The first lady and her heckler: Who's right? Who's wrong?
OPINION - The aftermath of the exchange sparks more insight than the exchange itself. Some have questioned whether it was cool for the first lady to lose her cool...
What is also problematic? Sturtz described herself as being “taken aback” when Obama “came right down in [her] face” after loudly disturbing an event some people had paid thousands of dollars to attend. Her statement is laden with privilege. How dare the first lady invade her personal space and challenge her disruption?
Effective or not, heckling (a term that is implicitly pejorative) is a form of protest. Whether it was smart to interrupt one of the most loved public figures in America is up for debate. But for Sturtz, the stakes were high enough to justify the risk.
According to the organization’s website, GetEQUAL’s mission is to empower the LGBT community and allies to “take bold action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way.” The proposed executive order that prompted Sturtz’s protest would prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
While President Obama has been a long supporter of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would similarly protect the LGBT community, he hasn’t indicated that he would sign an executive order. In fact, he has explicitly stated that he prefers for Congress to pass ENDA.
The problem? A vote on any LGBT equality measure is highly unlikely in the GOP-controlled House.
This is likely why Sturtz “tried” Michelle Obama, and got what any protester or heckler subjects themselves to: reprimand and an escort to the nearest exit.
Now, did Sturtz get what she deserved?
Sturtz is not the victim here. No one is.
Neither is she the villain. Nor is the first lady.
The context, the cause being protested, and the total package of the protester and recipient all factor into how we condone or condemn defiant behavior.
If Michelle Obama was a white, male politician and Sturtz a black woman protesting the epidemic of gun violence in Chicago, would we still be virtually high-fiving the public figure for “checking” a demonstrator? Probably not.
Could the fact that 9 of out 10 voters erroneously think that a federal law is already in place protecting gay and transgender people from workplace discrimination play into people’s lack of sympathy towards Sturtz? Probably.
How we perceive conduct is largely informed by our personal biases and stereotypes — from the no-nonsense black woman to the overly-aggressive LGBT rights activist.
Things are rarely ever black and white, especially when it comes to politics. Sometimes we need to check our assumptions, rest (un)comfortably in the gray, and be okay with there being no clear champion in the ring.
Kimberley McLeod is a D.C.-based media strategist and LGBT advocate. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of ELIXHER, a resource for multidimensional representations of black LGBT women.
