Obama vows to end restrictions on gays in military

Obama vows to end restrictions on gays in military

http://www.washingtonpost...02872.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, speaking on the eve of a major gay-rights march, told gay supporters on Saturday he would fight for their causes and renewed a pledge to end restrictions on their service in the U.S. military.

To a standing ovation at a dinner held by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay advocacy group, Obama said he would "end 'don't ask, don't tell,' That's my commitment to you."

Many gay activists are frustrated he has not moved more quickly to carry out promises, such as overturning the "don't ask, don't tell" policy and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from forcing states to recognize gay marriage.

At the dinner, Obama acknowledged that work on those issues was "taking longer than you'd like" as the push to overhaul healthcare and dealing with the economic crisis dominate his domestic agenda.

But he promised "unwavering" support for broadening the rights of gays and lesbians and said he would not allow the issue to be sidetracked.

"Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach,"

"My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time when we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians, whether in the office or on the battlefield."

Obama touted his decision to extend some benefits to partners of gay federal employees and said he hopes to soon sign a bill that would broaden the definition of hate crimes to include attacks on people because of their sexual orientation.

The House of Representatives passed the bill last week and the Senate is expected to act soon.



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let's hope he does
[Edited 10/11/09 20:17pm]

cborgman said:

yeah that would have been good like 10 months ago.

[Edited 10/10/09 22:45pm]

[Edited 10/10/09 22:59pm]

[Edited 10/10/09 23:02pm]

"It is a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady GaGa"

I love my President
It's so nice to be able to say that now.

C:\Otaassk~.exe




The new best Prince M&M thread ever: http://prince.org/msg/7/323876

vivid is my new boo!

2the9s said:

C:\Otaassk~.exe




The new best Prince M&M thread ever: http://prince.org/msg/7/323876

vivid is my new boo!

http://www.youtube.com/wa...3oZ_pe1MZ8


http://www.youtube.com/wa...6K9dS9wl7U


^
[Edited 10/11/09 0:33am]

Obama has 2 put it into law that
religious orgs have the right to refuse
anyone they choose according to it's own values without being sued if
they pass the law the homosexuals can get legally married.

Im jus sayin...

Imago said:

"It is a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady GaGa"

I love my President
It's so nice to be able to say that now.

1212121 said:

Obama has 2 put it into law that
religious orgs have the right to refuse
anyone they choose according to it's own values without being sued if
they pass the law the homosexuals can get legally married.

Im jus sayin...

God DAMN there are a lot of dumb motherfuckers walking around! - George Carlin
Stalkerwomen of the world unite in delusion!!!!!

Obama loves to promise things he may not be able to deliver
more hot air folks.

thepope2the9s said:

God DAMN there are a lot of dumb motherfuckers walking around! - George Carlin
Stalkerwomen of the world unite in delusion!!!!!

Vendetta1 said:

ehuffnsd said:

God DAMN there are a lot of dumb motherfuckers walking around! - George Carlin
Stalkerwomen of the world unite in delusion!!!!!

Vendetta1 said:

Barack Obama's position

During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama advocated repeal of the policy to allow gay and lesbian people to serve openly in the armed forces, agreeing with General Shalikashvili and stating that the U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops expelled from the military, including language experts fluent in Arabic.[27][28]

19 days after his election, Obama's advisers announced that plans to repeal the policy may be delayed until as late as 2010, because Obama "first wants to confer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his new political appointees at the Pentagon to reach a consensus, and then present legislation to Congress."[29]

Obama's current position is that Congress has exclusive authority to lift the ban.[citation needed] However, in May 2009, a committee of military law experts at the University of California at Santa Barbara[30] concluded that it is within the authority of the executive branch to discontinue the policy.[31]

In July 2009, the White House and other Democrats allegedly pressured Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings to withdraw an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) that would have prevented the military from using money to carry out the provisions of its don't ask, don't tell policy.[32]

In a major departure from his campaign promises, Obama's administration is defending the policy in court.[33][34] Regarding the first reference, the government had argued before the Federal Appeals Court in San Francisco that the policy should have a blanket application, therefore negating a requirement for an expulsion review based on merit. Obama administration lawyers let the May 3, 2009 deadline to appeal pass, and the case reverted back to the district court.[35] In court documents, government lawyers agreed with the ruling of the Federal Appeals Court in Boston that "don't ask, don't tell" is "rationally related to the government's legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion." An appeal of this case, Pietrangelo v. Gates 08-824, was subsequently rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.[36][37]

On the eve of the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., October 10, 2009, Barack Obama stated in a speech before the Human Rights Campaign that he will end the policy but offered no timetable.[38][39]


so much for a FIERCE ADVOCATE IN CHIEF.

Vendetta1 said:

1212121 said:

Obama has 2 put it into law that
religious orgs have the right to refuse
anyone they choose according to it's own values without being sued if
they pass the law the homosexuals can get legally married.

Im jus sayin...

Please shut up. Thank you.

Cborg,

I watched his entire speech. I was proud of him. He seemed to get emotional near the end, but I was glad the issue was put forth and that issues of concern for the LGBT community are on the table.

2the9s said:

1212121 said:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...3oZ_pe1MZ8


http://www.youtube.com/wa...6K9dS9wl7U


^
[Edited 10/11/09 0:33am]

http://www.americablog.co...icial.html

NBC just did a piece about today's gay rights march in Washington. For the political context of the gay community's ire, NBC went to Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood. Harwood was asked if the White House was worried about "the left as a whole," and concerns they have that the White House isn't doing things that "the left" expected them to do. Harwood said the following:

Barack Obama is doing well with 90% or more of Democrats so the White House views this opposition as really part of the Internet left fringe.

Harwood then went on to say:

For a sign of how seriously the White House does or doesn't take this opposition, one adviser told me those bloggers need to take off the pajamas, get dressed, and realize that governing a closely divided country is complicated and difficult

video in the link

1212121 said:

Obama has 2 put it into law that
religious orgs have the right to refuse
anyone they choose according to it's own values without being sued if
they pass the law the homosexuals can get legally married.

Im jus sayin...

2elijah said:

Don Lemon has a lot of gay and lesbian friends.

Obama did pledge — as he has before — to end the Pentagon's don't-ask-don't-tell policy. But once again he said nothing specific about how he plans to do that and didn't acknowledge that he already has the statutory power to instruct the Pentagon that investigating service members' sexuality is not in the best interest of the armed forces. Also, he said that gay relationships can be "just as real and admirable" as straight relationships, but he did not say gay couples should be treated equally. Obama, after all, still opposes equal marriage rights.
http://www.time.com/time/...87,00.html

cborgman said:

1212121 said:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...3oZ_pe1MZ8


http://www.youtube.com/wa...6K9dS9wl7U


^
[Edited 10/11/09 0:33am]

and?

he's pro civil union. granted, seperate but equal isn't constitutional, but it's hella better than that fucker bush trying twice to amend the constitution to ban gay marriage.

1212121 said:

cborgman said:

and?

he's pro civil union. granted, seperate but equal isn't constitutional, but it's hella better than that fucker bush trying twice to amend the constitution to ban gay marriage.

Im pro civil union as well...

Most people want 2 protect and keep marriage between a man and a woman.
What is wrong with civil union if it give a couple the same benifits as
a man an a woman?...I don't see a problem with seperate but equal.
Men and women by nature are that.

I remember back in the day when gays and lesbians use to hate the idea of marriage and would gather and burn their parents marriage licenses in the streets. Why want it so bad now?