Obama Supports States’ OK of Same-Sex Marriage
By Rex Wockner
Published: March 6, 2008
Highlights Differences with Clinton on DOMA
In a Feb. 28 open letter to the LGBT community, presidential candidate Barack Obama stated his support for full same-sex marriage in states that choose to go that route. To date, only Massachusetts has done so. Bills legalizing same-sex marriage have passed California’s legislature twice, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed them.
“As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws,” Obama said. “I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples - whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage.”
Obama also said he’s better on the issue than Hillary Clinton. “Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate,” he said. “I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does.”
But achieving full equality for gay people will not be easy, Obama said. “If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones,” he said. “I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign - from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. ...
“I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.”
More:
http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=7646See also:
Obama Cites Sermon on the Mount in Defense of Pro-Gay Stance
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