Obama embraces gay, lesbian supporters at fundraiser

Source: Washington Post

Barely a month after declaring his support for same-sex marriage in a widely promoted television interview, President Obama offered a public embrace to gay supporters at a fundraiser Wednesday.

Following remarks by comedian Ellen DeGeneres and a performance by “Glee” star Darren Criss, who plays a gay student on the Fox television series, Obama walked onstage at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and had to plead with his audience to sit down after a long ovation and chants of “Four more years!” Screens on each side of the stage displayed huge “Obama Pride” logos.

“The fight on behalf of the LGBT community is part of a broader fight on behalf of all Americans,” Obama said. “It’s a part of a history of trying to make this union a bit more perfect.”

Gay supporters have been a pillar of Obama’s fundraising strength; about one in six of his top campaign “bundlers,” who amass contributions from others, is gay, according to a Washington Post analysis. But, despite the president’s role in repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” they also have been impatient with his self-described ”evolution” on gay marriage. Wednesday represented Obama’s first major outreach to gay and lesbian supporters since he declared that he is now for gay marriage.

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