Chip Arndt on his visit to The White House

It’s been a long time now since Chip Arndt won CBS’ Amazing Race with his then partner Reichen Lehmkuhl. Chip is now a very busy political activist and was among the LGBT leaders invited to The White House this week for the reception in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion.

I just got an email from Chip alerting me to a message he’s posted on Facebook about the event and I want to share some excerpts because I know that Chip has been quite vocal in recent months about President Obama’s lack of action on key LGBT issues. In this post on his Facebook page, he answers any questions people may have about the event:

The event at the White House on Monday was historic, in that it included over 200 LGBT people, many of whom brought their partners, family, and kids and it honored the public beginning of the “gay” civil rights movement – the Stonewall Riots 40 years ago.

Were all of the leaders of the LGBT community there? No. Should they have been there? Probably. If they came would I have been invited? I don’t know. Did I show up to be starry-eyed? No. Did I enjoy the food and being treated as a “special guest” in one of the most stunning buildings in the world, which is occupied by one of the most powerful leaders in the free world? Yes. Did I attend the event to let the President, and his staff, know that “today” is the right time to pass important pieces of legislation to protect and stand up for ALL citizens of the USA? Yes.

Was I respectful of being in the presence of the President and being allowed to roam two floors of the White House freely with two of my transgender friends and “the Father of the “gay” movement”, Frank Kameny (pictured with Chip), for over two hours? Yes. [Note: Has that ever happened in the history of the USA? Not that I know of and does this last point mean that I am done with pushing our President and members of Congress for LGBT rights TODAY? Of course not.]

Do I think that our presence at the White House for the entire world to see was important? Yes. Do I think that those who attended the White House event are more or less important than other LGBT leaders, activists, and any other LGBT citizen in the USA? No. Do I believe that we have work to do? Yes. Am I happy that we don’t know “when” the President will really act on behalf of LGBT issues and that he has a different time-line for equality than I do? Of course not.

Has he moved on helping remove barriers for people who are HIV+ to enter the USA freely? Yes. Does this matter? Yes. Did he speak to and or provide satisfactory resolutions to every issue important to the LGBT community? No. Did he publicly and on record come out as no other President has ever before to advance a comprehensive LGBT platform of issues? Yes. Does this matter? Yes. Is it fast enough? No. Should we be angry and push harder? Yes.

And finally, do I believe that several pieces of LGBT legislation will be passed as soon as “I” would like to see them passed? No…and I will not give up trying. I also will not give up on speaking up and showing up at every event I can to send this one simple message to anyone present — Civil and Human Rights are not negotiable and the LGBT community deserves to be treated as equal citizens across the board, NOW; there is no right time for being treated as a dignified citizen of the USA but for today.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Would I have posted Chip’s comments were he not so handsome? Yes!