Barack Obama became the first president in US history to call for equality for gays and lesbians in an inaugural speech on Monday (21 January).

'Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law,' Obama said during a 19-minute speech. 'If we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to each other is equal as well.'

Obama, who made history last year when he became the first US president to publicly support gay marriage, also made reference to the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City which are credited with being the start of the modern gay rights movement.

The Stonewall riots were mentioned along with other civil rights battles and was tied into the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.