Over the past couple of weeks, we at the Gaggle have been discussing Obama's fraught relationship with the gay community, a group that provided his campaign with both staunch support and cash. (Read Holly's summary post here.) Today there are two symbolically important developments in this relationship. First, the president is hosting a reception in the East Room this afternoon to honor LGBT Pride Month and commemorate the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. Second, Politico's J-Mart (filling in for Ben Smith) reports that the administration is planning to repeal a ban that restricts HIV-positive travelers from entering the country. It has filed notice with the Federal Register, so there will be a 45-day window for public discussion before the Department of Health and Human Services enacts the change. While the HIV-travelers ban is not strictly a gay issue, it's certainly one that advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign feel strongly about.

Will these two moves be enough to sate gay activists? Probably not, but it's unclear whether gay leaders are prepared to escalate the fight at this time. As political guru Adam Nagourney writes, despite growing public support for gay rights, some Democrats are wary about pushing for them (and providing ammo for conservatives) at a time when tricky issues like heath reform and energy are on the table. Democrats don't need the distraction of a fight for gay marriage, for example, right now. Gay leaders have no doubt heard this message, and might be momentarily satisfied with these overtures if they view them as an indication that the administration will back its promises on "don't ask, don't tell" and gay marriage when it has some breathing room. The problem is that the "right" time to tackle gay-rights issues may never materialize. Your Gaggler's suspicion is that today's moves will defuse criticism for the time being, but if gay-rights groups don't see some movement by early next year (i.e., when health and energy are taken care of), they'll turn the heat up again. They'll want something more concrete for their troubles before the 2012 cycle, and they're smart enough to want it done well before the GOP starts gearing up.