Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, spoke on Sunday at what was billed as a Rainbow Seder celebration “through an LGBTQ lens.”
The Times of Israel reported the theme of the Seder was “Renewal and Resistance: a Journey Towards Liberation,” which included a “specially commissioned Haggadah coupling the story of Passover with the history of the LGBTQ movement, focusing on the progress it has made in the 13 years since the National Rainbow Seder was founded.” The Times continued:
Emhoff, alongside being the first-ever second gentleman of the United States, is also the first Jewish spouse of a vice president.
No Jews have been elected to the first or second highest office in the U.S., though Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, who converted before marrying Jared Kushner, made history as the first Jewish member of a first family.
Join us for the Virtual National Rainbow Seder, hosted by @HRC, @IsraelinUSA, @E_DCJCC & @BetMish. Known in @Israel as the holiday of spring & freedom, this Passover celebration reflects the #LGBTQ community's journey to equality & liberation.
To register: https://t.co/0XiYfZQxXj pic.twitter.com/3nEnhjr2N3— Elad Strohmayer (@EladStr) March 21, 2021
In his remarks, Emhoff called the virtual Seder an “incredibly meaningful gathering.”
He said while it is an ancient tale of the history of the Jews it also is “an entirely contemporary story about the ongoing struggle for freedom and justice in an all-too-often broken world.”
“This narrative rings loud and true for all attending the Rainbow Seder tonight,” Emhoff said.
Emhoff said despite the “progress” for gay rights “the promise of liberty and equality for all LGBTQ individuals remains a crucial struggle in our nation today.”
Emhoff said this is particularly true for transgender people.
Emhoff said the Biden Administration is already showing his commitment to this cause by allowing people to serve in the U.S. military according to their “gender identity” rather than biological sex, and by nominating Rachel Levine, a male to female transgender doctor, as the assistant secretary of health at HHS. He also touted the appointment of Pete Buttigieg, a married gay man, as the secretary of transportation.
But, there is “so much more work to do” Emhoff said, pledging that next year they would be “celebrating new advances in the fight for equality.”
Emhoff gave up his job as a sports and entertainment lawyer based in Los Angeles to focus on his duties as the vice president’s husband. According to the White House website, Emhoff “will devote his time to the causes of justice, equality, and human rights.”
The Times reported that during her first three years as California Attorney General Harris gave nothing to charity but gave “tens of thousands” after marrying Emhoff in 2014. In 2019, Harris and Emhoff donated 1.1 percent of their over $3 million income to charity according to Breitbart News.
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter or send news tips to pstarr@breitbart.com
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