Subscribe to Breaking NewsRuby-Sachs: Obama’s Step Backwards on LGBT Rights
The junior senator from Illinois broke into the national scene after a speech given at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. But for those living in Illinois, and especially for those living in Chicago, he was a man with a political history.
Today, The Windy City Times looked back at some of that history and discovered that, while the rest of the country is fighting for progress, Barack Obama’s views – at least on gay marriage – have only moved backwards.
Obama was a candidate for State Senate in 1996 and, as is the custom, Outlines, the then gay newspaper in Chicago, sent him a questionnaire asking his position on equal rights for same-sex couples. He stated then, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.” He also wrote, “I would support and co-sponsor a state civil rights bill for gays and lesbians.”
In 2004, Obama decided to run for U.S. Senate and again, as is custom, he sat down for an interview with The Windy City Times (the new Outlines). There, he began to hedge his bets on marriage: “I am a fierce supporter of domestic- partnership and civil-union laws. I am not a supporter of gay marriage as it has been thrown about, primarily just as a strategic issue.” He continues,
What I’m saying is that strategically, I think we can get civil unions passed. I think we can get SB 101 passed. I think that to the extent that we can get the rights, I’m less concerned about the name. And I think that is my No. 1 priority, is an environment in which the Republicans are going to use a particular language that has all sorts of connotations in the broader culture as a wedge issue, to prevent us moving forward, in securing those rights, then I don’t want to play their game.
Finally, he tells Windy City,
Tracy Baim: If Massachusetts gets marriage and this gives momentum to the proposed federal Constitutional amendment against gay marriage?
Obama: I would oppose that.
The evolution of his views are more tactical than substantive. But the 1996 comparison does illustrate how years in politics have convinced this Senator that gay marriage isn’t a winnable option. Still, for those with a warm spot in their heart for the new President, his views on rights seem consistent, even if he does underestimate the implications of legal inequality in name and the potential consequences of that inequality.
But, as we begin 2009, the resolve of the more powerful, more experienced Obama caves. In 1996 and in 2004, Obama stated that he would oppose state legislation aimed at restricting the rights of same-sex couples. In the 2008 election he had the opportunity to speak out against Proposition 8 in California, Proposition 2 in Florida and Proposition 102 in Arizona.
He did not forcefully oppose those amendments. The opposition he did express was limited to early on in the primary race.
Vocal involvement in those races, even simply to dispel the rumor that he supported a ban on gay marriage, might have made the difference between a win and loss for equal rights in those states.
This was not only a failure on the part of the President-Elect. It was a shameful denial of a political stance he consistently held for the last 12 years.
Obama stated that he supports full equal rights for same-sex couples in the form of civil unions. He also stated that he would co-sponsor such a bill. I encourage him to re-read his questionnaire from 1996, and again, re-read his answers in 2004. I encourage him to remember that having great power does not mean that frivolous debates about equality should be replaced with middle of the road decision making.
The struggle for LGBT rights continues in the United States. Equality will come, and I can only hope that the Obama Chicago grew to love works hard to be on the right side of history.
wow, there are alot of people who really hate Obama here. I just have one question that I would appreciate answered: If this was Hillary Clinton, would you be going after her like this ? I remember she was saying the same thing that she opposed gay marriage but the gay community was still madly in love with her(and probably still is) I remember that she got HUGE applause at the logo presidential debate when she said that she was for civil unions. Why do we hold Obama to a different standard ? IS it because he’s black ? If it is, let me say this. Yes, he may be half-black but his father was Kenyan. He and his family NEVER- I repeat- NEVER experienced segregation or discrimination the way many black americans did. He is from Hawaii- a very tolerant place with lots of interracial marriages and he was raised by his family who happens to be white. So, please don’t expect him to “get it”. He NEVER and his family NEVER had to drink from a separate water fountain. His Kenyan father was well-off and completely outside of that. Nevertheless, Obama still gets it. I just want to know WHY we hold him to a higher standard than say our “goddess” Hillary Clinton.
