getting much LGBT support in his re-election campaign.  His administration ALWAYS talks out of both sides of its mouth on LGBT issues. Shame.

[kcflood]

She is an amazing woman

[anatolebroyard]

I wish there leaders like Ms. Jarrett would tell Americans in general, too, to stop treating gay people as second-class citizens. What good are our leaders if they only talk well about us to our faces but still allow others to attack us? Where was the White House before all these suicides? All the soldier discharges? All the claims by religious leaders that gays are beneath everyone else?

[SmittyNmo]

drwas - what an idiot - Why would you post such an ignorant comment? Did you not listen to this video?

[drwas]

Barack Obama HATES gay people!