Transgender advocate Rose Montoya is no longer welcome at White House events after posting on social media a video of herself and two others going topless for a time at Saturday\u2019s Pride Month celebration on the South Lawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe behavior was simply unacceptable,\u201d White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. \u201cIt was unfair to the hundreds of attendees who were there to celebrate their families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking at the White House press briefing, Jean-Pierre said, \u201cIndividuals in the video certainly will not be invited to future events.\u201d The White House spokeswoman said the bare-chested display \u201cwas not a normal thing that has happened under this administration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Joe Biden hosted the event to show the administration\u2019s support of the LGBTQ+ community. There has recently been a push by some Republican leaders at the state level to restrict drag shows and limit the options for youth who are seeking to transition their genders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biden said Saturday that he had a message for the entire community, but especially for transgender children: \u201cYou are loved. You are heard. You\u2019re understood. And you belong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parts of his speech appeared in the video posted on social media by Montoya, whose Instagram biography identifies her as an educator, model and actor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Montoya defended her post on Instagram and Twitter, saying that \u201cgoing topless in Washington, DC is legal and I fully support the movement in freeing the nipple.\u201d She said critics of her toplessness affirmed that she is, in fact, a woman, as a man would not face similar pushback. She said she had \u201czero intention of trying to be vulgar or be profane in anyway,\u201d adding that she covered her nipples with her hands in the video \u201cjust to play it safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n