OBAMA MAKES JUNE ‘GAY MONTH’
To mark Pride Month, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both issued statements about the LGBT community.
This June represents the 40th Anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, in which protesters clashed with the authorities after a violent police raid on a Greenwich Village gay bar. The riots are considered to be the start of the modern gay liberation movement.
In his statement, Obama officially declared June 2009 as national LGBT month in the US:
“I, Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.”
Obama added that he is proud to be to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. “Openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism,” he said.
He also reiterated his promise to bring equality to LGBT people:
“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 decriminalise 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.”
In her statement, Clinton also commemorated the month of June and promised to do her best to support LGBT people around the world.
“In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its courage and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead.
“Gays and lesbians in many parts of the world live under constant threat of arrest, violence, even torture. The persecution of gays and lesbians is a violation of human rights and an affront to human decency, and it must end. As Secretary of State, I will advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” she said.
people are too harsh and critical on obama about all the gay issues. it’s not that they’re not working on it. im just pretty sure he’s a pretty busy man, and that things are in motion. still pro-obama! woohoo
He may be busy, but how long would it take to pick up the phone and put a moratorium on “Don’t ask don’t tell” until a plan can be made to do away with it? Just a thought.
…. Precisely. Why has he not intervened on the case of the Lt. Colonel who was recently dismissed for being gay after 18 years of service and two years short of retirement? He is the president and one phone call from him could reinstate the Lt. Colonel and put a stop to any further gay / lesbian people being dismissed. But let’s give him some time to see if what he promises will come to fruition. Words are only words until put into action. But bravo to him and to Hilary Clinton for at least starting change.
Hooray!. June is gay month! Nice (:
Well I never!. Who would have thunk! Gay month in america!? If america sneezes, the whole world catches cold! I believe this is probably the beginning of an era for LGBT rights. Taking leveraged steps to change mindsets. I say wow- i see the rest of the gripes coming to be sorted as a result onf this one single strategic move.
Of course detractors would still like to hold on to their positions that he has done “nothing”- I wait for the day where they sing off the same change hymn book as all of us. Viva Obama! Viva the Nubian Prince!
obama. let’s wait and see at the end of gay month whether or not he ends ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, whether he speaks out against prop 8, whether or not he extends benefits to same sex partners, and whether or not he passes the hate crimes bill. if he doesn’t, then gay month was a great, but hollow PR exercise. it’s action, not words that speak volumes.
I think thats it really integeral to the US state’s progression to a successfull ammendment of their marriage laws! Go Obama!
Does he mean it or just trying to stop the bad publicisity he has received about his lack of doing something about LGBT issues