Barack Obama and the audacity of homosexuality

 Is presidential Democratic hopeful Barack Obama dodging the gay media?

In last week's issue of the Philadelphia Gay News, publisher Mark Segal questioned the Illinois senator's dedication to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community by putting his face on its cover with a caption stating that it has now been 1,529 days since he has spoken to a gay media outlet.

Connecticut Democrat and openly gay state representative Jason Bartlett, of Bethel, says PGN is on to something. "My whole opinion about Obama and gay issues is that I still think he is still a little uncomfortable speaking to the gay press because he is really trying to thread the needle and be all things to all people." Bartlett says that, while he does have a lot of support in the LGBT community, his avoidance of the gay media is "very telling."

"My hope is that he isn't afraid to give words to the LGBT community and he should be willing to speak on those issues. The more times he speaks directly to the community, than the more we can feel comfortable," says Bartlett.

Last week, The Advocate, the country's oldest and most widely circulated gay publication, announced it just wrapped up an interview with Obama.

Sen. Hillary Clinton on the other hand has already been featured in The Advocate, spoke with The Washington Blade, posted several YouTube videos geared to the LGBT community, and appeared on the gay network Logo

Bartlett recently co-chaired her Connecticut Steering Committee, and PNG's Segal, though he failed to mention it in his editorial and in a conversation with us, is a Clinton supporter. According to opensecrets.org, on March 26, 2007, Segal donated $1,000 to her presidential campaign. In the most recent issue of PGN, Segal clarifies his support for Clinton. He went to a fund-raiser last year, he tells us, "as a favor for my governor," prominent Clinton-backer Ed Rendell.

Combined with the front page PGN pic was an interview with Obama's Democratic competitor and an editorial written by Segal explaining that for past several weeks the PGN has been trying to secure an interview with Obama before the April 22 Pennsylvania primary.

But the interview, Segal claims, was not just about the campaign season; he wanted to get Obama on the record about an anti?gay marriage bill presently before the Pennsylvania Senate.

Such bills are something Connecticut knows all too well; in 2005 it became one of the few states to legalize civil unions but stopped short at gay marriage—marriage, in Connecticut, remains defined as a union between a man and a woman. (Neither Obama or Clinton supports full gay-marriage rights.)

In his editorial, Segal also said that Obama has only conducted two interviews with the local gay media outlets since 2004. But its not just about Obama turning his back to local gay press—it's also about those he chooses to surround himself with.  See Barack Obama and the audacity of homosexuality
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