Obama takes advice offered. The Advocate interview.

Sen. Barack Obama was encouraged at a recent LGBT fund-raiser in NYC to grant more interviews to the LGBT press. It seemed he wouldn't follow the advice when he failed to given an interview to Philadelphia Gay News. But he recently granted an interview to The Advocate, a national LGBT publication.

From the interview:

[The Advocate:] I think the underlying fear of the gay community is that if you get into office, will LGBT folks be last on the priority list?

[Sen. Obama:] I guess my point would be that the fact that I'm raising issues accordant to the LGBT community in a general audience rather than just treating you like a special interest that is sort of off in its own little box -- that, I think, is more indicative of my commitment.

.....

An area that I’m very interested in is making sure that federal benefits are available to same-sex couples who have a civil union. I think as more states sign civil union bills into law the federal government should be helping to usher in a time when there’s full equality in terms of what that means for federal benefits.