From CapitolBeatOK Staff Report

Oklahoma state Representative Al McAffrey received an invitation from President and Mrs. Obama to attend a White House reception on Monday. As The City Sentinel went to press, McAffrey was preparing for the event.

The reception remembered the 40^th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. “Commemorating this event in the White House sends an important message on how far we’ve come since that historic day in 1969,” McAffrey said. “Yet, it also reminds us how far we’ve yet to go.” McAffrey expressed regret that traveling to Washington on Sunday kept him from marching in the annual Oklahoma City Gay Pride Parade that evening.

“This will be the first Pride Parade I’ve missed in several years,” McAffrey, a Democrat who represents much of Midtown Oklahoma City, said in a statement sent to The City Sentinel.

Named for the Stonewall Inn, a bar in New York City that was the site of a violent police raid on June 28, 1969, the raid led to a series of protests that engendered the establishment of advocacy groups to empower gay Americans to fight for civil rights recognition.

“I’m thrilled that the President thought of me and extended this invitation,” McAffrey said. “The events that night at Stonewall have been the bedrock of LGBT activism in our country and I’m honored to celebrate LGBT achievements at the White House.” The reception was slated for the White House on Monday, June 29.

Shin Inouye, a White House spokesman, said the event was “a chance for the White House to recognize the accomplishments of LGBT Americans. Invited guests include families, volunteers and activists, and community leaders. This event was long planned as a way to applaud these individuals during Pride month.”

“I’m looking forward to attending this historic event,” McAffrey said. “I’m truly grateful for the President’s invitation and look forward to sharing this experience with him and the First Lady.”