Tuesday, our future First Lady, Michelle Obama, spoke to the LGBT Caucus at the Democratic convention. I’ve loved this woman since we were first introduced to the Obamas, but it gave me goose bumps to listen to a potential first lady speak so intelligently on gay issues. Can you imagine Laura Bush or Cindy McCain even saying the term “LGBT?” If you’re not yet convinced that Barack Obama is supportive enough of gay issues, I think the fact that he and Michelle actually acknowledge that we exist is a hell of an improvement over the alternative.
I’ve been a fan of Barack Obama for a while now. I, like many others, was first introduced to the man when he gave an amazing speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention. Having been a Howard Dean supporter, and being a little disappointed that our party was sending John Kerry into battle with W, I relished the possibility that the man could run for president in 2012—or sooner, should the absolute worst happen and Bush be re-elected.
Well, sooner it was, and I’m so glad to be supporting Obama in 2008. It also happens to be national pride month, so I was inspired to show my love for two these two aspects of my life of which I’m very proud. I doubt there’s anyone in the U.S. with internet access who hasn’t yet been to BarackObama.com, so I’ve linked the logo to Obama Pride, the great sub-site for the Obama campaign’s LGBT outreach. With the recent victories for gay families in California and the Democrats’ chances in November, I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to be a gay American.
The Obama campaign will be holding a national LGBT conference call on Friday to “give a status report of our campaign as a whole, discuss LGBT policy, provide suggestions for how you can be involved and answer questions and hear your concerns.” Sounds like a great opportunity to learn more about the campaign as we head into the general election season, and a nice bit of outreach by the Obama campaign to the gay community.
