President Barack Obama is to address a prominent US gay advocacy group this week, as political analysts suggest gay and lesbian voters have become disenchanted with the leader.
The President will address the Human Rights Campaign’s annual dinner, and is only the second US president to do so – the first being Bill Clinton in 1997.
Gay and lesbian Americans are said to have become impatient with Obama over his inability to deal with gay issues, after a massive 70% of them voted for him.
“There is a consensus that since he was elected 11 months ago, not much has changed for gay Americans,” President Clinton’s former aide, Richard Socarides, told The Guardian.
Obama had promised to push for a repeal on the 1996 defence of marriage act, which prevents the federal government from recognising same-sex marriage, as well as tackling the law that prevents openly-gay individuals from serving in the US army.