Former President Jimmy Carter says he
believes America is ready for a gay president.
In
an interview with the website BigThink.com, Carter equates gay
rights to civil rights.
“Step by step, we have realized that
this issue of homosexuality has the same adverse and progressive
elements as when we dealt with the race issue 50 years ago, 40 years
ago,” Carter says in the eleven-minute-twenty-one-second
videotapped interview.
“So I would say the country is
getting acclimated to a president who might be female, who might
obviously now be black and who might be as well a gay person.”
The 86-year-old Democrat, who served as
president from 1977 to 1981, also revealed that his biggest failure
was not getting reelected. But when it comes to a gay president,
Carter thinks America is ready.
“I think the entire population of
America has come tremendous strides forward in dealing with the issue
of gays. And I would say that the answer is yes. I don't know about
the next election, but I think in the near future.”