Once President Obama publicly offered his support for same-sex marriage, the LGBT community has been on a mission to return the favor by showing him support in a big way — with dollars!
LGBT fundraisers have raised a whopping $8 million for the Obama campaign this year. By contrast, fundraisers from the television, movie and music industry have raised $6.8 million.
Case in point: Tim Gill, a software entrepreneur who runs a large Colorado-based foundation that backs gay rights projects, has already contributed $672,800 with his partner Scott Miller to the Obama for America campaign. Fred Eychaner, who owns the Chicago-based Newsweb Corp., has donated $1,220,550 so far. He also co-hosted a $35,800-per-person LGBT organized fundraiser for the president in February. Kathy Levinson, the former president and CEO of the Menlo Park, California-based Etrade, gave $202,150.
Initially, the LGBT community was leery or the president’s plans. In 2010, actor Alan Cumming said, “We keep hearing that Obama is an ally, that DADT [the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy that kept LGBT people from openly serving in the military] will end under his watch, but what do we actually get? Diddly squat.” Dustin Lance Black, who won a best screenplay Oscar for the gay themed film “Milk,” a movie biography of the gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk who was gunned down because of his sexual orientation, said last year that he had been an Obama supporter before but might sit out the upcoming election. But when Mr. Obama finally signed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and came out in support of same-sex marriage, both Cumming and Black put their money where their mouth is and donated to the Obama campaign. They also encouraged others to do the same.
Needless to say, the gay community believes Obama is their man!
"Needless to say, the gay community believes Obama is their man!"Yes, because he IS a man of "The People"…gay, straight or bi-sexual, rich, middle-income or poor, Black, White, Red, Yellow, or Brown. He is concerned about ensuring EQUAL Rights for ALL Americans. He seldom moves at the speed many of his supporters would like to see. But he moves. And on this issue it appears to be paying off in a variety of ways which I believe can only make this nation a better nation. SEE: "Poll Shows Power of Coming Out" (finally a poll I can believe)…"A majority of Americans favor marriage equality, and most of them say that someone close to them is gay, a major change from the 1990s."Read: http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equalit…