First Black gay woman made senior presidential advisor

Karine Jean-Pierre can add “senior advisor to the president” to her list of achievements.

On Monday, ABC News announced that the White House Press Secretary was elevated to this position within the Biden administration. Jean-Pierre, who, according to ‘LGBTQ Nation’, is the first Black woman and openly LGBTQ+ individual to occupy the role of White House Press Secretary, will maintain her duties in this capacity until the conclusion of President Joe Biden’s term.

“Karine has been a trusted advisor to the President and all of us here at the White House since day one,” said White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. “Her counsel will be critical to get as much done as possible for the American people in the coming months.”

Jean-Pierre succeeded former press secretary Jen Psaki in 2022. Prior to that, she functioned as deputy press secretary under Psaki and served as Vice President Kamala Harris’s chief of staff during her 2020 presidential campaign. She was also involved in former President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

In a 2022 statement, President Biden remarked that he and First Lady Jill Biden have “known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration.”

A White House representative conveyed to ABC News this week that Jean-Pierre’s elevation reflects the president’s trust in her and his dedication to having diverse and multigenerational voices offering guidance in his decision-making.

This development should finally dispel rumours circulated by the New York Post earlier this year, alleging dissatisfaction with Jean-Pierre’s performance and efforts to replace her within the Biden administration.

In April, the Post cited several unnamed White House staff claiming the administration had been attempting to convince Jean-Pierre to resign, with support from both Zients and Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn to have her removed.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates described these rumours as “wildly false.”

“The reality is the polar opposite,” Bates stated at the time. “Karine was never approached by anyone with such a message. She spends four hours preparing every day. And neither Jeff nor Anita did any such thing; both have been unflinchingly supportive of her.” He further questioned the focus on Jean-Pierre, emphasising she is the first Black woman and openly queer individual to serve in this role.

Zients, on the other hand, expressed in a statement that “the president and everyone in the White House deeply values Karine — she is an incredibly talented communicator and trusted advisor who keeps a cool head in any crisis and always has your back.”

“We are fortunate to have her on the core team advancing the president’s historic agenda every day,” Zients added.

“It’s not lost on me what my presence at the podium behind that lectern means,” Jean-Pierre mentioned in an April interview with The Advocate. “Being a first in many different ways, I’m an immigrant, I’m a queer Black woman, a person of color, and it is incredibly a heavy weight that I understand is important to carry with respect and understanding.”

“Representation matters and it is important to have that representation,” she concluded, “but showing up also matters. Showing up for myself, showing up for my colleagues, showing up for little boys and girls, young people who are trying to figure out who they are and looking at me and saying, well, maybe I can do this even if they feel unsafe.”