Haitian-American White House deputy press secretary tells her coming out story as Pride Month ends

As Pride Month comes to an end, White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has taken to Twitter to share with the world her coming out story. Jean-Pierre is the first openly gay woman to hold a press briefing as the White House in the capacity of the White House Deputy Press Secretary and the second Black woman to lead a press briefing on behalf of the White House.  

Like many people who first come out to their families and are met with initial pushbacks, Jean-Pierre’s mother was not happy with the news of her daughter’s sexuality.

With time, things have gotten better between the pair. Jean-Pierre decided to climax Pride Month with her story on Twitter alongside a photo of the White House beaming with Pride colors, LGBTQ Nation reports.

“I came out to my Mom when I was 16 years old. The revolted look on her face sent me running back into the proverbial closet and slamming the door shut,” Jean-Pierre’s thread begins. “After that, my sexuality became a family secret, and it would stay that way for years.”

“I dated, but I hid those relationships from my family,” she went on. “Just as American society has evolved over the course of the past couple of decades to embrace the LGBTQ community (never forgetting we still have work to do), my family has evolved to embrace my membership in it.”

Jean-Pierre continues, “I’m proud to be an out Black Queer woman and I have been for quite some time. I’m happy to say, my Mother is now proud of ALL of who I am; she loves my partner and she loves being a doting grandmother to the daughter we are raising.

“My journey towards feeling accepted by myself and loved ones wasn’t an easy one, but it was worthwhile. No matter where you are in your journey, I see you, we see you and we celebrate you – Happy Pride!”

The 43-year-old, former senior advisor to Joe Biden and chief of staff for Kamala Harris served as Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst prior to her role on the Biden-Harris campaign.

She also served as Southeast Regional Political Director for President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Born in Martinique to Haitian parents and raised in New York, the Columbia University graduate’s boss, Biden, declared on the same day her now-viral thread went out that, “Pride is back at the White House.”