Obama reiterates position against Prop 8 in MTV interview to air Mon night

[ruggerson]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/11/obama-on-mtv-i.html

Obama told MTV he believes marriage is "between a man and a woman" and that he is "not in favor of gay marriage."

At the same time, Obama reiterated his opposition to Proposition 8, the California ballot measure which would eliminate a right to same-sex marriage that the state's Supreme Court recently recognized.

"I've stated my opposition to this. I think it's unnecessary," Obama told MTV. "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that's not what America's about."

"Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don't contract them," he added.

[soleft]

1. Not a great answer - on either prop 8 or gay marriage.

I was hoping for something stronger.

[Ian David]

14. He's already said he's in favor of a Federal Civil Union. n/t

[soleft]

19. And that's an excellent place to start

[Zuiderelle]

21. No, actually he has not. Why do you want to make an argument out of this anyway?

We should be allowed to express our frustration and disappointment without people coming in here and making it an argument. He said he is AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE. We are disappointed in that. He did NOT HAVE TO SAY THAT.

Period.

[msongs]

2. the ultimate flip flop - people against gay marriage are RIGHT but dont support them - grrr nt

[Duncan Grant]

3. I wonder if it's time for me to be as enthusiastic about him as he is of me?

Do they teach one to equivocate like that in law school?

Goddamnit, this is going to be a bittersweet Presidential victory for gay married people like me. And it pisses me off!

[queerunity]

4. nice

its nice to see him in favor of equality
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com

[Duncan Grant]

10. Well, I hope African-Americans will hear the equality part and not the "against gay marriage" part.

Why is it so hard for him to say that gay relationships are just as legitimate and valuable as straight ones? This endless equivocation is insanity.

Yippee, we're electing Barack Obama -- pity about the gays and their civil rights in California. Oh, well - whatever. Let's party!

[Zuiderelle]

5. Why can't he just NOT say that? Why can't he just NOT betray us?

It makes me furious that this person who is so good in so many ways, and so inspiring to so many, myself included, can so cavalierly throw us away and say that he doesn't believe we deserve the same right HE has. Well, you know what Barack? My son deserves to have married parents if his parents want to marry, as we do, the same way your daughters deserve for you to be married to their mother. My son deserves to have the same benefits, and right to social security survivorship if I were to die, as he would have if his natural mother were to die. And my son deserves to have the tax relief we would have if I were able to file jointly with my partner, and the non-taxed health benefit we could have from my employer, which would enable us to be able to save for his college education.

Why are your daughters, Barack, more privileged than my son? Why do they deserve more equality from our government than my son does?

I really hate this. He didn't have to say anything except the part about opposing the amendment. He didn't have to be quoted (again) as against our civil equality. I hate that he has put a pall on the excitement I feel for him to be our president. I hate that I can't be 100% overjoyed as I want to be, because he has made it infinitely clear that he does not think that I deserve the same rights he has.

[Toasterlad]

6. OBAMA, STFU ABOUT GAY ISSUES.

Your cowardice makes me sick.

Edited to remove the word "please". He doesn't deserve courtesy.

[Moloch]

7. Obama will be the next president whether you like it or not.

His administration will be the most pro-gay in history.

He supports civil unions with the same rights as marriage.

That you have such disdain over the Democratic nominee for president over a matter of semantics is truly disgusting.

[Eryemil]

8. He's not our candidate...

...Whatever good he might do he's clearly not the president of the GLBT people and this smarts some here that seem to think he's the next best thing.
There WILL be a candidate for us someday but Obama is not it.

On one hand, he might be lying about his anti-gay stance in order to appeal to the American public (which is definitely what I'm hoping for) or maybe he just really believes that our people do not deserve the same rights.

Just because he might turn out to be the most gay-friendly president YET does NOT mean he will be the best we will ever have and I for one eagerly await the day I can put my support behind a candidate 100% percent instead of voting for the lesser evil.

[Ian David]

15. He wants to have a Federal Civil Unon.

Obama Supports States’ OK of Same-Sex Marriage
Topic started by IanDB1 on Mar-07-08 09:16 AM (18 replies)
Last modified by terrya on Mar-07-08 07:36 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4944895



Obama Cites Sermon on the Mount in Defense of Pro-Gay Stance
Topic started by IanDB1 on Mar-03-08 05:44 PM (127 replies)
Last modified by maddiejoan on Mar-04-08 07:02 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4864547

[Eryemil]

17. State rights are the biggest copout imaginable...

...Right up there with mentioning civil unions as if they were on par with marriage.

Separate but equal has sure worked before. Interracial marriage should have been left up to the state courts, same for sodomy laws.

Don't make me laugh.

[Ian David]

18. I agree. But I think Civil Unions are also the path to TRULY solving the problem by...

... separating State and Marriage.

Let EVERYONE-- gay or straight-- get a Civil Union from The State.

Make Marriage something with no legal status, that is an option you can choose at a house of worship.

It won't be Separate but Equal once EVERYONE gets Civil Unions.

[Toasterlad]

9. That You Have Such Ignorance About the Difference Between Marriage and Civil Unions

is even more disgusting. Try looking into the issue sometime, instead of drinking kool aid and bashing transsexuals.

[MNBrewer]

11. Every Democratic administration is more pro-gay than the previous Democratic administration

And every Republican administration is more pro-gay than the previous Republican administration. No big news there.

Civil unions will never EVER have the same rights as marriage. Sounds good to say it, but sadly, it never will happen. Only equality is equal.

The disdain is not over "semantics", it's substantive. You just don't have a clue, do you?

[Zuiderelle]

12. We all want him to be president and we also want him to support equality.

He has never said that he supports the same rights as marriage.

We have a RIGHT to be disappointed in our next president for saying something as fucking stupid as that he does not believe in gay marriage.

We have a RESPONSIBILITY to object to being thrown away like that.

We have a DUTY as Americans to point out that that inequality is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Sad

Obama just makes it harder for GLBT people to gain equality everytime he says that. It breaks my heart. Not in favor of 'gay marriage' when the vast majority of the country was not in favor of the marriage of his parents, a marriage that flew in the face of convention and public opinion.

[Ian David]

16. Before people get all riled-up about this, please read what else President Obama has said

Obama Supports States’ OK of Same-Sex Marriage
Topic started by IanDB1 on Mar-07-08 09:16 AM (18 replies)
Last modified by terrya on Mar-07-08 07:36 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4944895



Obama Cites Sermon on the Mount in Defense of Pro-Gay Stance
Topic started by IanDB1 on Mar-03-08 05:44 PM (127 replies)
Last modified by maddiejoan on Mar-04-08 07:02 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4864547

[Zuiderelle]

20. We know what else he has said. That's not the point.

Can't anyone understand why we are disappointed that he so plainly says "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman" and "I don't believe in gay marriage"... ??????

I mean really, come on! Just say, "yeah, I understand your disappointment. Let's all hope that he gains a better understanding and will come around some day..." Or just "hug" or just something. Why can't we express our disappointment without someone coming along and saying "Don't get all riled up, Obama is better than the other choice" or "Don't be disappointed, Obama supports civil unions"...? Why can't we just be given the space and understanding for our very valid disappointment in Obama being against our civil equality?

State marriage and state civil unions DO NOT EQUAL Marriage and give us NONE of the federal benefits. Fighting for it at that level will take longer than the lifetime I have. I have a right to be disappointed that the president WE ARE HELPING ELECT does not support our equality NOW.

[Ian David]

22. Yes, I understand. It frustrates me, too. n/t