When Karine Jean-Pierre stepped behind the podium to lead a White House briefing, the moment was quietly historic. Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary and an out lesbian, is the first LGBTQ+ person to take questions on behalf of a presidential administration in the briefing room.
Jean-Pierre, the 43-year-old daughter of Haitian immigrant parents, is also the first Black woman to do so in 30 years. Judy Smith led a briefing for the George H.W. Bush administration all the way back in 1991 as the former president’s special assistant and deputy press secretary. (Notably, Smith began a career in crisis management following her work in the White House, serving as the inspiration for Olivia Pope in ABC’s Scandal.)
In temporarily filling the shoes of current Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Jean-Pierre acknowledged the significance of the milestone.
“I appreciate the historic nature,” she said while taking a question from a reporter on the subject. “I really do, but I believe that being behind this podium, being in this room, being in this building is not about one person. It’s about what we do on behalf of the American people.”
The former chief public affairs officer for the progressive advocacy group MoveOn, Jean-Pierre has already made history several times during her first few months with the Biden administration. When she was tapped as the chief of staff for Kamala Harris during Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, she was the first LGBTQ+ person to serve in that role. She is also the first Black, queer principal deputy press secretary.
Jean-Pierre added that the unprecedented nature of her time in the White House is reflective of President Joe Biden’s commitment to equality. On his first day in office, he signed a memo instructing all branches of the federal government to investigate claims of anti-LGBTQ+ bias and reversed Donald Trump’s trans military ban days later.
“Clearly the president believes that representation matters, and I appreciate him giving me this opportunity,” she said, “and it’s another reason why I think we are all so proud that this is the most diverse administration in history.”
Jean-Pierre is one of several LGBTQ+ people to break ground in the current administration. Dr. Rachel Levine is the first transgender person to serve in a Cabinet-level position as the assistant secretary of health in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), while former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is the first LGBTQ+ person to lead the Department of Transportation.
Wednesday’s press briefing was largely viewed by members of the media as an audition for her boss’ role, with Psaki signaling that she intends to step down as press secretary by next year. She may end up competing against another LGBTQ+ candidate for the job: Ned Price, the current spokesperson for the State Department.
Also reportedly in contention is Symone Sanders, press secretary for Vice President Harris, according to the New York Times.
But for now, Jean-Pierre signaled that she intends to focus on the job at hand. While fielding questions about the Biden administration’s calls to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus and news of a mass shooting in San Jose, she said her goal is to be “truthful” and “transparent” in communicating with the American people.
“This is not about me,” she said. “This is not about any of us.”
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