The White House has condemned a trans activist who went topless at Joe Biden’s Pride Month event after a video of the South Lawn stunt went viral.
Rose Montoya, a trans model, appeared in the “inappropriate and disrespectful” video with others and will not be invited to any future events, according to a White House statement.
“This behavior is inappropriate and disrespectful for any event at the White House. It is not reflective of the event we hosted to celebrate LGBTQI+ families or the other hundreds of guests who were in attendance. Individuals in the video will not be invited to future events,” the statement read.
Montoya, a TikTok influencer, posted the video from Saturday’s event showing her and another transgender activist baring their chests on the South Lawn with the White House behind them.
She also posted a video in which she interacted with the president, saying “It’s an honour, Mr President. Trans rights are human rights.”
Ms Montoya later said in another TikTok video that being topless was “legal” in Washington DC.
“I fully support the movement and freeing the nipple,” Ms Montoya said. “My trans masculine friends were showing off their top surgery scars and living in joy, and I wanted to join them. And because it is perfectly within the law of Washington, DC I decided to join them and cover my nipples just to play it safe.”
And she added: “I had zero intention of trying to be vulgar or be profane in any way. I was simply living my joy, and my truth, and existing in my body.”
