OBAMA PROMISES ‘REAL CHANGE’ FOR GAY AMERICANS

US Presidential nominee Barack Obama has again come out in support of gay Americans, asserting that “LGBT Americans deserve real change, and they deserve it now.”

The Democratic Party hope for the White House made the comments in a Q&A interview with the gay newspaper Washington Blade.

Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, “have been blessed with many openly gay and lesbian friends and colleagues whom we have been close to for many years.”

He went on to say that “…if elected, I will work with the leaders in Congress to enact legislation that will better protect the rights of LGBT Americans.”

Obama said that he would also support removing existing discriminatory legislation such as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, which bans lesbians and gays from serving in the military, and the Defense of Marriage Act which limits the recognition and rights of same-sex couples.

He revealed that he considered an openly gay college professor to be one of his role models.

“He was the first openly gay professor that I had ever come in contact with, or openly gay person of authority that I had come in contact with. And he was just a terrific guy.”

“His comfort in his own skin and the friendship we developed helped to educate me on a number of these issues.”