Obama first U.S. president to pose for the cover of LGBT publication

Obama first U.S. president to pose for the cover of LGBT publication

ObamaOutCoverBarack Obama has become the first sitting U.S. president to be photographed for the cover of an LGBT publication.

Obama was named by Out Magazine as the LGBT “Ally of the Year” for the annual Out100 list. He appears on the cover with the headline, “Our President. Ally. Hero. Icon.”

“This is the first time a sitting president has been photographed for the cover of an LGBT title,” Out Magazine editor-in-chief Aaron Hicklin wrote. “A historic moment in itself, and a statement on how much his administration has done to advance a singularly volatile issue that tarnished the reputations of both President Clinton and President Bush.”

Obama also sat for an interview with Hicklin to be published in the same issue. “Part of being American is having a responsibility to stand up for freedom — not just our own freedom, but for everybody’s freedom,” Obama told Hicklin. “Our individual stories come together to make one large American story.”

The annual list names the 100 most influential and/or compelling people in the LGBT community every year.

Out Magazine chose Caitlyn Jenner as “Newsmaker of the Year,” Portlandia creator Carrie Brownstein as “Artist of the Year” and singer-songwriter Olly Alexander as “Breakout of the Year.”

Others on the list include soccer star Robbie Rogers, The View’s Raven-Symone and Hollywood legend Lily Tomlin.

Check out the full OUT 100 here.

More in Arts & Culture

See More