awarded the nation's top civilian honor,

described you as "a 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend,

who loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage."

Now, there has been bipartisan criticism of him

for those remarks.

I wanted to give you a chance to respond if you would like to.

-Well, I love my husband.

I'm faithful to my husband.

On stage, we usually just go for a hug,

but I love him very much.

And I'm not gonna take lectures on family values

from the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

I'm proud of my marriage, and I'm proud of my husband,

and I'm not gonna be lectured on family values

from the likes of Rush Limbaugh

or anybody who supports Donald J Trump as the moral

as well as political leader of the United States.

America has moved on, and we should have a politics

of belonging that welcomes everybody.

That's what the American people are for,

and I am saddened for what the Republican Party has become

if they embrace that kind of homophobic rhetoric.

When it comes to LGBTQ issues, this is --

I think the most important thing

is not the treatment of candidates.

It's what's happening to individuals

and families across the country, from brave service members

who have their careers threatened by this president

to kids experiencing bullying right now in this climate.

We can do better, and you don't have to be a diehard Democrat

to know that we can do better

when it comes to inclusion and equality in this country.

Prejudice is still out there, and you got to deal with it.

But I would not have been able to get re-elected

the way I did, in Mike Pence's Indiana,

if people were not able to look past that.

-Have you taken a moment to appreciate

the history you've made?

-There's not a lot of time for reflection in the campaign,

but yeah, there was a moment before we went out,

when Chasten pulled me in and just reminded me

what this means for some kid peeking around the closet door,

wondering if this country has a place for them.

And, you know, I didn't set out to be the gay president,

but certainly seeing what this means

is really meaningful and really powerful.