Gay politico and activist Fred Karger filed papers March 23 with the Federal Elections Commission making him the first official candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.
“I am also the first openly gay person, in a major political party, to ever run for president of the United States,” Karger noted in a statement on his campaign website.
Karger said in the statement that he plans to discuss a variety of issues during his campaign, but also stressed the historic nature of his long-shot bid.
“I dedicate today to the six teenagers who took their lives this past fall because they were bullied for who they were. … I want to send a loud and clear message to anyone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer, that you can do anything you want to do in this country,” he said. “You can even run for president of the United States.”