A New Mexico gay couple is planning to use the White House's annual Easter Egg roll as an opportunity to confront President Obama in hopes he'll sign an executive order banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Jarrod Scarbrough and Les Sewell, who have been together for 18 years, are taking their 8-year-old daughter to the White House's annual event on Monday, when they plan to press Obama on the proposed executive order. An email statement from LGBT advocacy group Get Equal cites recent reports which indicate that this Executive Order has been approved by both the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor, and is simply awaiting the president's signature. If made law, the order would protect federal contractors from discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
"I work for a federal contractor, and there's a piece of paper sitting on President Obama's desk that would give me a little more security for my family," Scarbrough, an employee of United Healthcare, is quoted as saying. "As so many families gather on the White House lawn next week, I hope that the First Family takes a moment to reflect on how hard gay families like mine work to ensure that we have the stability and security that so many others take for granted.
He went on to note, "My message -- and the message of my family -- echoes President Obama's campaign slogan: We can't wait. It's time for President Obama to sign this Executive Order."
Now in its 134th year, the Egg Roll dates back to 1878 and involves a race where children push a hardboiled egg through grass with a long-handled club. As Pink News notes, gay couples and their children have been invited to the White House to take part in the annual Easter Egg Roll event for several years now –- over 100 LGBT families were reportedly on hand for the event in 2006, when President Bush was still in office.