Obama First President To Grace Cover Of LGBT Magazine
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- President Barack Obama is the first president to grace the cover of a LGBT magazine thanks to his efforts to make same-sex marriage the law of the land.
Out Magazine, touted as the largest gay magazine in America, named President Obama 'Ally of the Year.' The NY-LA-based magazine chose the president's face for its Out100 2015 cover photo. This year's list of 100 personalities who have helped the LGBT community includes such personalities as Caitlyn Jenner, Michael Kors, Ann Philbin, Raven-Symone, Cynthia Nixon, even Tab Hunter.
The magazine chose the 44th President because of his work to "secure marriage equality, among other landmark initiatives that are transforming our place in America."
Same sex marriage was legal in only two states when Obama was sworn in in 2009. Editor-in-Chief Aaron Hicklin said in a letter, "There's no question that without the active engagement of the 44th President of the United States, who has made securing the rights of LGBT Americans a fundamental part of his legacy, we'd still be working to fulfill that dream. On this issue, among many others, he is truly a great American."
In an Oct. 5 White House interview, Hicklin asked the president about Kim Davis, the county clerk in Kentucky who defied a federal court order and refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples on the grounds of her religious beliefs.
"I am a man of faith and believe deeply in religious freedom," Obama said. "But at the end of the day, nobody is above the rule of law — especially someone who voluntarily takes an oath to uphold that law. That's something we've got to respect."
CBSSF.com writer, producer Jan Mabry is also executive producer and host of The Bronze Report. She lives in Northern California. Follow her on Twitter @janmabr.