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VIDEO, PHOTOS: Obama's Remarks at White House LGBT Reception

President Barack Obama spoke for about 15 minutes at the White House LGBT Pride Reception earlier this evening. The President spoke to a group of about 300 attendees, smaller than last year's event, and mostly state/regional and youth leaders, as opposed to national activists and policy makers.

Watch the event and read the transcript AFTER THE JUMP ...

The President named a number of incremental advances, such as the order to grant hospital visitation rights, limited expansion of federal benefits, banning gender identity discrimination in federal employment, expanding federal leave policy and today's announcement to expand the Family Medical Leave Act.

The President also briefly mentioned larger ticket items such as repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, passing the Employment Nondiscrimination Act and the recent action taken on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Obama told the crowd: "Here’s the bottom line: We have never been closer to ending that discriminatory policy.”

"The fact that we have activists here is a reminder that change never comes—or at least never begins—in Washington," President Obama said. "It is when ordinary people out of love for a mother or a father, a son or a daughter, or a husband or a wife, speak out against injustices that have been accepted for too long."

Video, more photos, the read the transcript and a partial list of invitees AFTER THE JUMP ...

News: Janelle Monáe, Saeed Jones, Emanuel Xavier, Lee Daniels

· Vanessa Williams heads to Wisteria Lane.

· Janelle Monáe's The ArchAndroid drops. ArjanWrites: "[It's] a culmination of hard work, her deep love for music and uncompromising ambition to bring enlightenment to the pop charts. The ArchAndroid is equally provoking, stirring and inspiring. This record will move you—it will make you think, it will make you dance."

· Critics: Is Monáe "suited" for mainstream success?

· GQ sells 365 copies of its first iPad edition.

· Facebook: Draft Laura Bush for Dallas Pride.

· Daniel Radcliffe wants Cristiano Ronaldo's abs.

· "It's A Man's World". 

· Saeed Jones' poem “Mississippi Drowning” makes the current issue of The Collagist.  The New Jersey-based poet and author will also present at the Lambda Literary Awards on May 27.

· Gay City News profiles Emanuel Xavier: "One of the most influential players in the spoken word genre and Neo-Nuyorican poetry movement. On June 20, as a testament to Xavier’s continuing influence in the LGBT Latino/a community, El Museo del Barrio will be presenting its first-ever New York City Gay Pride celebration event, "The Legendary Project," a modern dance performance based on Xavier’s spoken word/music collaboration."

· Alicia Banks on Polanski: "Bold. Serial. Pedophile. Rapist."

· Mysterious Skin director Gregg Araki premieres new sexual awakening film Kaboom in Cannes.

· GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco June 5th to honor Lee Daniels, Cybill Shepherd and newly out country singer Chely Wright.

· Report: BlackBerry to launch 8.9 inch tablet this year. "There are some big differences between BlackBerry’s tablet, the iPad and the now-confirmed Google tablet—most notably a lack of cellular networking. Instead, the device will utilize your existing BlackBerry’s connection, communicating with the device via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth."

· Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center joins growing economic boycott of Arizona: "The center will prohibit staff travel to Arizona for conferences or other professional activities and will take steps to end all relationships with businesses headquartered in Arizona."

Report: Country Music Star Chely Wright to Come Out

Country music star Chely Wright is reportedly coming out the closet.The announcement will be later this week with the obligatory People cover, sources say.

The May 5 celebrity coming out has been rumored for weeks. This weekend, Queerty guessed it was Wright and TMZ confirmed it.

"Wright has a book coming out this week as well -- it's called, Like Me.  And she has a CD coming out too called Lifted Off the Ground. The 39-year-old singer scored a #1 country song back in 1999 with "Single White Female," when she was named Academy of Country Music new artist of the year. She has been romantically linked to a number of celebs, including Brad Paisley. This is a big deal in the country world.  Chely is rolling the dice on her career ... it's unclear how traditionally-conservative country fans will react."

Wright's announcement will be another highly-orchestrated media strategy by Howard Bragman, the gay public relations guru who advised Chaz Bono, Lance Bass and others. In addition to the People cover, there will be appearances on The View, Larry King and others, sources tell R20. Sources tell R20  the liner notes for Wright's new CD will include a list of LGBT resources for gay youth, including GLSEN and Faith In America.

Wright  has been absent from the scene for several years, but was the first entertainer to perform in Iraq after the 2003  invasion. Bravo to Wright for coming out and good luck with her career. If there's anyone that needs to hear an inclusive message, its the country music/NASCAR audience. Watch Chely Wright perform "Single White Female" WHEN YOU JUMP ...