Gay Rights, In His Own Words
Filed under: Gay Gay Gay > Barack Obama
So, what does Barack Obama want for LGBT Americans????
According to the agenda just published on the new White House website, this is what our new President claims he's going to fight for:
- 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.
[Image via WENN.]
Ok I'm too lazy to read the negative comments about this but I'm happy to know that they have to deal with it hahahaha IT SUCKS TO BE A CONSERVATIVE because really no one gives a shit about you…
I am so proud to be a gay American. FINALLY OMG FINALLY a President who ACKNOWLEDGES US AND CARES ABOUT US!!!
Will all that shut you up Perez about your non stop gay issues.God you are obsessed with your own sexual preferences that nobody else gives a shitz about.? It is not THE most important issue facing the world you know.!! There are far more relevant thing to be done that worry about a minority groups sex life. God forbid. Do get a grip and this is a gossip site , not a political forum.Stop boring everyone with your frigging gay agenda 24/7.Sick of it…………
For the most part, it's all rhetoric to appease the radical homosexuals.Re: The Warden –
If Obama forces half this shit on the american people, he will be toast come re-election. Americans are not a bunch of radical leftists, I don't care how many times the MSM and libs try to say otherwise. Blue dog Dems won't even vote for this garbage.
I don't believe that. When is he going to do something for me? Give me more college money? Or make me equal to a man?
Re: true till death –
You need the government to do ALL that for you? You are pathetic.
I'm glad he seems to be supportive to LGBT's but we ALSO need to focus on helping America's children if we want a secure future. We need better schools, extra programs for children, affordable childcare, free healthcare for ALL children and more stringent laws protecting children from abuse and neglect. Re: IMKVWS –
Is there anything else the taxpayer can pay for in your book? Clearly, for you, half of one's paycheck isn't enough as it is, eh? How the hell do you propose to pay for all this "Free" stuff?
go obama! first fix the economy & that war… the gays can wait!!!
"Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS"
What does that have to do with LGBT Americans?? The rise in HIV/AIDS in American women isn't amongst lesbians. Lesbians have the lowest incidence of HIV/AIDS for obvious reasons.
This makes me cry. I hope that he really does do all of this.
Re: halogurl12 – As I apologised earlier - my sources were a flawed Aussie tabloid who's reporter must have been blind drunk.
Mea Culpa (o:
Barack Obama means change……change means no Perez Hilton. YAY for change!!
Re: Toonkinstein – How about you start your own 'fun' website, huh? Perez does not owe you an 'opportunity to vent'; he owes you his, albeit occasionally inflammatory, opinion on issues of interest to him. Period.
Re: USMCwife24 – Sorry we no longer can buy into the DADT-is-protecting-gays-because-people-simply-cannot-change argument. It is not the soldiers place to say I will follow the commands I agree with or that are easy. They are to obey all commands or seek new employment.