Newsweek's Controversial New Cover: 'The First Gay President'

By RadarOnline.com Staff

Newsweek on Sunday released the cover of its latest issue, a vibrant spread commemorating President Barack Obama's support of same-sex marriage, picturing the commander-in-chief with a rainbow-colored halo accompanied by the controversial headline, "The First Gay President."

In the cover story, author and gay activist Andrew Sullivan says president's multi-cultural heritage provided a common ground with the gay community, which likely helped him come to his stance on same-sex marriage.

“He had to discover his black identity and then reconcile it with his white family," Sullivan said, "just as gays discover their homosexual identity and then have to reconcile it with their heterosexual family."

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the commander-in-chief Wednesday became the first sitting president to declare his support for gay marriage, telling ABC News it's "important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."

Addressing his A-list base at a fundraiser at George Clooney's Los Angeles home Thursday, the president alluded to his historic admission as "a logical extension of what America is supposed to be," as the country "grew directly out of this difference in visions.

"Are we a country that includes everybody and gives everybody a shot and treats everybody fairly and is that going to make us stronger?" he asked. "Are we welcoming to immigrants? Are we welcoming to people who aren’t like us? Does that make us stronger? I believe it does, so that’s what’s at stake.”

Newsweek hits newsstands Monday.

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