Gabriel Arana says that by dragging his feet amid dramatic social and legal advances for gay rights, the “change” president has become the chief obstacle to overturning DADT.
The decision on gays in the military represents a sharp turning point: It takes effect immediately. In the Defense of Marriage Amendment suit, the presiding judge allotted time for an appeal. But as of yesterday, “don’t ask, don’t tell” is history, and it’s only coming back if the administration asks a higher court to stay the decision. President Barack Obama, who put gay-rights issues on the backburner and left advocates to fight for their rights in court, suddenly finds himself in the awkward position of being the prime defender of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” What could have been a political coup is now a liability that has put the president on the losing side of gay-rights issues.
