Obama Hosts First-Ever Gay Pride Reception at White House
President Barack Obama hosted the first-ever gay pride reception at the White House on this day.
President Jimmy Carter had been the first president to invite lesbian and gay activists to the White House to discuss policy, which he did on March 26, 1977, just weeks into his presidency. Carter himself, however, did not participate in the meeting, which involved some of his aides. Nonetheless, the invitation itself was an important first in the history of the presidency.
President Obama was slow to endorse same-sex marriage, however, but finally did on May 9, 2012.
Watch the Reception: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUBI7dmUeb4
Read about the history of the GLBT revolution: Lillian Faderman, The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle (2015)
Read about the landmark 2015 Supreme Court case on same sex marriage: Debbie Cenziper and Jim Obergefell, Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality (2016)
Learn more about President Obama’s record on civil liberties: Samuel Walker, President’s and Civil Liberties from Wilson to Obama (2012)