BREAKING: Obama Embraces Marriage Equality

[JackBeck]

By Igor Volsky on May 9, 2012 at 2:51 pm

President Obama has come out in support of marriage equality for gay and lesbian people in an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts this afternoon:


OBAMA: I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/05/09/481147/obama-marriage-2/

Video: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/obama-sex-marriage-legal-16312904

[tallahasseedem]

1. Bravo Mr. President!

Now we just need to help him and the Dems in November to finalize equality!

[JackBeck]

26. He was in Albany the other day and had a meeting with Cuomo.

Coincidence?

[bigtree]

2. I think same sex couples should be able to get married

oh boy! That's it, isn't it? He's in for the fight! Fucking HUGE!!!

I'm spreading this far and wide!

[JackBeck]

32. THIS is a big, fucking deal. n/t

[swimboy]

46. Oh, yes, it is! Yes indeed!

Cheers, Jack!

[JackBeck]

51. Everyone's hard work and support have come to fruition.

While Amendment One in North Carolina was a devastating blow, we continue to tear down the barriers to social justice across the country.

[LadyHawkAZ]

3. WOOHOO!

[SidDithers]

4. K&R...nt

Sid

[maddezmom]

5. Way to go Obama

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!! nt

[malaise]

7. Special Report on ABC right now

Tweety says this is earth-shaking

[cthulu2016]

8. Good

[Bolo Boffin]

9. Thank goodness.

"Those that mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind."

Thank you, President Obama.

[Pachamama]

35. So True!!!! Perfect summary of what this will do to the election too!!!

This is most likely the realization that the Obama re-election team came to. My belief is that Obama has long believed how important civil rights, equal rights for all are....and like many People, strugggled with his feelings but ultimately realizing that discrimination against Gay people from having the same rights to marry and have families is wrong.

Im very proud to call him my President.....

PS: I was raised by Two Moms.....am a Mom myself now and am heterosexual. Raising kids has Nothing to do with whom you love, your sexual preference etc.....Shock!!!!!!!

[backscatter712]

10. Awesome! About time! n/t

[hifiguy]

11. BRAVO, Sir!

[FiveGoodMen]

12. I'm very glad he said this

But it should have been a given from day one.

[CTyankee]

24. well, the handwriting was on the wall and I guess he figured why not

do it now, when the election is 6 months out. It will give the campaign lots of time to deal with any problems, altho I don't see any myself.

I guess we have Joe Biden to thank for causing the issue to be brought to a head...funny how things like that work out...

[Lionessa]

13. For all those who keep telling many of us to STFU and support

whatever Obama does, let this be a lesson. He told us to keep pushing him, and I see it has worked out for this issue.

SO STOP WITH THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE ALL LOVE AND ADORE AND SUPPORT EVERYTHING HE DOES EVERY MINUTE HE DOES IT!

[bigtree]

29. he could probably use some of that support right now

he's in for a shitstorm

[Lionessa]

33. And it looks like he's getting it.

I think a lot of iffy, kind of dejected voters are pumped up now.

[dionysus]

41. admirable strawman you just disposed of.

[Solomon]

45. Ever notice how they always take credit for anything

he does? LOL He only does good stuff because we made him do it.

[CakeGrrl]

57. Yeah, I knew that kind of post would surface soon enough.

along with the 'regardless of his motives' Greenwaldian left-handed compliment posts.

[fishwax]

14. Excellent!

[nadine_mn]

15. About fucking time nt

[dana_b]

16. yay!!!

I am so glad he finally said it. The crap he is going to take right now will be worth it in the end.

[redqueen]

17. K&R

Feels good to have our President affirm this right. One step closer to being a civilised country.

[MineralMan]

18. Thank you, Mr. President!

You finally did it!

[HarveyDarkey]

19. My only question

What took you so long?

[opiate69]

20. fuckin a!!!

[Jennicut]

21. The right thing to do.

The only right thing to do on this issue. Thank you, President Obama.

[hamsterjill]

22. From Texas

I live in Texas, and I'm anticipating about half of the people I work with to start fainting any time now!!! LOL

Seriously, way to go, Mr. President.

[TBF]

28. IKR, heads will explode. Thank you Mr. President!

nt

[myrna minx]

23. WooHoo!

[JackBeck]

36. A truly historic day for social justice and equality.

[myrna minx]

60. I'm still blown away. I wasn't expecting this at all.

This is a truly historical moment. I think there's something in my eye...

[JackBeck]

63. You have always been such a vocal ally and we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.

It took me by surprise, as well. I got a Tweet around 8:30 that this was happening on Wednesday and I blew it off as a "I'll believe it when I see it." I was privately messaging people throughout the morning that I was cautiously optimistic, but when it finally happened, I was weeping.

[myrna minx]

64. Almost everyone I love and cherish in my life is gay or lesbian.

I have a dream that my LGBTIQ brothers and sisters have the same universal human rights and equal protection granted to(and sometimes taken for granted by) straights, and it's within sight, my friend.

