Obama poses for “Out Magazine’s” OUT100 cover

Out Magazine scored a coup by getting President Barack Obama to pose for their OUT100 issue. He is the first sitting President to do so. The cover declares Obama as “Ally. Hero. Icon.”

On its website, Out.com, the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Hicklin, wrote, “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.

“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,” he said.

The President also sat down for an extensive interview with Hicklin, who writes in an introduction to the interview, “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.”

Asked when he first realized that LGBT equality would be a key focus of his administration, the President instead looked back to his childhood, saying, “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.”

Obama noted the changing attitudes, in particular those of the younger generation. He said, “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.”

He also noted the attitude shift across America, as marriage equality became a major issue, going to the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges. “Even before the decision came down, one thing was clear: There had been a remarkable attitude shift — in hearts and minds — across America. The ruling reflected that. It reflected our values as a nation founded on the principle that we are all created equal.”

Hicklin as what moved the President to include Stonewall in his 2013 inauguration speech, a move that “delighted the LGBT community.”

“Part of being American is having a responsibility to stand up for freedom — not just our own freedom, but for everybody’s freedom. Our individual stories come together to make one large American story. Just like Seneca Falls is part of the American story, and Selma is part of the American story, Stonewall is part of the American story, and I thought it was important to say so,” Obama responded.

National Public Radio, on its website NPR.org, reporting on Out Magazine’s selection of the President as Ally of the Year, said, “Obama earned the distinction for his administration's support in helping secure the legalization of same-sex marriage earlier this year. His appearance on the cover — the first time a sitting president has been photographed for the cover of an LGBT publication, according to the magazine — is a historic moment in itself.”

NPR concluded, “In the interview with the magazine, Obama talks about a number of topics, such as the first openly gay person he knew (a professor at Occidental), how Malia and Sasha and their generation view LGBT people (no tolerance for intolerance), and about Kentucky clerk Kim Davis and religious freedom (nobody is above the rule of law).”

Other websites reported on the interview. Buzzfeed.com said, “Hicklin also conducted an interview with Obama for the magazine in which the president discussed LGBT people who have influenced his life, as well as the same-sex marriage movement.”

The site noted, “Others featured on the magazine’s list include soccer player Abby Wambach, activist DeRay McKesson, actress Cynthia Nixon, and former athlete and TV personality Caitlyn Jenner.”

Right-leaning publications and websites also covered the news. Both Breitbart.com and The Washington Times covered the story with no negative comments.

You can read the full Out Magazine interview of President Obama online at www.tinyurl.com/pgolsrc.

The Gayly – November 19, 2015 @ 1:10 p.m.