Jill Biden’s swing through Southern California: Fundraisers, protesters and a stop at SoulCycle
Election 2024
Faith E. Pinho March 25, 2024
Championing President Bidens support for the LGBTQ community and womens health, First Lady Jill Biden took a swing through Southern California over the weekend, amid dueling protests over the presidents handling of the Middle East conflict.
Almost as soon as she landed in Los Angeles, Biden faced protesters, who stood outside the Hancock Park home
where she held a for her
Friday night fundraiser, carrying posters of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas and chanting, “Bring them home.”
The next day, protesters
supporting
Palestinians stood outside the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, where Biden was scheduled to speak, holding up signs calling for a cease-fire and
condemningblasting
the Human Rights Campaign for taking funding from companies they deemed
responsible for genocide
.
It wasnt long before a protest erupted behind the hotel doors, too. Just after Biden began speaking to a crowd of LGBTQ leaders and allies, a loud voice cried out, Dr. Biden, Im a queer Jew calling for immediate and permanent cease-fire. Soon, others unfurled banners and began chanting, “Cease fire now.”
Their calls were soon drowned out by a dueling chant: Four more years.
The first lady stood at the lectern, her lips pursed in a small, tight smile, while security guards escorted and, in at least one case, dragged protesters out. Once the room was emptied of chanting, Biden began again.
Good evening, everyone, she said, to laughter and applause. I have to say, you really look fabulous!
Its not a great feeling to be part of something thats getting protested, said Sylvie Shiell-Loomis, 23, of the protesters outside the hotel. I think that they have the right intentions. I think its kind of misguided. Were all gathered here for the same reason that theyre gathered. They want human rights.
Jacob Tobia said they are usually among the
throng of
protesters disrupting the event. But they chose to attend the Human Rights Campaign dinner, wearing a Palestinian flag draped from their shoulder. Once they saw the speaker list, Tobia thought, Well, Im at least gonna have to wear a little something.
I think its vital that as a queer and trans movement, we are able to hold political tension internally within our own movement, Tobia said. And that looks like being really clear about where you stand on issues like genocide.
Biden continued her speech without acknowledging the disruption, repeating her oft-used anecdote about her first date with
President
Biden then a senator from Delaware who showed up to her door in a suit and loafers.
And I thought, Thank God, it’s only one date, she said to laughter from attendees. Well, one date eventually turned into a marriage proposal.
In a 15-minute speech, she touted the administrations efforts to protect LGBTQ rights and warned, without naming former President Trump, that the MAGA extremists are seeking to erase these hard-fought gains.
History teaches us that democracies dont disappear overnight. They disappear slowly, subtly, silently. A book ban, a court decision, a ‘dont say gay’ law, she said. One group of people loses their rights, and then another and then another. Until one morning you wake up and you no longer live in a democracy.
The first lady began her weekend Friday evening in Hancock Park with a political fundraiser hosted by Dr. Patricia Gordon, a radiation oncologist and founder of a Beverly Hills nonprofit for the prevention of cervical cancer. She
then
flew to Rancho Mirage on Saturday for another brief fundraiser, where she ticked off the administrations work to curb climate change, decrease inflation and address conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Tickets to the invite-only event Saturday asked for donations from $1,000 to $100,000. The Biden campaign has raked in cash, reaching $155 million, according to latest campaign reports far more than the Trump campaign, which held $36.6 million in cash at the end of January.
On Sunday morning, Biden and her Secret Service entourage
caused a stir going into a
SoulCycle, where the first lady cycled away
on a back row in the back
, behind rows of the Brentwood studio regulars.
Biden
rounded out her visit to SoCal on Monday, joining actor Halle Berry onstage at the Getty Center before an audience of hundreds of Hollywood creators. The two chatted about womens health, giving Biden an opportunity to tout the administrations $12-billion investment in research.
They told all of us, everybody, get on hormone therapy because this is going to help you and it prevents breast cancer, she said. And then like two years later, they were like, no, everybody get off hormone therapy, because now its supposed to cause breast cancer. So we were so confused.
Biden said she went to her gynecologist for advice, but the doctor instead asked her what shed like to do.
And I said, what do you mean what would I like to do? Youre the doctor! Biden said, as the audience laughed. And, so that was my aha moment, because she had no answers. And thats the problem we dont have answers.
After her whirlwind SoCal tour, organizers Monday said, Biden headed back to Washington to teach her regular English class.Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.
