President Obama's remarks at WH event to observe LGBT Pride Month

Here's video from the White House LGBT Pride Month reception. I've posted the transcript here. Slated to be there today (via emailed pool report):

Administration Officials

John Berry, Director of the US Office of Personnel Management

Nancy Sutley, Chair, CEQ

Brad Kiley, Director of the White House Office of Management and Administration

Elected Officials

Hon. Blake Oshiro, Majority Leader, Hawaii State House, HI

Hon. Dwight Chong, Hawaii State House, HI

Hon. Jeanette Oxford, Missouri General Assembly, MO

Hon. Diane Sands, Montana House of Representatives, MT

Hon. Christopher Cabaldon, Mayor West Sacramento, CA

Hon. Darryl Moore, Berkley City Council, CA

Community Leaders

Sue Fulton, Former US Army Captain

Antonio "Dave" Garcia, Executive Director of the Kalamazoo LGBT Center

Bishop Mary Glasspool, Diocese of Los Angeles

Harriet Hancock, Founder of the Columbia South Carolina LGBT Community Center

Rick Jacobs, Chair of the Courage Campaign

Verna St. Clair King, Civil Rights Activist

Caleb Laieski , Anti-Bullying Activist

Marisa Richmond, Transgender and Civil Rights Activist

Glenn Magpantay, LGBT AAPI Civil Rights Attorney

Olivia Tai, LGBT College Youth Leader

Dontaee Williamson, LGBT High School Youth Leader

Dan Savage was there, by the way; he spoke. I love this description from the pool reporter about the event; diversity was not the rule for the festivities. Sadly, that's no surprise.

No, he didn't endorse gay marriage.

The East Room contained: a few hundred attendees, a full bar, a couple of small, round tables covered in shimmery purple cloth piled high with canapes and desserts: puff pastries, baby lamb chops, mini cupcakes, slices of cake and more. The centerpieces were oversized bouquets of roses in pink, orange, red and purple. A band played light jazz and R&B.

The crowd was mostly white and the men significantly outnumbered the women. Dan Savage was there -- quotes from him after Obama.

Obama entered the room at 6 p.m. to huge cheers. Facing north, he assured the crowd that "Nothing ruins a party like a long speech from a politician" and promised to go short. He talked about his accomplishments so far -- hospital visits, DADT, DOMA, etc.

He said he understands the frustration many in the gay community feel about the pace of accomplishments -- "I know I can count on you to let me know," he said. "This is not a shy group."

The crowd interrupted him a few times with spontaneous cheers and applause -- when he mentioned "spouses" (without endorsing the concept) and more. Check the transcript. He spoke for about nine minutes.

Dan Savage, a columnist, author and gay activist was there with his husband (they married in Canada), Terry Miller. Dan was wearing a black and white plaid shirt with a small button that said, "evolve already." Terry wore a white shirt with a hot pink bow tie.

"I believe the president should evolve," Savage said. "He says he's evolving, I believe him." He added, "I want to hurry him along."

Savage, a strong proponent for gay marriage, said his presence at the White House should not be construed as a surrender on the issue. "We can scream and yell and be dicks and wear buttons" and still eat Obama's cupcakes and drink his champagne, Savage said.

He predicted Obama's evolution on gay marriage would be complete in February, 2013. Savage called Obama's politics "the art of the possible."

"We need to keep the pressure on and take 'yes' for an answer," Savage said.

"I'm not one of the gay activists furious at the president because he's not out on the furthest limb" on gay marriage, Savage said.

Also in the room and willing to make eye contact with the pool: Gregory King, a spokesman for AFSCME and a former spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign Fund. King said, "I think Obama has done more for the LGBT community than any president in history."

"He's been effective at bringing change and ending discrimination," King said.

Regarding gay marriage, "I know many couples who wouldn't place that at the top of the agenda," King said.

Also, I have the transcript up of today's White House Press Conference by the President (w/questions about DOMA). Below is the related section of the transcript:

 THE PRESIDENT:  Let me start by saying that this administration, under my direction, has consistently said we cannot discriminate as a country against people on the basis of sexual orientation.  And we have done more in the two and a half years that I've been in here than the previous 43 Presidents to uphold that principle, whether it's ending "don't ask, don't tell," making sure that gay and lesbian partners can visit each other in hospitals, making sure that federal benefits can be provided to same-sex couples.  Across the board -- hate crimes  -- we have made sure that that is a central principle of this administration, because I think it's a central principle of America.

    Now, what we've also done is we've said that DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, is unconstitutional.  And so we've said we cannot defend the federal government poking its nose into what states are doing and putting the thumb on the scale against same-sex couples.

    What I've seen happen over the last several years, and what happened in New York last week I think was a good thing, because what you saw was the people of New York having a debate, talking through these issues.  It was contentious; it was emotional; but, ultimately, they made a decision to recognize civil marriage.  And I think that's exactly how things should work.

And so I think it is -- I think it is important for us to work through these issues -- because each community is going to be different and each state is going to be different -- to work through them.  In the meantime, we filed a -- we filed briefs before the Supreme Court that say we think that any discrimination against gays, lesbians, transgenders is subject to heightened scrutiny, and we don't think that DOMA is unconstitutional [sic].  And so I think the combination of what states are doing, what the courts are doing, the actions that we're taking administratively, all are how the process should work.

    Q    Are you at all uncomfortable that there could be different rules in different states, you know, and for somebody to make the argument that's what we saw during segregation --

    THE PRESIDENT:  Chuck, I think what you're seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they've got to be treated like every other American.  And I think that principle will win out.  It's not going to be perfectly smooth, and it turns out that the President -- I've discovered since I've been in this office -- can't dictate precisely how this process moves.  But I think we're moving in a direction of greater equality and I think that's a good thing.