Carter: U.S. Ready for Gay President

Even as Congress is making stop-and-go progress toward passing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, former President Jimmy Carter thinks the country is ready for a gay president. In an interview with Big Think, Carter says, “The entire population of America has come tremendous strides forward in dealing with the issue of gays,” and that the country now recognizes “the same adverse and progressive elements as when we dealt with the race issue 50 years ago.” Just as the country is “getting acclimated” to a black president, and the possibility that a president could be female, Carter said the country is getting used to the idea of a gay president as well. “I don’t know about the next election, but I think in the near future.”