Obama aide suggests anti-gay bullying is un-American

Senior presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett said Saturday that she was "shocked and heartbroken" by the recent spate of gay teen suicides. She was giving a speech to the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group.

In her remarks, Jarrett decried "the deaths of several young people who had been harassed and bullied for being openly gay — or because people thought they were gay. It's a terrible tragedy," she said.

"No young person should have to endure a life of relentless taunts and harassment just because they're gay," Jarrett said. "The tragic loss of Seth, and Tyler, and Asher, and Billy, and Justin, and countless others whose names we don't know — strikes at the heart of our values as Americans, and our sense of humanity."

At the event, Jarrett recognized Tammy Aaberg, whose 15-year-old son, Justin, took his life in July after enduring bullying and breaking up with his boyfriend. The Minnesota high school that Aaberg attended has seen five suicides in the past year, three of which are believed to be related to struggles with sexual orientation. Since Justin's death, Tammy Aaberg has advocated for the suburban Twin Cities school district to change its policy that prohibits teachers or administrators from talking about sexual orientation. Aaberg says the policy prevents them from openly addressing gay bullying.

Some in the gay community have assailed President Obama for failing to repeal the military's ban on openly gay service through Congress and for publicly stating he does not believe in gay marriage. Jarrett cited other aspects of the administration's gay rights record in her speech, such as ensuring that gay partners have the same hospital visitation rights as straight partners and that gay families have the same rights to take medical and family leave that straight people do.

(Photo of Jarrett: AP)