On Friday, Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, spoke to a crowd of volunteers at the Human Rights Campaign. During her speech, she called on the audience to “fight like hell” to get her husband re-elected in the upcoming election. She also described Donald Trump, the former President, as a bully and a danger to the LGBTQ community and the country as a whole.
Speaking to a crowd of about 500, Biden emphasized the importance of re-electing President Biden, stating that he strongly advocates for the rights of the LGBTQ community. Despite being the one running for re-election, Jill Biden has been a strong presence in her husband’s campaign, often speaking as though she is in charge.
During her speech, Biden addressed the efforts of the Republican party to undo the progress made by the Biden administration in terms of LGBTQ rights. She urged the crowd not to allow them to succeed, stating, “They want to take our victories away, but we won’t let them. Your president will not let them. I will not let them.”
One of the victories that Jill Biden referenced was the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act, which recognizes same-sex marriage at a federal level. The Biden administration has also lifted a ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and allowed transgender individuals to serve openly in the military. Additionally, they have expressed opposition to conversion therapy.
It is no secret that the LGBTQ community overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Jill Biden was sent to speak to this group of volunteer activists and encourage them to become involved in the Biden campaign. She shared a personal story from her childhood, where she stood up to a neighborhood bully who was picking on her sister.
WILD: Unhinged Pro-Palestine protestor Riddhi Patel threatens to M*RDER Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh (R) in a psychotic rant during a city council meeting.
Patel is being charged with 16 felonies and is being held on a $1 million bail. pic.twitter.com/09PeBCWoNz
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 12, 2024
Using this story as a metaphor, Biden emphasized the importance of standing up to bullies, whether they are threatening our loved ones, stripping away our rights, or putting our country at risk. She stated, “When bullies threaten our loved ones, when they strip away our basic rights and deny our basic humanity, when they put our country and our democracy at risk, there’s only one thing to do: we fight.”
Jill Biden also addressed the issue of Trump’s threat to democracy, which has become a popular criticism of the former President. She warned that history has shown how rights and freedoms can slowly and silently disappear until we no longer live in a democracy. This statement was met with applause from the audience.
It is noteworthy to mention that in 2012, Joe Biden also made a controversial statement regarding Mitt Romney and claimed he wanted to “put y’all back in chains” during a speech to a mostly black audience. However, Jill Biden’s criticism of Republicans wanting to take away rights seemed to imply that this was a consistent theme in the Biden family’s rhetoric against their opponents.
The Human Rights Campaign, along with the National Center for Transgender Equality and Equality PAC, have all endorsed Joe Biden for a second term. In response, the Biden campaign launched the “Out for Biden-Harris” initiative this week in an effort to mobilize LGBTQ voters and secure their support in the upcoming election.
Despite the campaign’s efforts, recent polls have shown Biden’s support among various groups starting to decline. Black voters, in particular, have been moving away from Biden, which could be concerning for his re-election prospects. It is too soon to tell how effective Jill Biden’s speech will be in rallying support for her husband, but it is clear that she is a strong advocate for his campaign and is determined to see him re-elected.
