President Obama Supports Gay Marriage
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http://news.yahoo.com/obama-announces-his-support-for-same-sex-marriage.html <<video
"I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” President Barack Obama
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:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:0
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Fantastic!! Then let's make it happen!0
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I'm not getting excited over this one.
1) It's getting closer to election. With Obama and Romney being so close on issues, he will say anything he can to get votes. Whether he acts on this or not will prove if he means it. Besides, he waits until now? When he gets to see the whole country's reaction to NC to say this?
2) In 2008, Obama said he also supported decriminalization of marijuana, he has continued the war on drugs since then.
This means nothing to me. Saying you support something and acting in favor of something you support are two different things.0 -
I concede that it may be politically-influenced timing. But the quote does say that he came to the realization. He describes his thought process as an evolution.
One of the reasons I like his statement is that (political timing aside), his phrasing isn't typical politispeak - he's not mincing words or hinting at anything. He is saying "I think same sex couples should be able to get married." Which I think is pretty cool to see a U.S. President state so clearly.0 -
It's about time. He talked circles around it and never said anything definite last election. Of course it's political timing, but I so could not care less. He said it and it's important that such a powerful person said it. So, cheers! :drinker:0
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and this is why i work for him.0
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Love & marriage between two consenting & of age adults - no matter what their gender is the way it should be. I'll vote for Obama if he really means what he said.0
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what annoys me about the whole thing is that marriage is a contract -- but does a strait couple have to sit down with a lawyer and work it all out? no. they go into it barely knowing what the obligations are.
Gob'ment ought to quit marrying folks. That nonsense belongs in church. Civil unions for everyone!0 -
This has made the BBC 10 O'clock news.
Our Conservative PM David Cameron (and his Liberal Democrat coalition partner Deputy PM Nick Clegg) support gay marriage, but there are many old-school Conservatives still vehemently opposed to gay marriage who support the religious opposition. They even blamed the Conservatives drubbing in recent local council elections on the party's support for gay marriage (yes that is how sad and petty-minded they can be) especially given the fact that the Labour party who gained most council seats from the Conservatives and Lib Dems also support gay marriage.
I'm still hopeful we will have gay marriage in the UK before the end of the current administration's term in office.0 -
About time.0
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Sorry, i'm fresh out of gold stars...too little too late. Thank goodness I'm a Canadian. My government is completely incompetent, but my people actually believe in universal rights.0
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exactly!0
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Perhaps a political tactic, but, I have hope that this is something he has always believed in and has just had difficulty expressing because of the lack of support it has in lots of whacky states. Does it suck that he didn't say it before? Absolutely. Is he the only sitting president to have done this? Yes. I mean, that does take a huge amount of political risk. It made me think about my parents and their own "coming out" process after I came out. Coming to terms with things, acceptance & understanding doesn't always initially happen. It's a process for some. Good for the president if this is him acknowledging something fundamentally important. Good for him for putting aside his personal & political fears and expressing what he believes is the right thing. Good for him.
Does it fix anything else? Like the idea that healthcare is linked to your employment or marital status? No. But, it does give people the opportunity to have more rights and protections as a couple than they have had. Does it support a hetero normative institution? Yes. But it has only been hetero normative institution because up until recently, gay marriage was not recognized in US states. We have an opportunity to recreate and define our relationships and the institution of marriage (or non marriage!) The idea though that we have a choice, is so important.0 -
I have to point out that while this is a long time in coming from any president I am wary of this. I have read more then enough reports that in his re-election strategy meetings the whole gay marriage thing has been seriously discussed as to what would help him most to win re-election (like any politician).
He has flip flopped on this issue over the years depending on which voting blocks he needed. I think Bidens gaffe last week forced him to stop deflecting the question and I will guarantee there were agonizing meetings over what he should do. SInce most religious fundamentalists who are against this also tend to fall into the same bloc that wont vote for him anyway he took a calculated risk in "coming out" on this decision - the risk is alienating the African-American voting bloc (at least some of it).
