Barack Obama has become the first incumbent US President to include the gay community in his acceptance speech in what is being described as a “momentous” day for LGBT Americans. "It doesn't matter whether you're black, white, native american, latino, rich, poor, male, female, gay straight... You can make it in America,” he said. In his 2008 presidential victory speech, delivered when he was still a member of the US Senate, Obama also included gay Americans. Examiner.com says it was a “momentous day” for LGBT Americans. Tammy Baldwin became the first-ever openly-gay person elected to the US Senate, while voters in Maine and Maryland passed ballot initiatives legalising same-sex marriage. Voters in Minnesota rejected a ballot initiative that would have banned same-sex marriage. In Washington state, a ballot measure backing same-sex marriage is leading. Obama's re-election also means the Supreme Court could perhaps get more trans-friendly justices appointed. “When the history books are written, 2012 will be remembered as the year when LGBT Americans won decisively at the ballot box,” says Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “The dreams of millions of fair-minded Americans were realised as discrimination crumbled and equality prevailed.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 8th November 2012 - 9:53am