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Listen: Why Obama's Austin Fist Bumper Made a Call for Gay Rights

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters /Landov
U.S. President Barack Obama fist bumps Daniel Webb at Franklin Barbecue. Webb called for gay equality in his exchange with the president.

By now, you've probably seen the photo from President Barack Obama's recent Austin visit: the president smiling and extending a fist bump to a cashier at Franklin Barbecue.

If you've followed the story further, then you may be familiar with what prompted the exchange: the cashier, comedian and performer Daniel Webb, exclaimed "Equal rights for gay people!" when the president approached the counter. When Obama asked Webb if he was gay, he answered, "Only when I have sex."

Originally reported by The Austin Chronicle, the story has been written up everywhere online.

Webb recently described his encounter with Obama for KUT. Take a listen:

Webb said the political climate in Texas – where conservative state leaders oppose measures like gay marriage and the Texas GOP platform endorses widely-discredited "reparative therapy" for homosexuals  ­– prompted his statement to Obama.

And while a fist bump was nice, Webb was happier he got a chuckle from the president. "He laughed – which as a standup comedian is fabulous."

Listen to our full interview with Webb:

Wells has been a part of KUT News since 2012, when he was hired as the station's first online reporter. He's currently the social media host and producer for Texas Standard, KUT's flagship news program. In between those gigs, he served as online editor for KUT, covering news in Austin, Central Texas and beyond.
Ben Philpott is the Managing Editor for KUT. Got a tip? Email him at bphilpott@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @BenPhilpottKUT.
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