A few years ago, some of my Republican friends prematurely claimed that Obama had betrayed the gay community, like Reagan did during the AIDS epidemic. Some of my Democratic friends felt at time that Obama should be more assertive on LGBT rights. But after five years in office, Obama has proved to be a "fierce advocate" for our cause, indeed, in political and symbolic ways. Friday was his latest important move:
From Towleroad:
The Obama administration urged the Supreme Court on Friday to throw out a section of a 1996 federal law that prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage.
The brief was filed Friday in United States v. Windsor, a case challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, the law that legally declares marriage to be only between a man and a woman. That section allows state and federal authorities to deny benefits to same-sex couples that are commonplace for heterosexual couples, like insurance for government workers and Social Security survivors' benefits.
Now, on my Obama LGBT rights wish list, is an executive order banning employment discrimination against the LGBT by any organization receiving federal funds, an openly gay cabinet official, and his appointment of gay person as ambassador to an important American ally.
Like Lincoln did with slavery, Obama has let society evolve to the point where his personal endorsement on gay marriage played a pivotal role in winning on this subject in four states on election day. To my gay Republican and Democrat friends, all I can say is that Obama will be remembered for helping promote the civil rights movement of this time, one of his many great achievements.
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