Obama hails LGBT rights as one of his main successes

US President Barack Obama has hailed LGBT rights as one of the main successes of his two terms in office.

Speaking to Marc Maron on his WTF podcast, the current Commander-in-Chief highlighted gay rights legislation as one of the main things his administration had done to move “the country forward,” Gay Star News reports.

Asking himself the infamous question posed by former US President Ronald Reagan, ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’, the 53-year-old pointed to the Affordable Care Act and falling unemployment, as well as the fact the government had ‘doubled our clean energy and reduced our carbon footprint’.

“LGBT rights have been recognized and solidified in ways that we couldn’t even imagine 10 years ago,” he added.

“When I look at those things, I can say that in terms of not just in terms of managing the government, but moving the country forward, we’ve had a lot more hits than misses and we’ve made a difference in people’s lives.

“That is ultimately what you’re looking for, what you wake up and you think, are things a little bit better? If you take that long view, you’re less nervous or stressed about the day to day.”

Since coming into office in 2009, the Obama administration has instigated a number of LGBT rights breakthroughs: As well as repealing the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ ban on gays in the military, his government has also stopped defending Bill Clinton’s Defence of Marriage Act, which banned the recognition of same-sex marriage at federal level.

As well a speaking out publicly about gay rights worldwide, the administration has also signed historic hate crime legislation, extended hospital visitation right to same-sex couples and introduced equality legislation for federal employees.

Meanwhile, the US is currently waiting on the Supreme Court to issue a nationwide ruling on same-sex marriage, with the result expected to be released either this Thursday (June 25) or next Monday (June 29).

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