The Gist

Obama Gives Advocate Interview

Barack Obama has given a wide-ranging interview on LGBT issues to the Advocate. It was obviously damage control after not speaking to the gay press for so long -- and getting criticized for it recently -- but I was impressed with a lot of what he to say nonetheless. He's thought a lot about the issues, and doesn't shy away from comparing LGBT issues to issues facing other groups, including African Americans.

Even on the issues that have been contentious and on which I don't agree with him -- marriage, Donnie McClurkin -- I thought he handled himself well and gave detailed responses. Interesting how he notes that it was not a president that changed the laws on inter-racial marriage -- it was the Supreme Court -- and on trans-inclusion of ENDA he is saying that he'll try but can't promise it with Congress the way it is right now. These answers will likely anger a lot of people, but others might say they'd rather he be honest about what he can do and what might be harder than to promise the moon and not deliver. He clearly doesn't have an issue with marriage for gays -- like Hillary Clinton -- but is afraid to come out and say so, and is basically telling us: I understand what you have to do; please understand I have to do.

On McClurkin, an issue that I think kept him from talking to the gay press, he still pushes this idea that you have to "reach out" to people, which begs the question of why we don't accept reaching out to racists or other bigots. Clearly he doesn't want to admit the whole McClurkin thing was a disaster. Still, at least he has finally given a longer interview on all the issues to a gay reporter, and he pointed to his talking about gay rights as an example of his commitment to the issue. We shall see. And of course, we'll be discussing this on the show today.


UPDATE: It dawned on me that Obama's position on a trans-inclusive ENDA -- that we might not be able to get it -- just might be about giving cover to Ted Kennedy, a major supporter and a man who is about to introduce the trans-free ENDA in the Senate. It would have been easy for Obama to simply promise to try for an inclusive bill as president, without adding that we might not get it.