Barack Obama says men need gay friends to teach empathy, be role models to kids

Former President Barack Obama encouraged men to have gay friends to teach their boys "empathy" and be role models, on the Wednesday episode of the "IMO" podcast with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.

During his guest appearance on his wife and brother-in-law's podcast, the former president discussed raising "emotionally intelligent" young men and why boys need male figures other than their fathers in their lives.

Obama recalled how he enjoyed visiting Michelle at her house when they were dating and seeing the variety of male relatives in her family that each demonstrated masculinity in their own ways.

"And that's one of the things that I think a lot of times boys need, is, not just exposure to one guy, one dad, no matter how good the dad. He can't be everything," Obama began. "And that boy may need somebody to give the boy some perspective on the dad right?"

Former President Barack Obama encouraged men to have gay friends to teach their boys "empathy," on the July 16 episode of "IMO" with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson. ("IMO" with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson screenshot)

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Obama shared how one of his favorite professors in college was openly gay and would call him out for "saying stuff that was ignorant" when he first started his class.

The ex-president argued that men need LGBTQ friends to model kindness and empathy and to be a role model to their own kids, who may come out as gay or non-binary.

"You need that, to show empathy and kindness," he continued. "And by the way, you need that person in your friend group, so that if you then have a boy who is gay or non-binary or whatever, they have somebody that they can go, 'Okay, I'm not alone in this,' right? So that, I think, is creating that community. I know it's corny, but that's what they need."

On the podcast episode, Obama also scolded progressives for leaving boys behind while "rightly" trying to "level" the playing field for girls.

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Former President Barack Obama, Craig Robinson, and former First Lady Michelle Obama on the "IMO" podcast on July 16, 2025. ("IMO" Podcast / YouTube)

"I will say, as quote-unquote progressives, Democrats, progressive parents, enlightened ones, we've made that mistake sometimes in terms of our rhetoric, where it's like we're constantly talking about it, you know, what's going on with the boys instead of what's right with them," he stated.

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"And that's been a mistake. And I think people are starting to recognize that," he added.

Obama also called it "promising" that young men are beginning to realize that there are many different ways of being a "good, strong, successful, happy man." However, he expressed criticism of the younger generation for leaving behind some of the good aspects of what the "old models" of manhood contained, such as chivalry.

Fox News' Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.