Printer-friendly version
PDF version
President Obama recently hosted 250 gay rights leaders at the White House to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village . While there has been a vast improvement from the active denial of gay civil rights during the Bush administration, many advocates continue to find themselves frustrated and hurt by the current president’s inaction to address the discriminatory policies of decades past.
The gay community flocked to the polls in droves to vote for this “fierce advocate” of gay rights, only to find themselves taken aback by a recent Department of Justice brief defending the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Obama administration has thus far failed to repeal the much criticized “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy barring openly gay servicemen and servicewomen from serving in the military, despite a recent rash of uniformed comings-out and the subsequent well-publicized courts martial.
A New York Times/CBS News poll recently showed that 57 percent of people younger than 40 support same-sex marriage, compared to only 31 percent of the 40-plus crowd. A whopping 75 percent of all age groups support the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the ban on homosexuals in the armed forces. Six states have already legalized gay marriage.
It’s time for the federal government to do the same. President Obama can’t simply wait for Congress to dither over the repeal of DOMA. The administration needs to take action. Part of that includes an order repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” from our commander in chief.
If President Obama wants to expand health care coverage in this country, he could start with the thousands of gay couples living in states that specifically deny such benefits to same-sex partners. The same goes for survivor’s benefits, inheritance, the ability to adopt children and make medical decisions.
This editorial, accessed via UWire, was originally published in the Daily Nebraskan at the University of Nebraska. Please send comments to letters@mndaily.com.
Serving the University of Minnesota Community since 1900
14 Comments
To comment, please login.
Marriage is an economic issue...
Economic issues matter and marriage is an economic issue. Studies show that married people are slightly healthier (less costs) and wealthier (pay more taxes) than their single counterparts and this is true for gay people as well. Therefore, it is in the state's best economic interest to grant marriage equality. This is because there are thousands of rights and responsibilities that come with the legal contract of marriage (yes, marriage is a legal contract and gay people deserve these contract rights).
gucci handbag
litigation, Omega Seamaster Chronometer Chronograph Automatic replica watch and the Freedom of exact designer replica watches Information Act. Several organizations Replica Rolex pearl master ladies Automatic replica watch including the American Civil Liberties Union fake breitling and the Center for mens fake watches Constitutional Rights were responsible discount Breitling watches for pursuing litigation that resulted replica handbags in the releases of replica knockoffs fake handbags hundreds of documents. Most knockoffs-bags of this litigation surrounded Freedom of Information Act cheap replica bags requests that were denied, Chloe Horse Boston bag-Tan 7714-01 replica bags often to cover up replica bags illegal government activity. The new database is replica tiffany jewelry searchable by keyword, document fake tiffany title, date, or organization. replica tiffany jewelry Many of the documents found in this watches replica database were used as Cartier watches part of the PBS watches replica documentary, DC is working with the U.S. Environmental
Compare and contrast:
Compare and contrast; one of my high school english teachers drilled that into my head. Compare and contrast: Slave rights and gay rights; the contrasts are easy, the comparisons are profound. Slaves could not get legally married either. They could not create and sign contracts, and what is marriage mostly (legally speaking) but a huge contract with thousands of rights and responsibilities. Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spoke there last year saying, "That just like apartheid laws that criminalized sexual relations between different races, laws against homosexuality are increasingly becoming recognized as anachronistic and inconsistent both with international law and with traditional values of dignity, inclusion, and respect for all." Apartheid: A system of laws applied to one category of citizens in order to isolate them and keep them from having privileges and opportunities given to all others. Stop gay apartheid.
Obama, DOMA, DADT and civil rights...
Kudos to New England an Iowa for supporting (civil) marriage.
This summer I've been busy officiating for couples who are coming to CT to wed from around the country, because they aren't allowed to do so in their own home states just yet.
Are you listening Mr Obama? Or have you forgotten Americans laws against inter-racial marriage of a few short decades ago? DOMA and DADT must end now.
Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace,
Washington, Connecticut USA
When Are You Going To Take Action Mr. Obama
This is a civil rights issue. It may be against some peoples gods rules but religion should not mix with law. This is the law and I see a similar pattern with slavery. We are second class citizens by not having the right to marry. One of the things that I have always been told is that you never let the majority vote on a Minority issue. By doing so, this puts heterosexuals (the majority) in charge of homosexuals. Thier votes decide the fate of our lives. I refuse to sit back and submit to heterosexual biggots. This war has been going on for way to long now and its time to take a stand. We have seen advances in the black community and changes for women. This is great but its now our turn to recieve the rights and benefits be deserve as human beings. Are you listening Mr. Obama?? Do you not remember your fellow black men who were once slaves? Do you remember that not so long ago it was illegal for interracial marriages to take place in our country? Of all people, you should know what it feels like to be treated differently and your ancestors struggle for freedom. The fact that you wont even address gay marriage is a slap in the face to the LGBT community and it makes you a hippocrite in my book. I dont know how to get this message to Mr. Obama. I have tried to write to him persnally and to the whitehouse personally but I have heard nothing. There has been no response from the Obama administration. I want answers and I want action. This is the year 2009 and its pretty sad that we have to have this discussion now.
Dr. Regina Benjamin.......
Obama has made a new pick for Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin. Regina Benjamin, MD, graduated from Morehouse School of Medicine, and ran a practice dedicated to low income families around Bayou La Route since the early 90s, and moonlighted in clinics and ER's to fund her practice. Her practice in Louisiana was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and again by a fire almost a year to the day afterwards, and she used a cash loan or two to rebuild. Her position on socialized medicine is unknown. Regina Benjamin is a credit to the human race, a great pick for SG – and many would give a cash advance to see someone as qualified take the post.
Let's keep in mind that one
Let's keep in mind that one of the so called "gay" penguins just went straight.
proof that it's a CHOICE thx
proof that it's a CHOICE thx mr. darwin. while we are at it, penguins also don't seem to support affirmative action, so why does america?????? oh to be more like the penguins...
A large number of gay-rights
A large number of gay-rights supporters pointed to these penguins as proof of something (I never quite figured out what)... perhaps their awesomeness. I don't know. You can read about it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8081829.stm
As it turns out, we are both making the exact same point, that point being that we shouldn't look at animals and then try to compare the way animals behave in an attempt to justify human behavior. I was trying to point out the ridiculousness of the Left, because they are constantly doing this. Not only gay activists, but others on the Left who will say things such as: "animals don't have wars."
Maybe someday when you are a college grad you will understand the subtlety of my first statement.
OH IF ONLY I COULD BE A
OH IF ONLY I COULD BE A COLLEGE GRAD, THEN WHEN I POST TO MNDAILY.COM I WILL UNDERSTAND THE GREAT SUBTLETIES OF MNDAILY.COM COMMENTER "ALUMNI." jesus, look at how condescending you are to an insincere response. if anything the fact that you're now a college grad seems to make you feel like you have carte blanche to be a supreme windbag.
also uhhhh if you're trying to point out that the animal world isn't a good analogue to the human world (by the way I disagree) then why would you say "btw the gay penguin is straight now?" it seems completely counterproductive to what you just said. "yall love this gay penguin? well how about this, he's straight now. also the fact that this happened is completely meaningless." okay man. okay.
maybe if I were a college grad I would understand better...sigh. :'(
I thought you could make
I thought you could make choices in a free country. Shows how much I know.
hey this is a bad comment? if
hey this is a bad comment? if it's a real one it doesn't make any sense and if it's fake it's not funny so I think you could do better than this "teh gaiz."
It was a response to: "proof
It was a response to:
"proof that it's a CHOICE thx mr. darwin. while we are at it, penguins also don't seem to support affirmative action, so why does america?????? oh to be more like the penguins..."
Even if homosexuality is a choice, why do people feel the need to regulate a choice of that nature? It essentially boils down to some people not liking what other people do with their own lives. It's like one of those lame homeowners associations bitching about how green your lawn is. WTF do you care? You have your own life/yard to work with.
not saying that I disagree
not saying that I disagree with you, but I am guessing people want it to be a "choice" on whether or not a person is gay because then they are personally responsible for anything that happens to them primarily based on sexuality. if you are discharged from the army because you are gay, it isn't because you couldn't help it, but because you made a life decision that the united states apparently disagrees with. by saying it's a choice you take the blame off the accusers and put it onto the accused.
I'm not a COLLEGE GRAD tho like alumni (p sure this name should be alumnus unless s/he represents a group of graduates but again I am an idiot) so I might have missed out on the subtleties of a million different things because I'm dumb. a dumb undergraduate without a degree. I am so retarded. UGH.