By John Mack Freeman
During this past week’s State of the Union, President Obama included the words “lesbian,” “bisexual,” and “transgender” in the text of the speech. While LGBT issues have been spoken of in the past, this is the first time that these groups have been explicitly named. From Gay Star News:
[Obama said,] ‘That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender,’ he said.
‘We do these things not only because they’re right, but because they make us safer.’
The president went on to call gay marriage a ‘civil right,’ just days after the Supreme Court announced it would rule whether gay marriage bans were constitutional in spring.
‘I’ve seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our country, a civil right now legal in states that seven in 10 Americans call home,’ he said.
– See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/lesbian-bisexual-and-transgender-said-first-time-historic-state-union-address210115#sthash.r8aR6TLx.dpuf