So I am guardedly hopeful but considering the administrations current history of equivocating, deflecting and failure to follow through on any number of issues I would want to see some solid steps taken in the next six months even if they are just seeds. It's easy to say "I support" but I would like to see Obama actually take a leadership role and try to get something done NOW- not some ephemeral "elect me and then I will work on it"
So everyone in this community just be wary a little that we are not being used only to be forgotten and pushed off. Pressure must be kept on this issue or we can be conveniently forgotten after November.0 -
I think the fact that DADT was repealed during his first term does in fact speak to his belief in equal rights. I can't believe how many people are being so negative. Of course there is political motivation, but can you really tell me that it was easy for him to say this? How easy was it for us to come out, if you have?? I know I was terrified, and I still live in fear every day of being judged or punished for being gay. The fact that the leader of my entire COUNTRY came out in support of my rights as a real person with equal right to love and be loved is freakin AMAZING. Of course there is more work to be done, but really people? I am so disappointed with this "what have you done for me lately" attitude.0
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I think the fact that DADT was repealed during his first term does in fact speak to his belief in equal rights. I can't believe how many people are being so negative. Of course there is political motivation, but can you really tell me that it was easy for him to say this? How easy was it for us to come out, if you have?? I know I was terrified, and I still live in fear every day of being judged or punished for being gay. The fact that the leader of my entire COUNTRY came out in support of my rights as a real person with equal right to love and be loved is freakin AMAZING. Of course there is more work to be done, but really people? I am so disappointed with this "what have you done for me lately" attitude.
I feel similarly. The truth is the President is not ALL powerful! He cannot change everything, including and especially social issues. Look at other hot topics across history, slavery, women's rights, african american rights, abortion rights,.... these are not decided by one person, but by growing consensus across the country and typically in the Supreme Court! It was brave of him to come out during an election year, and with others rallying behind him I hope this will turn the tide! I am a resident of North Carolina and was so happy to get to vote against the amendment. I truly believe the courts will repeal it, but I will continue to do what I can to spread the word to help gain support for the repeal process.0 -
Thanks for sharing, very enlightening!0 -
I think the fact that DADT was repealed during his first term does in fact speak to his belief in equal rights. I can't believe how many people are being so negative. Of course there is political motivation, but can you really tell me that it was easy for him to say this? How easy was it for us to come out, if you have?? I know I was terrified, and I still live in fear every day of being judged or punished for being gay. The fact that the leader of my entire COUNTRY came out in support of my rights as a real person with equal right to love and be loved is freakin AMAZING. Of course there is more work to be done, but really people? I am so disappointed with this "what have you done for me lately" attitude.
I feel similarly. The truth is the President is not ALL powerful! He cannot change everything, including and especially social issues. Look at other hot topics across history, slavery, women's rights, african american rights, abortion rights,.... these are not decided by one person, but by growing consensus across the country and typically in the Supreme Court! It was brave of him to come out during an election year, and with others rallying behind him I hope this will turn the tide! I am a resident of North Carolina and was so happy to get to vote against the amendment. I truly believe the courts will repeal it, but I will continue to do what I can to spread the word to help gain support for the repeal process.
DADT repeal was not especially brave and was quite honestly crumbling anyway. It just forced the services to officially recognize what was tacitly happening anyway. So long as you didnt get "in the face" of your commander you were fairly OK. I am not being negative per se just saying be wary of being used.
As for not being "all powerful" he certainly slings around Executive Orders will nilly for a **** ton of things yet still refuses to sign the non discrimination EO which has been onhis desk for months. This EO would prohibit discrimination of individuals based on sexual orientation or gender identity by Federal Contractors -and that IS something he has control over that an EO can indeed fix. Instead he has refused to sign it and for all purposes the White House has indicated they have no interest in signing it. If he cant sign an EO over this then I question his sincereity on gay marriage as nothing more then vote pandering. At this point even of the EO is signed after being rebuffed for signing numerous times over the months I would again believe it to be for vote pandering.
The EO are the concrete steps I am talking about- put some action behind the words.0 -
PS - this was an ingenious move, and is just what is needed to rally the base by framing this correctly and accurately as a civil rights issue, and NOT a religious one as the GOP is constantly attempting to do.0
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I'm glad he's finally where Richard* Cheney was eight years ago!
