A 10-year-old girl was being bullied for having gay parents — then Barack Obama showed up for her
In our society, parents inadvertently pass on their bigoted outlooks to their children and such was the case with Sophia Bailey Klugh who was bullied by her classmates for having a non-traditional family. Undeterred and wise, 10-year-old Klugh reached out to the one person she knew would have nothing but love for her gay dads— then-President Barack Obama who had voiced for marriage equality during his presidential elections. Klugh penned a letter asking for his support and surprisingly even got a response from the former President.
In her letter, Klugh wrote, "Dear Barack Obama, It's Sophia Bailey Klugh. Your friend who invited you to dinner. You don't remember, okay, that's fine. But I just wanted to tell you that I am so glad you agree that two men can love each other because I have two dads, and they love each other. But at school, kids think that it's gross and weird, but it really hurts my heart and feelings." As reported by GOOD, she added, "So I come to you because you are my hero. If you were me and you had two dads who loved each other, and kids at school teased you about it, what would you do? Please respond! I just wanted to say you really inspire me, and I hope you win on being the president."
In response, Obama penned, "In America, no two families look the same. We celebrate this diversity. And we recognize that whether you have two dads or one mom, what matters above all is the love we show one another. You are very fortunate to have two parents who care deeply for you. They are lucky to have such an exceptional daughter in you."
As reported by HuffPost, the former president stressed that our differences are precisely what unites us. Regardless of one's appearance, upbringing, or identity, he stressed that everyone is born equal in America. He asserted that treating people the way we want to be treated is the golden rule everyone should follow, and urged Klugh to live by it. Obama also suggested that if any of her classmates ever did something hurtful to her, she should remind them of the same. He added, "I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to dinner, but I’ll be sure to tell Sasha and Malia you say hello."
As reported by CNN Politics, Obama, who first opposed same-sex marriages during his 2008 presidential campaign, changed his stance on the matter in 2012 in the wake of shifting public sentiment. 3 years later, in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality. 10 years after the historic judgment, polls today show most of America has opened up to LGBTQ+ rights. Whether this would change under the new Donald Trump conservative administration, remains yet to be seen.