Obama makes history again...Obama graces the cover of LGBT-themed OUT magazine

[riversedge]

PoliticalScrutiny101 ?@PoliScrutiny101 2m2 minutes ago

Obama makes history again http://ow.ly/UtlLG


President Barack Obama smiles as he arrives to speak during a Organizing for Action event, on Nov. 9, 2015, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Evan Vucci/AP)
President Barack Obama smiles as he arrives to speak during a Organizing for Action event, on Nov. 9, 2015, in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Evan Vucci/AP



Obama graces the cover of LGBT-themed OUT magazine
11/10/15 09:37 AM
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By Adam Howard

President Barack Obama has been affectionately referred to as the “first gay president,” due to historical LGBT rights achievements during his tenure in the White House, and a new OUT magazine cover story seeks to solidify his image as a champion of equality.

Obama, who is the first sitting president to be photographed for the cover of an LGBT publication, appears on the special OUT 100 issue with the caption: “Our president: Ally. Hero. Icon.”

In addition to gracing the magazine’s cover, Obama participates in a Q&A with OUT, during which he describes what may have been his first encounter with an openly gay person and how his daughters Sasha and Malia represent a new generation that has no tolerance for intolerance.

“To Malia and Sasha and their friends, discrimination in any form against anyone doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t dawn on them that friends who are gay or friends’ parents who are same-sex couples should be treated differently than anyone else. That’s powerful,” Obama said..............................

[riversedge]

1. This happened. For the first time a sitting US President was photographed for a cover of a gay magaz

Congrats to Pres. Obama


@Aaronhicklin

This happened. For the first time a sitting US President was photographed for a cover of a gay magazine.

[LiberalArkie]

2. Out100: President Barack Obama....... NSFW as this might cause an alert at your work location

Yes, there’s work to be done — we are still waiting for Congress to pass comprehensive federal LGBT protections, for a start — but whichever way you look at it, this president and his administration have ushered extraordinary change into the lives of LGBT Americans. For someone who at first seemed coy, even awkward, on the subject, President Obama’s evolution on marriage equality has been something to behold. He came to office reiterating that marriage was an institution reserved for a man and a woman, and continued to hold that line throughout most of his first term, even while advancing other important legislation, including the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Other signal achievements included an order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, passage of the first federal LGBT law in the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, encouraging the end to a ban on transgender military service, and the ongoing effort to create a more diverse judiciary. His nomination of Eric Fanning to be secretary of the Army, if successful, will make him the first openly gay head of a military branch.

Yet even as polls suggested that a growing majority of Americans supported same-sex unions, many of us were losing faith that the president would join their ranks. His public conversion, when it came on May 9, 2012, telegraphed just how far the country had moved, and was one that had the encouragement of two important women in his life: the first lady and his senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett. It took a few more years for the president to agree that marriage equality was a constitutional matter, rather than one left up to the states, but by November 2012, Americans were electing the nation’s first pro-gay marriage president. It was an extraordinary contrast to eight years earlier, when President Bush exploited fears of gay marriage to help secure a second term.

From that moment, the wind has been in our sails. Obama’s re-election was followed by two Supreme Court decisions in June 2013: United States v. Windsor, which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, and Hollingsworth v. Perry, which led to the annulling of California’s Proposition 8. In March this year, as the Supreme Court prepared to hear arguments on Obergefell v. Hodges, lawyers for the Justice Department filed a brief arguing that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, likening them to prohibitions on interracial marriage.

When he was sworn in on January 20, 2009, there were two states where same-sex marriage was legal. Today it is a right nationwide. Many share credit for what has transpired, but there’s no question that without the active engagement of the 44th president of the United States, who has made securing the rights of LGBT Americans a fundamental part of his legacy, we’d still be working to fulfill that dream. On this issue, among many others, he is truly a great American.

