Rose Montoya, who identifies as a transgender woman, responded to criticism after being featured outside the White House topless during a Saturday Pride event.
“It has recently come to my attention that conservatives are trying to use the video of me topless at the White House to try to call the community ‘groomers,'” Montoya said, noting women revealing their breasts in public is legal in Washington, D.C.
The transgender activist said they support “freeing the nipple,” a campaign which alleges inconsistencies between men and women appearing topless in public.
“Why is my chest now deemed inappropriate or illegal when I show it off,” Montoya continued. “However, before coming out as trans, it was not?”
“All you’re doing is affirming that I am a woman.”
@rosemontoya Free the nipple #trans
“All you’re doing is saying that trans women are women,” Montoya continued. “Because for some reason, people like to sexualize women’s bodies and say they’re inappropriate.”
The transgender activist noted fellow transgender-identifying people, who were born biological women, were displaying their mastectomy scars outside the White House.
“I wanted to join them,” Montoya said. “I decided to join them, and cover my nipples just to play it safe.”
“I wanted to be fully free, and myself.”
Montoya said the transgender activist had “zero intention” in appearing vulgar or profane by appearing topless.
“I was simply living in joy,” Montoya said. “Living my truth, and existing in my body.”
The transgender activist highlighted the Saturday Pride event in a TikTok video.
@rosemontoya I had the honor of attending White House Pride, the largest one in history where the pride flag flew for the first time. This is trans joy. We’re here at the white house unapologetically trans, queer, and brown 💕 #foryourpride #pridemonth #whitehouse #potus #flotus #dcpride #trans #transjoy #lgbt
“Happy Pride month,” President Biden says on stage in Montoya’s video. “Happy Pride year. Happy Pride life.”
Montoya is later featured posing with fellow attendees including notable transgender-identifying activist Jazz Jennings.
President Biden received backlash for hosting the Pride event at the White House.
“Imagine if Jenna Jameson did this at a Trump event at the White House,” said one user of the event, speculating that the adult film actress appearing at the White House would be the “top story on the evening news.”
Columnist Karol Markowicz echoed the user’s sentiment.
“If a Republican president befouled the White House like this there would be a dozen think pieces from conservatives about how wrong it is,” she said. “Where are the sane liberals calling this disgusting behavior out? Stop hiding under your beds.”
“Liberals actually love that conservatives are fighting the gender wars for them,” Markowicz continued. “They escape the in-fighting while knowing that things have gone way too far, biological men shouldn’t compete in women’s sports, and fingers crossed the right wins this one.”
Critics also noted the event featured the progress pride flag draped in between two American Flags outside the White House, which one user claimed to be a violation of the American flag code.
