Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton joked during the City Council meeting Thursday evening that she came prepared Wednesday afternoon with a list of city projects that need funding when she was invited to the White House. There was no word whether President Joe Biden received the list.
Driving the news: Middleton was one of 200 LGBTQ leaders from throughout the nation who were invited to a Pride Month ceremony at the White House. During the event, the President and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden made remarks, as did a Miami student instrumental in leading protests against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
- Biden signed an executive order on “preventing and combatting discrimination against LGBTQI+ Americans” during a subsequent ceremony.
Zoom in: Middleton said being able to meet with the President’s domestic affairs staff was particularly valuable. During the meeting, several mayors got a chance to speak about “simple mayor stuff” such as infrastructure.
- “In this day and age, mayors in some cities of the United States don’t have the luxury of just focusing on these issues,” she acknowledged.
But wait: The fact the invite coincided with her birthday “was totally and completely coincidental,” she said. What wasn’t coincidental, however, was greater appreciation for Palm Springs that she walked away with.
- “Thank you for making this a community that the entire nation wants to look like,” she said, addressing city residents.
