Biden says he's ‘really proud’ of supporting the LGBTQ+ community in late-night South Lawn remarks

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, as Marine One descended onto the South Lawn of the White House, President Joe Biden reaffirmed his staunch support for the LGBTQ+ community.

The brief exchange with reporters, documented by a White House press pool report and a White House transcript, followed a busy day in Texas, where Biden commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and paid homage to longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who recently died after a battle with cancer.

When asked about his legacy for Generation Z, Biden said that he hoped it would be that he saved the economy and tackled environmental issues. He also spoke about LGBTQ+ rights.

“I’m really proud of my position,” Biden said. “I was the first guy to come out for gay marriage. Remember that little problem with the Obama administration?”

As vice president, Biden famously came out to support marriage equality before then-President Obama.

Related: The 10 Gayest Accomplishments of President Joe Biden

The president’s reaffirmation of his support for LGBTQ+ rights comes at a critical juncture in American politics. The landscape is fraught with debates over transgender rights and protections against discrimination, and Biden’s administration has faced both praise from LGBTQ+ advocates and criticism from conservatives for its policies.

Biden also repeated a story he’d told before: “My dad was dropping me off to get a license to be a lifeguard in the city of Wilmington—the projects. As I get out of the car, these two guys leaned up and kissed one another. I’d never seen that before. And I looked to my dad, and he said, ‘Joey, it’s simple. They love each other. It’s simple,’” Biden said. "That’s my position.”