Snip

Note: Full interview follows.
http://www.out.com/out100-2015/2015/11/10/out100-president-barack-obama-ally-year

[one_voice]

4. K&R

[lame54]

5. The 2nd Black President and the First Gay President - not bad

[trumad]

6. My history is a little shakey

Who was the first black president...

[lame54]

7. Bill Clinton

[Hekate]

8. Thank you for bringing this here. I would've missed it otherwise....

My faith in President Obama's achievements is once again affirmed.

[riversedge]

11. :-)

[Volaris]

24. I agree.

In terms of social justice (and in a way that only he could convey, racial equality), he is the equal AT LEAST of Lyndon Johnson.

My opinion of his opinion of Constitutional matters and Executive Power are another matter for another thread, but I will concede that as long as Congress is going to continue to enable the Imperial Presidency, he has the Executive Right to use that Power as he sees fit, whether I agree with his decisions or not.

[ismnotwasm]

9. This, is awesome

Truly historic!

[DippyDem]

10. That pix is very nice.

Its one of the best pictures Ive seen. Very presidential quality.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. There was also this a few years back.

[Skittles]

14. heh

"Slugging it out over gay votes"

[Skittles]

13. OUTSTANDING

[63splitwindow]

15. Courage personified. Thank You Mr. President!

Because he very well knows how the disgusting right will try to overtly, covertly, crudely and by stomach turning sneaky insinuation attempt to smear him with this.

[Number23]

16. "Our President. Ally. Hero. Icon" Those are incredibly powerful and strong words

K&R

[hopemountain]

17. a headline straight from the heart ~

we don't often get to see that.

[Recursion]

18. That's a good picture (nt)

[lovemydog]

19. Best progressive President in my lifetime.

Thanks especially to those who fought for this when it was unpopular. And keep fighting for social and economic justice every day.

[hughee99]

20. He's come a long way from before the 2012 election

Where the community was talking about not donating because he hadn't been responsive to LGTB issues. I think the phrase some were saying was "the GAYtm is closed".

[Ms. Toad]

22. And some of us have long enough memories

to be a bit disgusted at the amount of credit he is being given for the recent changes that were won on the backs of individuals who publicy, in large and small ways, who risked lives, livelihoods, family, community, and faith connections to say, "No. I will not be a second class citizen."

Yes, I am grateful he finally came around - but the courage it took for him to surf the wave pales in comparison to the courage (not to mention costs, in all of the ways mentioned above, that it took for all of us to be that wave.

Our own personal costs (just a few):
Job loss x 2
8 years of personal attacks while we wrestled with our faith community over marriage
At last $10,000 extra paid in taxes
Accepting Medicaid for our child, since she could not be put on my spouse's health insurance
A failed adoption case - In addition to exposing our family to the public, it created bad law that for 17 years prevented other same gender couples in our state from creating a legal relationship with their children. The emotional consequences of being the catalyst for that law are hard to measure.
The daily stress of living openly for more than 3 decades, with absolutely no job, family, or personal protection from those who would do us harm solely because of who we are.

Yes, when it was clear the wave was nearing shore (and his personal connections changed his heart), Obama jumped on the wave - and did a fantastic job of being a significant public face riding it ashore.

But, the pain of being unable to enjoy the inauguration of a president I worked to elect because he chose to share the stage with a flaming bigot, and continued to say for years after that that marriage was between one man and one woman? I'm not ready for a coronation.

[hughee99]

23. You said this much better than I would have. n/t

[mountain grammy]

21. Considering where he started, quite an accomplishment.

I just want to know why the fight for equality has to be an actual bloody battle, littered with broken bones and broken hearts. What part of "justice for all" means only a few, and why are those few so surprised and then outraged when other citizens also demand justice and equality? Rights for me, not for thee.
From the labor rights, to civil rights, to women's rights, to LGBT rights, every single one has been a war against the accepted norms of a twisted notion of freedom, and none can yet be considered successful.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

25. I agree. He's come a long way.

for which I'm very grateful.