This is a little off-topic, but did the Mormon Church violate state and possibly federal law by contributing many times more money to Yes on 8 that it claimed?
http://americannewsproject.com
He’s too big to fail, for some no matter what he does or doesn’t do he will always remain as an agent of hope. But slowly and with each coming disappointment, backtrack, throwing under the bus, whatever you want to call it, some will eventually open their eyes to reality. It’s a process.
drewski – Thats what Obama is for, Removal of DOMA, then to add the 1100+ Federal Rights to Civil Unions.
Rodney Moore – hmm, where to begin. 1, yes I am gay.
2, I have studied the history of marriage, so, please do me a favor and read up on it sometime, you would be amazed. Or if you don’t have time, ask a SCA member some know the basics of the history of it.
3, You do realize that UK gay unions are just that, not marriage. WOW, they have a major problem with that don’t they…
4, That ALL marriages ARE Civil Unions, you get your license from City Hall NOT the church. So if we get Civil Unions instead of “Marriage”, its STILL the same thing. Even as you put it “civil institution of marriage”. It is NOT “Creating a redundant and needless institution”.
5, Your the type that is actually holding back the cause by not bending and going after Marriage and not wanting to settle on anything else.
So, your saying that if DOMA is killed, and 1100+ benefits are added to “Civil Unions” where you can still say My Husband/My Wife, you would still have a problem with that because of a word??? I mean if you say that this is my Husband, are people then going to say “which, Civil or Marriage?”, don’t think so, they will see a Husband.
Is it possible to have Gay Marriages, sure, but not for a very long time.
And I will NOT “Do us all a favor, shut the fuck up.”, I am out there at all the rally’s, donating to the ORG’s fighting for our rights every chance I get, volunteering when I can with my other half. How about you?
“And you want to impose your own low self respect on all gay people?!?” – really, you know this how? It’s called being a realist. Please, go get a job with lawyers and politicians, then keep your eyes and hears open to all the fun they have. You will learn it is baby steps to your goal not sprinting. Esp when the majority of the people around you HATE you. And speaking of the black fights from history, please go talk to someone old enough to remember those times, and the story’s they heard from their grandparents. It took a very long time for the black community to get where it is today. or am I forgetting anything between Abraham to the 1960’s? And before you go off, I am a white male that went to a majority black school, where you could count the white kids on one hand, out of thousands.
FINALLY! An article worthy of praise and pats on the back. Well done Emma.
And Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, does anyone realize he just wants to turn us into either murderers at war or see us all dead. The lift of the “ban” is great, however, the timing, eh? And women still aren’t allowed on the front lines? A pity, no. War just kills more white men to make the world a better place, perhaps. But at least they will be out gay men too now? Obama has power now, he doesn’t have to politick to the gays and lesbians anymore. We were used, well, actually. You were used, I didn’t vote for individual. But Obama supporters, it’s gotta sting… get used to it.
Brad- Obama’s position is malicious regardless of his intentions. He is “just playing politics” and this is exactly what he promised America he would NOT do. Remember the whole “Change” mantra? His position on marriage equality is dead wrong, it demeans us, our lives and our relationships. How would Obama like it, if interracial marriages were banned and he and his wife were deemed divorced and his children illegitimate by a popular vote?!?
Hawk- You are a goddamned idiot. Opposition to marriage equality is opposition to one of the most basic and human of civil rights. You are a self hating homosexual who would happily accept being called Yankee Pot Roasted, as long as your “rights” are respected. And you want to impose your own low self respect on all gay people?!? Question, would Obama like it if black people couldn’t marry. Perhaps we can call it, Baby’s Momma Shaking up with her Baby’s Daddy or Fried Chicken? As long as they have rights, who cares!?!?! Hey, separate but equal worked SO well for blacks in America, who cares if they got to take a sh*t on a white toilet or drink from a white fountain, why did they get hung up on using “white stuff”. Marriage is not just a word, it’s not semantics, it entails rights, liberties and responsibilities on the state, federal, city, county, parish and international level. Creating a redundant and needless institution just to keep gay people shut out of a civil institution of marriage, is complete and utter bullsh*t. People like you, if you are gay, are the reason our community is being held back. Do us all a favor, shut the fuck up.
Alan Katz- Also, people like you who ride on the coattails of the movement, instead of actually doing anything need to likewise shut the f*ck up. The second people on this blog “get off [Obama's]back” is when Obama will do absolutely nothing for our community. Thomas Jefferson said that our Republic takes participation, you are spending your fucking time bashing people who are pushing for progress instead of advocating progress. If people like you would spend more time pushing FOR gay rights, instead of wasting your time telling us how perfect Obama(or Clinton or Kerry) is, maybe we’d be leading the free world on the issue of gay rights instead of being passed up by the likes of Nepal and South Africa.
Dave W- With all due respect to Third Parties and especially our Libertarian/Lesbotarian friends. The Libertarian Party has crazy ideas when it comes to marriage. They want to “privatize” marriage, which is pretty stupid if you ask me. Marriage is by definition a civil contract, and the idea of privatizing it is about as lame as the idea of privatizing passports or drivers licenses. The Libertarian Party has a position on the issuing of passports, they believe that as long as passports are issued, the US government should issue them to whoever is in the US and pays the fee. Even though they, by principle endorse free movement, they recognize that a passport infers rights of travel. Yet on the issue of marriage, given that they fear pissing off the more conservative crowd, they take an unprincipled position on the issue. If the Libertarian Party had a position on marriage, much like their position on drivers licenses and passports, that the government should issue marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender, sex and sexual orientation then I could have seen gays voting Libertarian. Instead, however, the Libertarian party has become less civilly libertarian and more obsessed with complete deregulation of the market and pot legalization. These are narrow interests.
John- Speaking of profiles in courage. I am reading this book as we speak. I just finished the chapter on John Quincy Adams. Obama had enough charisma, enough black voters who would have voted for him even if he ate barbecued kittens at a Halliburton shareholders meeting, enough guilty white voters and enough progressive whites behind him that he could have supported marriage equality vocally and still won. Yet he didn’t even have the courage to stand up and do that, even when he had momentum and popular support. Profiles in courage documents extreme cases of when statesmen put their own states or partisan interests aside and stood up on an issue, which in the end cost them. Obama would have paid a small price for supporting marriage equality but he would NOT have lost this election because of it.
The issue of Rick Warren is more symbolic than substance. However, Rick Warren is the feather which broke the camel’s back. Putting his Holiness Gene Robinson in whatever symbolic position he’s in, does NO good for gay and lesbian Americans on the street. Having a gay person in the cabinet is likewise symbolic.
All the promises Obama has made are yet to be fulfilled and from all we keep hearing from 365gay.com, Southern Voice, Washington Blade and CNN is that his administration is placing less and less importance on our issues. Progressive and liberal groups and think tanks, outside of our community, are also disillusioned with his backpedaling on his promises of substantial “change”. There is a huge difference between his campaign rhetoric and speeches and his actual platform stances and his administration’s policies. He seems to be resurrecting the old has-beens of the Clintonista era more than bringing “change”. Why the hell should gays and lesbians not believe what we’re seeing, when everyone else is seeing the same? The differences between Bush, McCain and Obama are more about rhetoric and style as opposed to policy. Gay and lesbian people aren’t the only ones being disappointed. We’re just the only “special interest” whose lives are DIRECTLY effected by the Obama Administration’s lack of substantial policy change.
For the short-term, up until the election, there was a backlash in some states (like California) on the issue and I am glad Obama downplayed his reactions to those debates. Very soon he’ll be the president, and I hope that he does revisit his views and personal stance on gay marriage.
I hope that he gives the United States the oportunity a spending re-birth. Gay weddings, cruises, trip, second homes, etc., help to stimulate the economy and create jobs. In a plummeting economy, this can’t be a bad thing!