President Obama on Monday made a broad reference to LGBT rights during his speech to the U.N. General Assembly: “In this country, everybody can contribute, everybody can participate no matter who they are, or what they look like, or who they love,” said Obama. “That’s what makes us strong.”

Obama devoted a significant portion of his speech to the Syrian civil war that began more than four years ago. He described the Islamic State — which has executed at least 30 men accused of engaging in sodomy in Syria and Iraq — as “an apocalyptic cult.” Obama also criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and an agreement between the war-torn country, Iraq and Iran to share intelligence about the Sunni extremist group. Read More via Washington Blade