President Obama, gay rights hero?

Pete Souza/The White House

President Obama talks with Robin Roberts of ABC about his views on gay marriage.

I hate to rain on everyone?s parade, but I can?t help but point out the obvious to my friends in the gay rights community: Their unmitigated jubilation over President Obama?s interview with Robin Roberts last week, in which he announced his slow evolution on gay marriage is officially complete, seems a little premature.

Yes, it?s historic. But it?s not like he passed any legislation, or even suggested that he?d try to. He merely voiced an opinion many already suspected he?d long held. Still, you?d think our President had actually come out of the closet himself.

And apparently, he has. Newsweek has him on the cover of its May 21 issue under a rainbow halo (take that, Christians!) and a headline that reads, ?The First Gay President.? As a cheeky Atlantic story pointed out this week, over the past three years, the liberal media have also pronounced Obama the first female, Jewish, Asian-American and Hispanic President. Regardless of how much (or little) he?s actually done for those groups, projecting onto Obama a host of lofty ambitions remains all the rage.

But gay America, basking in the warm glow of Obama?s rationed-out approval, seems unbothered by the fact that his imprimatur came with no real policy change, or even the promise of policy change.

So while a teary-eyed Andrew Sullivan was gushing about how ?immensely lucky? we are that Obama is our nation?s leader, I couldn?t help but think of North Carolina. That state had just voted to ban gay marriage the day before Obama broke his big news.

Wouldn?t it have been more courageous if Obama had evolved a bit before the North Carolina vote, not after? And wouldn?t it have been more sincere and meaningful if his revelation weren?t so obviously connected to his reelection and fund-raising efforts?

Or if it weren?t prompted by a gaffe from the gaffe-prone Vice President Biden, who had declared on ?Meet the Press? that he was ?absolutely comfortable? with gay marriage, thus forcing the President?s hand.

Considering the timing and the political implications, it?s clear that Obama?s message to gay America wasn?t so much ?I love you? as it was ?I?m okay with you and want your vote.? It was the equivalent of hitting the ?like? button on a Facebook page.

Well, big whoop. Bully for you. Congratulations. So what are you going to do about it?

Maybe these things matter only to me. As a proponent of gay rights, I want what?s best for my friends, and it seems to me gay America needs to up its standards. Is it just looking for approval? Or does it actually want change?

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