Daniel Hernandez will attend Obama's
State of the Union address on Tuesday as a guest of Michelle Obama.
Hernandez had been Arizona
Representative Gabrielle Giffords' intern for just five days when he
was asked to help out at a Congress On Your Corner outdoor
event in Tucson.
His quick thinking is credited with
helping stop Giffords' bleeding after she was shot in the head during
the rally.
Six people, including a federal judge
and a nine-year-old girl, died during the shooting rampage.
At a memorial service to remember the
victims, Obama praised Hernandez for his heroic deeds.
The 20-year-old Hernandez, who is
openly gay, told the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's
largest gay rights advocate, that the shooting serves as a reminder
that gay people contribute to society every day.
“We are in every part of the American
community,” Hernandez said. “The best thing we can do is to be
extraordinary as we live ordinary lives – to live, love and learn.”
Hernandez
has previously denied he's a hero, but added that Giffords is.