Why GetEQUAL’s heckling of Michelle Obama backfired

[dlwickham]

The heckling of Michelle Obama by GetEQUAL protester Ellen Sturtz at a private fundraiser is an unfortunate example of why the relationship between black and white feminists is strained. The optics of a white woman protester yelling during the First Lady’s speech was meant to put pressure on the White House for an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT employees, an order President Obama refused to sign more than a year ago.

What it accomplished was bringing the inherent sense of privilege and racial insensitivity of groups like GetEQUAL to the forefront. Code Pink co-founder (and recent presidential interrupter) Medea Benjamin expressed her thoughts about how the First Lady should have addressed the protester:

Medea Benjamin @medeabenjamin

. @MichelleObama should have been coached, long ago, on how to deal diplomatically w people who stand up to protest govt policies.

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/06/07/why-getequals-heckling-of-michelle-obama-backfired/

[monmouth3]

1. The First Lady responded very diplomatically IMO. Media Benjamin should take her own

advice and get some coaching on how not to be a pain the a$$...

[dlwickham]

2. Media Benjamin

I like that

she's never met a TV camera she didn't like

[monmouth3]

4. HA! I think I'll leave it. I usually misspelled words but you're right, it works..LOL..n/t

[geek tragedy]

3. Medea Benjamin is an asshat, and that whitesplainin' tweet

is painful to read.

Then again, this is a woman who also was proud to "Stand with Rand" and do photo ops with the Taliban . . .

[all american girl]

5. As a white women, this was just rude. You don't heckle the first lady.

She is not the politician, but the spouse. Would any of you want to be yelled at because of what your partner did or didn't do? I think not. And yes I would say this if Laura Bush if she was giving a talk about reading, and someone yelled at her about her husbands war crap.

[kimbutgar]

6. Medea Benjamin is an extreme leftist who gives progressives a bad name

Just as the tea baggers are the extreme right. There are excessive people on both sides. I respect Medea though for having the courage to speak out but she should do it in a more civil manner. At least she doesn't want people to get sick and hungry and die in the street like the tea baggers. She does care about others besides herself as opposed to those on the extreme right. But her embrace of Rand Paul makes me want to puke. You got too far to the left and too far to the right you end up meeting each other in bizarre ways.

[GeorgeGist]

7. If not for uppity women ...

Michelle Obama would probably still be riding the bus.

[Downtown Hound]

8. God, get over it.

She got heckled. It happens in politics. Get on with your lives.

[boilerbabe]

9. "backfired" is in the eye of the beholder.

I thought it was eye opening in regards to how her supporters went into COMPLETE MELTDOWN. i had no problems with her getting in the hecklers face i just find it bizarre how hysterical her devoted fans became over it like she should be somehow exempt for whatever reason. like she is above it or special. it was a POLItICAL fund raiser so i find the she isnt an elected official excuse weak.