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Late yesterday afternoon, the White House emailed reporters a presidential proclamation regarding LGBT pride month. There is no mention of marriage rights, which is unsurprising, considering President Obama's stated opposition to calling same-sex unions "marriage." But the White House still portrays itself as a good friend to the gay community:
My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.Of course, it's not accurate to claim to support "the full spectrum equal rights for LGBT Americans" if you don't support marriage rights. That said, Obama's statement serves as a reminder of the myriad issues facing the LGBT community beyond marriage equality. By the way, if you missed this yesterday, Dick Cheney, speaking at the National Press Club, said he believed gay people deserve "a shot" at marriage.--Dana Goldstein