Without the tireless efforts of activists like you on the front line and the brave souls who've publicly come out to put a human face on LGBTIQ equality, I think the equality would have advanced at a glacial pace. Just think back to the wounds of 2004 and nasty blame some flung at LGBTIQ for "losing the election" for seeking equality because it "wasn't the right time". Well, it never is the right time for some. But that attitude is for yesteryear. Look how far we've come in 8 years.

Now is the time and it's in sight.

[JackBeck]

65. My head spins when I think about how much progress has been made in the last 8 years.

And to hear a sitting President affirm my 15 year relationship? Never thought it would happen in my lifetime.

[DLevine]

25. Awesome. Thank you, Mr President! n/t

[DevonRex]

27. K&R.

I'm glad he did it.

[Whisp]

30. good man. Thankyou, Mr. President

[Terra Alta]

31. Way to go, Obama!

Of course, this will likely cost him my bigoted state of NC, but kudos to him for standing up for what is right and not what is popular.

[horseshoecrab]

34. President Obama ...

is a truly great President. A President for our times. To quote Nancy Pelosi, "A great day for civil rights."





horseshoecrab

[Arkana]

37. This makes the ACA seem like a drop in the fucking ocean.

It's HUGE. It's Lyndon Johnson saying "We Shall Overcome" in front of millions of people.

The MOUNTAINS of political taboos he just broke...my God, the floodgates are open. If he wins reelection it will open the way for future candidates to wholeheartedly endorse same-sex marriage. The party could make it a plank in their platform.

Jesus. I...wow. Jesus Christ, I didn't think it would happen. A President who's running for reelection coming out and saying he thinks gays should be allowed to get married. Sure, you can dismiss this as a political move all you want--but doing it in a year where the stakes for reelection are in the fricking stratosphere...

[Jon Ace]

39. It hadn't fully hit me yet, but your words helped.

Usually presidents wait until after they're re-elected or retired to say something like this.

History made today.

[JackBeck]

54. The Democratic Party will forever be changed with today's policy statement.

From this moment on, there will never be a Democratic Presidential nominee who equivocates on LGBT social justice.

[liberalmuse]

53. Very well put!

And I have to say, if it was a political move, it was a risky one. I knew he would one day come out and support it, but I couldn't be happier that it was today. I had been waiting for his soothing words after the horrible NC bigotry move yesterday. Let's just say that once again, President Obama has exceeded my expectations.

[Lugnut]

38. Yesssss!

Thank you, sir!

The bonus to this are the egg faced members of the media who beat up on VP Biden for speaking out of turn. Joe was floating a trial balloon and they took the bait.

[Scurrilous]

40. K & R

[Amaril]

42. Awesome!

Very proud of my president today.........well, proud of him pretty much EVERY day, but today.............

[azurnoir]

43. Good for Obama it's about time

the laws preventing Gays from marrying are no different from the laws that would have prevented his own parents from marrying

[mmonk]

44. Two thumbs up.

[chill_wind]

47. This is huge. Well done!

I'll be damned

[sofa king]

48. Yay!

This is thanks to us, you know. The President is banking on our support in this election, and we'd better deliver a straight-D tsunami if we want this to stick.

[Wind Dancer]

49. This is fantastic news!

Thank you, Sir!

[spanone]

50. k&r...

[SunSeeker]

52. K&R

[RainDog]

55. k&r n/t

[uppityperson]

56. Thank you for titling it marriage equality as that is what it is.

[ibegurpard]

58. good for him!

[woo me with science]

59. Hopefully it is the beginning of the rest of his evolution.

He has now evolved to embrace the position Dick Cheney arrived at three years ago: that he is personally in favor of equal marriage but that he still considers it not a civil right, but a privilege that can be denied by states through voting.


Obama, 2012:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/09/politics/obama-same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

"'At a certain point I've just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,' Obama said in an interview with ABC News...The president said he supports the concept of states deciding the issue on their own, ABC News reported."



Cheney, 2009:

Cheney supports same-sex marriage 'on a state-by-state basis'
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/02/nation/na-cheney2.

"June 2, 2009 WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Dick Cheney waded into another roiling public debate Monday, saying he supports same-sex marriage as long as the issue is decided by states rather than the federal government."


There is still much more evolving to do.

[TahitiNut]

61. I'll go him one further ... I think same sex couples should be able to get divorced.

After all, the joys of forming sanctioned relationships aren't complete until one wears the "brown helmet" of divorce.

[rapturedbyrobots]

62. hate to piss on the parade

But he did NOT embrace marriage equality. He very carefully stated he thinks same sex couples SHOULD BE ABLE TO get married. Which as a lawyer he knows is entirely different than saying the have a RIGHT TO get married.

If you listen to the rest of the interview, he very clearly explains that he supports the right of individual states to decide this issue. So, he simultaneously pays lip service to marriage equality and validates Ammendment One. Way to triangulate!