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Obama Needs to Take Gay Marriage Stance

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted May 8, 2009 7:50 AM CDT

(Newser) – Barack Obama has called himself a “fierce advocate of equality for gay and lesbian Americans,” but with legalized same-sex marriage spreading to state after state and “don’t ask don’t tell” ripe for repeal, he’s been silent, complains Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post. Washington politicians can let the states and the courts sort out gay marriage, “but that’s a dodge, not a stance. It certainly can’t be confused with leadership.”

Obama favored “civil unions” in the campaign as a pure semantic “political calculation,” writes Robinson, who "never understood the logic. If semantics are the only difference between a civil union and a marriage, why go to the trouble of drawing a distinction? It seems to me that equality means equality, and either you’re for it, or you’re not.” Which will it be, Barack?

[Images (3)]

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Gay pride participants hold signs in support of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama at the 38th annual LA Pride Parade June 8, 2008 in West Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)

President Barack Obama speaks about the fiscal 2010 federal budget, Thursday, May 7, 2009, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across from the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Participants pro Obama at the Gay Pride Parade on Santa Monica Boulvard on June 8, 2008 in West Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)

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On some issues I really don't see anything but black and white. Among them is the "question" of granting full equal rights to gay and lesbian Americans, which really isn't a question at all. - Eugene Robinson

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 25 comments

Fondue

May 10, 2009 4:52 AM CDT

alienw, you have got to be the dumbest piece of crap on this site -- other than ClearSight.

Corona_Kinq

May 8, 2009 10:36 AM CDT

HAHA, oh wait, you're serious aren't you?

Robert_Dada

May 8, 2009 10:27 AM CDT

I'm an atheist so the religious context means nothing to me and should mean nothing to the United States if we truly believe in a separation of church and state. I have no problem if any or all religions don't recognize gay marriage. All religions are equally worthless anyway. As for the fiscal context, the US tax code was written during times of extreme homophobia much of which still exists today. I wouldn't expect our tax code to recognize homosexuality for either the leadership in this country has historically been bigoted against homosexuals or too timid to speak out in favor of their rights. A change like this won't go over easy and won't occur without enraged emotions on either side. Revolution is probably the only way. Revolution by definition does not have to necessarily entail violence, but there will be social upheaval that will be hard for many to take - just like when we freed the slaves, gave women the right to vote and gave civil rights to African Americans.

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