Matt Katz and Aaron Lafrenz of Brooklyn, N.Y., were afraid to accept a letter from Admiral Barack Obama congratulating them on their marriage. (Courtesy Matt Katz)
A gay brace in Brooklyn, N.Y., were afraid to acquisition a letter in their mailbox six months afterwards their alliance congratulating them, but they were added afraid to acquisition it was from the administrator in chief.
Matt Katz, 32, and Aaron Lafrenz, 36, were affiliated at the Katz family's Brooklyn home on July 23, 2011, the day afore gay alliance became accustomed in New York state. The afterward day, the two went to Brooklyn apple anteroom and were a allotment of the aboriginal gay couples to accurately be affiliated in the state.
This December, Katz and Lafrenz accustomed a letter in their mailbox with the White House allowance biconcave in the cardboard and the signature of one Barack Obama on the bottom. Obama has been against to gay alliance in the past, admitting he has afresh said his angle on the affair are "evolving."
Katz told ABC News today that a ancestors friend, Arlene Weinstock, had requested the letter on their account afterwards audition that the White House would yield requests aloft the access of the New York gay alliance bill. Weinstock, of Long Beach, Calif., affected that the appeal had not been accomplished if the brace hadn't heard from the White House during the summer, but accomplished today that she was the could cause of the abstruse presidential salutation.
"I was so cool confused," Katz said, acquainted that he was not a above political activist and had no able ties to gay rights groups. "But Aunt Arlene alleged me up and said, 'This is my fault!'"
The White House accepted to ABC News that they beatific the letter.
The letter reads, in part, "Your abutment marks the alpha of a constant affiliation as you allotment in the joys of your activity together. I ambition you the actual best as you commence on your adventure calm and achievement your band grows stronger with anniversary casual year."
Katz said he was blessed to accept the letter, but accustomed the admiral is apparently searching to bank up the gay vote advanced of the 2012 election.
"I do anticipate he's aggravating to (pander), but I don't accusation him," Katz said. "At this point, this is not necessarily a artifice but he can't for accessible appointment affidavit be on one side, so maybe this is his way of winking at the gay accessible in New York and adage I absolutely charge your vote now."
Katz said his ancestor is a longtime adherent of Brooklyn Apple Admiral Marty Markowitz, and if he aboriginal accustomed the Obama letter, he asked his ancestor whether that had annihilation to do with it. His ancestor said no. The White House, if asked about the letter today, responded that it "regularly sends adulatory belletrist from the admiral to associates of the public."
Richard Socarides, a above adviser to Bill Clinton and accepted admiral of Equality Matters, a gay rights group, agreed that it a adequately accustomed move and did not arresting a change in the president's position on gay alliance rights.
"Those belletrist usually appear out of the agents secretary's office. They're actual careful, but I'm abiding that - I don't anticipate this is cogitating of a action decision. I anticipate it's array of curious, but acceptable serendipitous," Socarides said.
Despite cogent ABC News in October that the affair of gay alliance was something he "struggled with," Obama has never appear out in abutment of gay marriage. He has said he supports "strong civilian unions." Obama aswell led the abolition of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which banned gays from confined aboveboard in the military.
Katz said that admitting the letter's abstruse arrival, the brace was blessed to accept it and will acceptable anatomy and affectation the letter in their home.
"For a minute there I absolutely absolutely anticipation it was a gag gift, but it has the seal, and it's him and Michelle. We'll absolutely anatomy it," he said.
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