Not that early. We're talking 90's.
I watched that Breitbart Inc. film clip of Obama lauding this guy Bell but what caught my eye was the still-photo of Bell and the pose he struck! I mean you don’t have to have “gay-dar” to see this guy’s “flamboyance” on display. The way he rested his hands on his hips indicated to me that he was in touch with his inner-female. The hug between him and Obama after the introduction was telling.