Obama says same-sex couples deserve same legal rights, but doesn't endorse gay marriage
Thu. June 23, 2011 8:57 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
president obama addresses lgbt leadership gala
photo credit // jacob meister
New York City -
Speaking at an LGBT gala in New York City Thursday night, President Barack Obama tried to put an end to the debate on whether he supports same-sex marriage or not. The president said that gay couples "deserve the same legal rights" as all couples.
"Ever since I entered into public life, ever since I have a memory about what my mother taught me, and my grandparents taught me, I believed that discriminating against people was wrong. I had no choice. I was born that way," Obama told the crowd of about 600 at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender leadership gala. "I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country."
At one point, a heckler shouted, "Say yes to marriage!"
But Obama stopped short of explicitly backing gay marriage during his seven-minute speech.
"In grappling with tough and, at times, emotional issues in legislatures and in courts and at the ballot box, and, yes, around the dinner table and in the office hallways, and sometimes even in the Oval Office, slowly but surely we find the way forward," said the President. "That's how we will achieve change that is lasting -- change that just a few years ago would have seemed impossible."
About 50 people protested outside the $1,250 plate fundraiser, which was emceed by openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris.
The President has recently been accused of flip-flopping on the issue of gay marriage.
Last week, a White House official called the President's view on gay marriage "evolving." That statement is in sharp contrast to a 1996 questionnaire Barack Obama filed when running for Illinois State Senate.
Responding to a questionnaire submitted to Outlines (now Windy City Times), an LGBT newspaper in Chicago, Obama stated, "I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages."
When asked about the 1996 questionnaire, which bears Barack Obama's signature, White House press secretary Dan Pfeiffer told reporters last Friday that it was "actually filled out by someone else."
After backlash over his comment, the White House said Pfieffer was mistaken and that the President was expressing support for civil unions, not gay marriage, when answering the 1996 questionnaire.
Gay rights activists have called Obama's stance on same-sex marriage vague, but a number of Democrats have come to the aid of the President's record on gay rights. Openly-gay Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) called Obama "the best president this country has ever had on LGBT issues."
It remains unclear if Obama's comments Thursday night will end the debate on whether he supports full marriage equality.
Jacob Meister, Founder and Governing Board President for Chicago-based The Civil Rights Agenda, was at the event and described it as an "amazing event." Meister told GoPride.com, "The President made clear that he is a great friend of the community and will be there for us."
"Ever since I entered into public life, ever since I have a memory about what my mother taught me, and my grandparents taught me, I believed that discriminating against people was wrong. I had no choice. I was born that way," Obama told the crowd of about 600 at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender leadership gala. "I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country."
At one point, a heckler shouted, "Say yes to marriage!"
But Obama stopped short of explicitly backing gay marriage during his seven-minute speech.
"In grappling with tough and, at times, emotional issues in legislatures and in courts and at the ballot box, and, yes, around the dinner table and in the office hallways, and sometimes even in the Oval Office, slowly but surely we find the way forward," said the President. "That's how we will achieve change that is lasting -- change that just a few years ago would have seemed impossible."
About 50 people protested outside the $1,250 plate fundraiser, which was emceed by openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris.
The President has recently been accused of flip-flopping on the issue of gay marriage.
Last week, a White House official called the President's view on gay marriage "evolving." That statement is in sharp contrast to a 1996 questionnaire Barack Obama filed when running for Illinois State Senate.
Responding to a questionnaire submitted to Outlines (now Windy City Times), an LGBT newspaper in Chicago, Obama stated, "I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages."
When asked about the 1996 questionnaire, which bears Barack Obama's signature, White House press secretary Dan Pfeiffer told reporters last Friday that it was "actually filled out by someone else."
After backlash over his comment, the White House said Pfieffer was mistaken and that the President was expressing support for civil unions, not gay marriage, when answering the 1996 questionnaire.
Gay rights activists have called Obama's stance on same-sex marriage vague, but a number of Democrats have come to the aid of the President's record on gay rights. Openly-gay Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) called Obama "the best president this country has ever had on LGBT issues."
It remains unclear if Obama's comments Thursday night will end the debate on whether he supports full marriage equality.
Jacob Meister, Founder and Governing Board President for Chicago-based The Civil Rights Agenda, was at the event and described it as an "amazing event." Meister told GoPride.com, "The President made clear that he is a great friend of the community and will be there for us."