Last night, President Obama spoke at a dinner for the Human Rights Campaign, an activist group promoting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.
“I held some productive bilateral talks with your leader, Lady Gaga.” he joked at the beginning of the speech, “She was wearing 16-inch heels. She was eight feet tall. It was a little intimidating.”
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The popular singer attended a fundraiser last week in California, spending time with the president to discuss bullying.
Obama reminded the group of the White House summit on the issue, and promised to stand with members of the gay community, “who might feel alone or afraid because they’re gay or transgender — who may be getting picked on or pushed around because they’re different.”
Bullying isn’t, “just ‘kids being kids,'” Obama added, “It’s wrong. It’s destructive. It’s never acceptable. And I want all those kids to know that the President and the First Lady is standing right by them every inch of the way.”
Obama also criticized all of the Republican candidates for failing to stand up for the gay soldier, whose question was booed by hecklers in the Republican audience during the Fox News / Google debate last month.
“We don’t believe in standing silent when that happens. We don’t believe in them being silent since.” Obama said, “You want to be Commander-in-Chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient.”
