Leave a Comment Sagesse
Obama’s Effect on National Marriage Fight
May 14, 2012
By Matt Baume
Obama endorses marriage equality. We’ll look at what that means for LGBT Americans and for the future. Colorado’s civil unions bill looked dead in the water last week, but this week the Governor’s found a way to give it one last shot at passing in 2012.
Well the big news this week is President Obama supporting marriage equality. Like a lot of Americans, Obama came to support equality after meeting gay and lesbian citizens and seeing how comfortable young people are with LGBT families.
We won’t know the full effect of his announcement for some time. But we can already see an impact on peoples’ lives around the country. As AFER Board President Chad Griffin said, “For the millions of young gay and lesbian Americans across this nation, their President’s words provide genuine hope that they will be the first generation to grow up with the freedom to fully pursue the American dream.”
AFER’s lead co-counsel Ted Olson had similar remarks. He said, “President Obama’s words remind us that marriage and equality are universal values that unite us all. They remind us that we are all — as a People and a Nation — striving to form a more perfect Union.”
By standing up for our rights, Obama is setting an example for other politicians’ evolution on marriage. One day after the announcement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the highest-ranking Mormon in the US government, announced that “people should be able to marry whomever they want.” He added even he’d voted in the past to ban marriage equality, but now he’ll vote for it.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is another politician who struggled with the issue for years before shepherding a marriage equality bill in New York. This week he tied Obama’s announcement to “the march of freedom that has sustained our country since the Revolution of 1776.”
Public support on marriage is growing rapidly. This week, a Gallup poll became the ninth national survey to show that a majority support the freedom to marry. We’ve seen a lot of major milestones in the fight for marriage lately, and Obama’s announcement is one of the big ones.
Now this policy announcement isn’t tied to any particular legislation. But the first law for which it might inspire more bold stances from legislators could be the civil unions bill in Colorado. The legislative session ended last week before lawmakers could vote on the measure, so it looked like there was no hope of passing it until next year. But Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has announced that he’ll call a special session starting this week. The votes are there to pass the bill, and the Governor says he’ll sign it. The only obstacle now is House leadership like Speaker Frank McNulty, who says he opposes debate.
We’ll be following the Colorado situation closely this week — you can subscribe on YouTube to get regular updates on the fight for marriage equality. And visit AFER.org for more on the federal fight to overturn Prop 8.
Having technical problems? E-mail equalityontrial AT couragecampaign DOT org for assistance!
21 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
Sagesse | May 14, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Good-bye @ symbol
. For the first time with this post, I am able to subscribe from my mobile device (iPad) without leaving a comment.
2.
Ann_S | May 14, 2012 at 2:24 pm
3.
MJFargo | May 14, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Not much new here, but The New Yorker continues the media coverage with:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2012/05/21/…
4.
Lesbians Love Boies | May 14, 2012 at 2:55 pm
I got a phone call this weekend from one of my brothers asking me about President Obama endorsing Marriage Equality. I told him how I cried when I heard the news and how big an event this was for the world.
My brother then went on to tell me about one of his son's recently coming out. We had that long discussion about how it is not a choice and some other provate conversation about the subject.
I was shocked when my brother said that not only NOW will he and his wife vote for President Obama in the upcoming election – they actually sent money in to his campaign.
I am very proud of the president and even more proud of my family.
5.
Reformed | May 14, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Yet, these silly graphics of halos and colorful pillars on the white house, brother.
Can anyone explain to me how it seems that yet again, we have a nation poll that says for the first time ever, a majority of americans support marriage equality. How may first times can their be? Am I missing something? Does anyone know the history of this?
6.
lee | May 14, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Can anyone give an update on California prop 8 case please. Is the court taking,it en banc?
7.
Kevin | May 14, 2012 at 3:26 pm
We don't know yet.
8.
MFargo | May 14, 2012 at 3:50 pm
I'm glad you asked, lee. All morning, I've been frustrated with the "Upcoming court date: None at this time" status of the case, particularly with the 'expedited" status of the case.
9.
Scott | May 14, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Point of contention: Obama does not support our "right" to get married. He personally agrees with it but in the same breath said he has no problem with states banning it. So he clearly does not think it is a right and we need to stop fawning over his meek, rambling approval and keep pressing him on our Constitutional rights.
10.
exx-man | May 14, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Do you really think it's that he has no problem with states banning marriage equality or is it that marriage has always been a state's rights issue and he thinks it should stay that way? (For the record, if that's the case I agree with him). I ask that because he has made more than one statement against state amendments that ban marriage equality which I don't believe he would do if he had no problem with them.
I've gotta tell ya, when I look back over what Obama has done for the LGBT community in the last three years, "meek rambling approval" is not the description I come up with.
11.
Straight Dave | May 14, 2012 at 5:39 pm
I saw Obama as expressing more of a moral right ("should be able to get married</i<"), as opposed to a strict legal right. I happen to think that was a very wise move, since it is much more likely to resonate with the average person. It's hard to sell the public on constitutional arguments, or all the current drama would have been over with years ago.
He's trying to influence hearts and minds on a human level, which is what is needed now. I think he hit the nail on the head. There will come a time to bring out the legal weapons for a different audience.
12.
Straight Dave | May 14, 2012 at 5:40 pm
damn italics. hope this helps
13.
chris hogan | May 14, 2012 at 5:43 pm
You're absolutely right! That's why the anti-gay born-agains hate him so much. He is framing this as a MORAL issue, and they are losing their "moral" narrative.
14.
Straight Dave | May 14, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Also weaving in family, religion and children to his personal position surely helps. This is where Obama's style of quiet, confident, human leadership pays off. He is not afraid to claim the moral high ground and defend it.
15.
Adam Bink | May 14, 2012 at 6:56 pm
It's a brand new day!
16.
Adam Bink | May 14, 2012 at 6:57 pm
See the blog post at the very top of this blog "Want to know where things stand with the Prop 8 trial?"
17.
AnonyGrl | May 14, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Wow! That is fantastic news!
18.
Kate | May 14, 2012 at 7:46 pm
I hate it that he's being called the "First Gay President," just like I hated it when they called Clinton the "First Black President." It really diminishes the value of the contributions of those from the dominant culture (straight, white) who are fighting with us for civil rights. It's as though one has to be gay or black or whatever other minority in order to care, and that is so NOT TRUE.
19.
Reformed | May 14, 2012 at 8:39 pm
He has the conversation going. He has done just about everything right, so I am satisfied. I am sure he knows what he is doing. Evolve away!
20.
MFargo | May 15, 2012 at 7:28 am
I think it's part of the legacy of prejudice against us: morality. The obsession of religious insitutions about sexual matters and the need to define and control them is a longstanding "privilege" of those who seek power. In the heterosexual community they toss around the word "slut" in a simiar manner to demean and control. I was forwarded an article that, for me, illustrates the loathing and self-loathing of individuals who cling to rigid, narrow dogma. In the comment section of the attached article the ignorance of "believers" is only overshadowed by their prejudice masked by a thin veneer of self-referenial scholarship (like we saw in the Prop 8 trial):
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/05/0…
21.
fiona64 | May 15, 2012 at 8:51 am
He said no such thing. He has *consistently* stated that he is against all divisive efforts to amend constitutions in a way that supports discrimination against GLBT people. Don't lie just because you're pissed that he didn't do things on your time table.
Leave a Comment
XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
TrackBack URL | RSS feed for comments on this post.