* - I can't put in his preferred first name because it gets censored.0 -
Well that's great news, obviously! But he has been president for how long? 3 years-ish? Why hasn't he said anything or acted on it before now?
Same thing this side of the pond with David Cameron... he has been prime minister for quite some time and says he supports marriage equality but I don't see any action, only empty words with political timing.
I am so disillusioned with politians. I don't have an ounce of faith in a single one. I find it so difficult at election time, I want to exercise my right to vote, but I don't trust a single *kitten* one of them.0 -
Im with the others when I say I'm wary of this also. We all know its a definite political tactic used at an incredibly strategic time. Yes...he said it....so what....He made over 1 million dollars in donations 90 minutes after his speech...everyone jumped up and down clapping their hands, clicking their heels, flying out to donate to his campaign fund...and what especially shocked me was listening to Michaelangelo Signorelli on OutQ radio...even HE fell victim to all the hooplah. Today was a bit different story though. I think after the the awe wore off, (some) people realized his motivation. Again, he said it....so what does that mean for our population??? Sorry to be such a negitive nancy....put it in black and white then come talk to me...0
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Whether poliical timing ( which I really don't think it is) or not, he had the guts to stand up in front of everyone dispite huge opposing views... like always, with such integrity and poise. Can't say that for most previous presidents.0
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I'm glad that President Obama supports us. It may have taken him some time, but I definitely feel it can only help our community. It may be politically motivated, but I can tell you that this will not help him get elected here in Ohio. He is still a much better alternative than Mitt Romney, who is no friend of gay people today.0
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I'm still not a huge Obama fan, but kudos to him for saying this.0
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I look at this like the lesser of two evils, its better to go with the Dems than certainly the GOP. Obama's statement is appreciated, but it's really nothing more than a platitude of good will. It's essentially just his opinion because they're saying that gay marriage will not be on the Dem platform this election. So, he's for it but also says that states have the right to create their own laws. What's changed between last week and now? Nothing really.
Remember that it took over 100+ years for all the local and states discrimination and segregation laws to be overturned after the end of slavery and the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. This is going to be a long road that lasts a lifetime or more. The haters are going to fight even after it passes. I'm not pessimistic, but realistic and still grateful for the progress however it comes.
However, this is when I'm really glad I'm bi-national and currently living in the UK. I really feel like a second class citizen in the States in comparison because there is such open and tolerated hostility towards LGBT folks.0 -
I do think it was partially political, but I also think it's something he has been genuinely coming to terms with over the years. His hand might have been somewhat tipped by Biden's comments as well as comments made by the Secretary of Education in the week leading up to the announcement, but insiders also seem to think that those comments could have been "lead-ins" all along, breaking the ice, as it were, to a planned announcement that was coming anyway.
Why didn't he announce before North Carolina? Because he (and all of us) knew that the anti-gay marriage proposition in North Carolina was gonig to pass... how would it look for Obama had he announced his support, only for NC voters to shoot it down there anyway (which they would have)? It would have made him look weak and the GOP could have used it to make him seem out of touch ("A resounding NO! to Obama's leadership" etc. etc.). He was smart to wait, as he is smart in a lot of other ways.
Do I want to see more action from him? Yes! But these things do take time, whether or not we get impatient. For a sitting President to announce his support of gay marriage, in a nation where 30 out of 50 states have expressely forbidden it, leading up to an election year... that takes a great deal of courage. I can't be so cynical as to think it was all about politics because, if it was, he would never have done it.0 -
It's telling that people are accusing him of supporting gay marriage for political purposes. Four years ago it would have been political suicide, not political pandering. Karl Rove was putting gay marriage referendums on state ballots all over to increase turnout among religious conservatives, and a lot of Democrats running for state offices lost as a result. (Yet at the same time, many of those Republican candidates had gays as top campaign advisers. Politics makes strange bedfellows, no pun intended.)
This fight can't be won by executive fiat. It's being won because public perception is changing. The good news is that trend can't be reversed just because congress passes some hare-brained law or the public elects some homophobic jerk because his opponents split the progressive vote.
But Obama will probably still lose Pennsylvania because of it. We just elected Pat Toomey, for pity's sake. Obama may be viewed well in by history for taking this position, but there will be a lot of negative consequences in the short run.0
