Obama gave an Interview to the LGBT magazine.
By Sreejith Vallikunnu
Barack Obama again creates history by becoming the first sitting US president to appear on the cover of an LGBT publication.
LGBT magazine called ‘Out’ has featured Obama on its cover for his support and work in securing marriage equality to the community in the US.
“The 44th President of the United States is our Ally of the Year – a president who came to office on a wave of euphoria, appeared to lose momentum halfway through, and has since rallied, helping us secure marriage equality, among other landmark initiatives that are transforming our place in America,” the editors of ‘Out’ wrote in an article accompanying the cover.
The publishers added, “This is the first time a sitting president has been photographed for the cover of an LGBT title, a historic moment in itself, and a statement on how much his administration has done to advance a singularly volatile issue that tarnished the reputations of both President Clinton and President Bush.”
“It might have tarnished this president, too, but for his late-hour conversion in 2012, which set the stage for the extraordinary succession of events that led to this year’s Supreme Court ruling, on June 26, making it unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to wed.”
They described that when Obama’s administration decided to join the fight for recognition and equality, it created what people like to call a “transformative” moment. It helped tip the balance, and it put our elected leader on the right side of justice.
He gave an Interview to the magazine in which he touched on various influences on his relationship with the LGBT community, both before and after taking the office.
While asked about his initiatives for the LGBT community, Obama said, “this really goes back to when I was a kid, because my mom instilled in me the strong belief that every person is of equal worth. At the same time, growing up as a black guy with a funny name, I was often reminded of exactly what it felt like to be on the outside.”
“One of the reasons I got involved in politics was to help deliver on our promise that we’re all created equal, and that no one should be excluded from the American dream just because of who they are. That’s why, in the Senate, I supported repealing DOMA [the Defense of Marriage Act]. It’s why, when I ran for president the first time, I publicly asked for the support of the LGBT community, and promised that we could bring about real change for LGBT Americans,” he added.