Barack Obama just told the world that boys need gay men in their lives. As you can probably imagine, his mentions are in shambles…and some of the loudest voices are Black men.

Obama emphasizes the importance of gay and nonbinary friends for men’s emotional growth on a podcast, reflecting on his own experiences.

President Obama, like much of black America, was despondent about what this signaled about how young black men’s and boys’ lives are valued.

While appearing on the "IMO" podcast, Barack Obama spoke about the importance of young men having a diverse friend group.

Former President Barack Obama urged men to have gay friends as role models for their kids and to teach them kindness, during a podcast appearance this week.

The former president talked through the topics of masculinity, personal growth, and the necessity of diverse friendships.

She would also need to win over left-leaning young black voters, some of whom were ultimately disenchanted by Obama’s presidency and may value political ideology more than racial solidarity.