The public has made tremendous strides towards accepting gay people—and is even ready to have one in the White House.

Question: Is the country ready for a gay President?

Jimmy Carter: Well I think the entire population of America has come tremendous strides forward in dealing with the issue of gays. And I would say that the answer is yes. I don’t know about the next election, but I think in the near future. Because step-by-step we have realized that this issue of homosexuality has the same adverse and progressive elements as when we dealt with the race issue 50 years ago... or 40 years ago. So I would say that the country is getting acclimated to a President who might be female, who might obviously, now be black and who might be as well, a gay person. Yes, I would say the answer is, yes.

Recorded November 30, 2010
Interviewed by Andrea Useem

Directed / Produced by
Jonathan Fowler & Elizabeth Rodd