For the last seven years, Chris Johnson, a reporter for the Washington Blade, the oldest LGBTQ paper, has attended every White House holiday for the press. However, just about one week ago, the reporter realized he hadn’t been invited to this year’s celebration.
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“My first reaction was I assumed it must have been an oversight,” Johnson said. In an effort to remedy the situation, Johnson emailed the White House to find out about his invitation. However, he never received an explanation as to why he had not been invited, the Independent reports.
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Johnson is not the only correspondent to be left off the invitation list for the holiday party. White House correspondent April D. Ryan, who has been invited to the party for the past 20 years, was also left off the list this year.
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“I don’t think I was overlooked,” Ryan told the Washington Post. “I think they don’t like me. For whatever reason, they have disdain for me.”
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Johnson didn’t think he was overlooked either, in fact, he said it has happened before.
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“It is consistent with the White House press secretary not calling on me during the on-camera press briefings,” he said, adding that he had only been called twice in the last six months, the publication reports.
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While, Johnson believed he’d been ignored because it is “consistent with the policy of the administration to exclude LGBTQ people,” Ryan, who is black, just said she believes Trump sees her and other reporters of color as “the opposition.”
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Several reporters have confirmed their receipt of an invitation for the party, with one revealing that the paper she worked for received fewer invitations this year. Correspondents from Washington Blade and American Urban Radio Networks said no one from their organizations was invited, The Independent reports. In the meantime, CNN has reportedly decided to boycott the party altogether.
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