Let the Change Begin With Us
January 20, 2009
I hope that each of you who are citizens of the United States are enjoying the promise of this new day in our history as a nation, and that the hope has spread to our friends around the world. As GLBTQ Americans, there’s been some frustration and disappointment leading up to today’s Inauguration but tomorrow is another day and at whitehouse.gov there is indeed reason to hope for our tomorrows and for those who follow us in the agenda outlined for this new Presidency. For this moment the agenda below is only words but together we pray that these words become deeds and the agenda becomes action. It will take more than a new Administration. It will take of us and it will take time, but as today reminds us any dream is possible. Believe it.
Support for the LGBT Community
“While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”– Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
- Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
- Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees’ domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
- Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
- Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
- Repeal Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
- Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
- Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma — too often tied to homophobia — that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
- Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.
Posted in News and Events
Sweet Hope Cookies
January 20th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I do love it that this agenda moved from his campaign website to his transition website and now to the WhiteHouse.gov website with very little change. You’re right — they’re just words now, but it IS wonderful to have leadership that acknowledges the need for change in this area!
January 20th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I’m just glad to be able to say openly that I also support these legislative goals and achievements. I said so to my mom and dad on the phone today, to my son this afternoon, and in comments on facebook. No more the pretense of “pastor’s wife” who “could not” be publically “liberal”. Such a great sigh of relief for me personally.
In terms of the future, time time and more time, with not a little bit of bravery along the way. I’ve registered at Obama.com to help in my community. I think I’ll look for both political and community volunteer opportunities. To quote #44 .. We can do it!
January 28th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Hooray!!! It was amazing to see this. I was at my parents house watching Huckabee with my folks when good ‘ol “Huck” brought up this page at whitehouse.gov on his show. Oh, I bit my tongue so hard that it nearly fell off. I have nothing against Huckabee, just his views. He went point-by-point and talked about how absolutely awful everything Obama was hoping to do for the LGBT people would be. It was stunning. Then my parents chimed in and said that Obama was already a bad president and he was probably The Antichrist.
Wow??!! My only comment was, ” The Religious Right is very amusing. Amusing in a way that makes a person want to bang their head against the wall in frustration, but amusing never the less. And nothing Obama wants to do for the LGBTs will be bad.” To which my father’s reply was, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. That [the "n" word] will change your way of life as you know it. ” GOOD. It’s about time. So far, if Obama follows through with his word, that change would only be improving my life and the life of my future wife.
Anyway, it’s great to see that we finally have a president who has thought through LGBT issues. Hopefully, the conservatives can’t block him too badly when he goes to make changes. I wish they would come around and be more open-minded. As for my parents? They have told me to not come over or to leave if I am over Saturdays when they are watching Huckabee. They said they enjoy Huckabee because he speaks “the truth” and when I comment it upsets them too much. Oh well, it’s their house.