During most annual State of the Union addresses, the President discusses the status of the nation, from federal deficit, to school safety, to foreign policy. However, despite the fact that gay and transgender rights have been a hot political issue, they have never been addressed nationally by a President. That is, these rights were never acknowledged until January 20 of this year.

In his monumental State of the Union speech, President Obama called for the protection of people of all sexual orientations.

“As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we’re threatened, which is why I’ve prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained,” Obama said. “That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. We do these things not only because they’re right, but because they make us safer.”

As one of the most liberal Presidents in United States history, Obama has made a habit of advocating for the gay community. Earlier in his term, Obama reinforced the non-discrimination act, prohibiting employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. During the past several weeks, Obama has also stated that he hopes the Supreme Court will declare marriage equality for all when the case s heard.

“My sense is that the Supreme Court is about to make a shift, one that I welcome, which is to recognize that — having hit a critical mass of states that have recognized same-sex marriage — it doesn’t make sense for us to now have this patchwork system,” Obama said in an interview Tuesday with BuzzFeed News. ““It’s time to recognize that under the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution, same-sex couples should have the same rights as anybody else.”

The impact of Obama’s support of equality is even greater in light of recent events in the LGBT community. On Dec. 28 2014, transgender teen girl Leelah Alcorn committed suicide. At age 14, Alcorn, born as Josh, decided she wanted to begin the transition process.  Her death caused national turmoil when it came to light that Leelah’s parents were admittedly unsupportive of her decision to transition, which she cited as the reason for her decision to end her life. Also in recent events, the Army has been considering changing their policies regarding transgender troops. Currently, low-level officers have the capability to discharge transgender troops on a medical basis. This policy has led to the dismissal of hundreds of troops, solely on bias. If the Army goes ahead and changes this policy, only senior officials will have the ability to discharge transgender individuals. The fact that the Army may be willing to make a change like this indicates that life for teens like Alcorn may someday be more normal. Instead of being victimized, transgender teens will be able to defend the freedom of an entire country. Perhaps their bravery and willingness to serve will encourage their fellow Americans to respect their gender identities and sexual orientations.

Obama’s support of the LGBT community suggests that the nation is slowly headed towards this gender equality. If the Supreme Court upholds marriage for all, it is likely that all facets of the Armed Forces will also be equalized. Whatever their decision holds, a President like Barack Obama helps to make the United States a safer place for all, and although deaths like Leelah’s are tragic, they will not be in vain.

“The story of America’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union, “ Obama stated in a proclamation released in 2011.  “It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

In a world where being true to oneself is not quite so easy, it is refreshing to finally see our country headed towards inalienable equality.