President Obama, whose support of the LGBT community has been called into question lately, will deliver the keynote speech at the Human Rights Campaign’s annual fundraising dinner Saturday, as thousands of activists prepare to demonstrate in the Equality March on Washington the following day.
This expression of sympathy for the cause may do much to rebuild the president’s currently floundering reputation in the eyes of frustrated gay rights front-runners. While the chief executive has made a few brief progresses into the field of LGBT rights during his time in office, many leading gay advocates are calling for increased action and protection at a more rapid and proactive pace.
This occasion constitutes the second time in HRC’s history that a reigning president has addressed the organization — the first being Bill Clinton’s speech to the group 12 years ago, which marked the first time a sitting president had ever addressed a gay rights institution.
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— Zachary Culler
