Video has emerged of First lady Michelle Obama facing off with a heckler who interrupted her speech at the Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Washington, DC Tuesday night.
The story of how Mrs. Obama handled a gay rights activist went viral Wednesday, sparking bipartisan support for the First Lady's bold actions across the Internet. According to the New York Times, the Mrs. Obama was about 12 minutes into her 20-minute speech when a woman "at the front of a crowd of about 200 people began shouting for President Obama to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity." In response, the FLOTUS threatened to leave the fundraiser if the gay rights activist didn't pipe down.
"I don't care what you believe, wait, wait, wait. One of the things, one of things I don't do well is this," Obama said. "Listen to me or you can take the mic. But I'm leaving. You all decide. You have one choice."
According to a White House pool report of the event, she then left the lectern, moved toward the protester and said the person could either, quote, "listen to me or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving."
As the crowd started shouting for Obama to stay, the protester was escorted out of the event and could be heard shouting that she was a "lesbian looking for federal equality before I die," states the NYT.
The Washington Post quotes one witnesses saying that the first lady confronted the protester "eye-to-eye."
The heckler was later identified as Ellen Sturtz, an organizer with GetEqual, a national social justice organization fighting for the full equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.
Watch the video footage below.
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