On the Road in Minneapolis: Focus on All Families

Since taking office, President Obama and his Administration have taken significant steps to ensure the health, safety, and equality of families that are headed by or include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.  For example, the Department of Labor has expanded the Family and Medical Leave Act to include children of domestic partners and the Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidance to ensure hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients at hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid.
               
Last month, the White House Office of Public Engagement partnered with the Family Equality Council to host the White House LGBT Conference on Families in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Obama Administration officials joined individuals and families from Minnesota and across the country for the half-day event.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart Delery (left) and ACF Commissioner Bryan Samuels speak at the White House LGBT Conference on Families, April 28, 2012 in Minneapolis, MN (Photo courtesy of Family Equality Council).

The conference included keynote sessions by Stuart Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division at the Department of Justice, and Bryan Samuels, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services.  The conference also included panel sessions featuring Obama Administration officials from the Departments of Labor, Justice, Health and Human Services, Education and the Office of Personnel Management.

View archived video of the conference

Gautam Raghavan is an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement.