Obama raising money from gay, lesbian donors

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is raising money from gay and lesbian supporters as he seeks to fill his campaign coffers against determined GOP opposition.

Obama was speaking Thursday evening at a private home in Washington, where about 40 donors from the gay and lesbian community were paying $35,800 per ticket to see him.

The event comes on the heels of a decision by a federal appeals court in California to strike down that state's ban on gay marriage. Obama supports civil unions but has stopped short of embracing gay marriage, a stance he was unlikely to change Thursday.

Co-hosts for the event include James Hormel, a gay activist appointed by President Bill Clinton as ambassador to Luxembourg, and Laura Ricketts, a Chicago Cubs co-owner who is gay.