Hundreds of LGBT
parents hoping to take their families to the annual
White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday began lining up Friday
evening to make sure they'd get tickets for the event.
Thousands of tickets--an estimated 16,000 last
year--are given away on a first-come, first-serve
basis beginning at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
National Park
Service officials said Wednesday that any family may attend
as long as there is at least one child 7 years of
age or younger and no more than two adults per
group. There was no word on Saturday on exactly how
many gay families received tickets.
First Lady Laura
Bush's office issued a statement saying all families are
welcome to attend. "I don't think this is a protest," said
Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the LGBT group
Family Pride Coalition, in reference to the expected
show of force of gay families from around the country.
"Showing up, participating fully in an American
tradition, showing Americans that we do exist, that in our
minds isn't a protest."
But some have
said the group is playing politics. "I think it's
inappropriate to use a children's event to make a political
statement," said Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion
and Democracy.
The parents say
they will not carry signs or chant slogans but will wear
rainbow-colored leis as a unifying symbol. "The message is
that gay and lesbian families are everywhere in this
country," said Chrisler. "We care about the same
things that all parents care about: providing our
children with every opportunity and every experience
possible."
The egg roll has
been a Washington tradition since the mid-19th century.
Children use spoons to push colored eggs through the grass
in a race. Past events have included petting zoos and
White House staff members wearing bunny costumes. The
president sometimes makes a brief appearance, and the
first lady often reads a story. The White House has not
announced plans for this year. (AP)
