Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Presdident Obama has Evolved....



So now the President of the United States has said that  Gay and Lesbian Americans deserve the freedom to Marry,  not  civil partner,  not  domestic partnership-ing or any other  separate but not quite equal "marriage-esqe" arrangement but  out and out  Marriage. 

JoeMyGod has the reaction from the Pro-Equality camps  here .    We  are already seeing the unholy sh*tstorm that  is spewing  from the  American Taliban at the news  that President Obama has finally "come out"  in support of  Marriage Equality.

You can see the  beginnings  on twitter as the various  spokes-nuts  from assorted right wing hate groups are already spewing venom. Stomping their little teabagger feet and basically shrieking "SEE! WE TOLD YOU SO!"   The good folks over at  FOX News have already labelled  this  the Obama "War on Marriage"   ....Yawn.

Yet  it is interesting to note,  that FOX's main talking point on this issue has quickly changed.   Maybe the brain trust over there at FOX News has seen the latest Gallup Poll on this issue, which shows over fifty percent of Americans actually favor Marriage Equality for Gays and Lesbians....oops.     Have no fear though,  FOX quickly found their new talking point. "Obama is saying this just because it's popular!"


What does this mean?   Honestly, not  much.  Nothing has changed  as a result  of the ABC  interview. The Defence of Marriage Act  (DOMA) is  still  the law of the land in the United States.   Individual states can still enact  laws and constitutional amendments  that  ban any and all recognition of  same sex couples.   Just yesterday the  state of North Carolina  did exactly that.  Despite already having a law on the books in the state that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman.  (So now in North Carolina, same sex marriage is  twice as illegal?)



So  today's  Presidential statement on Marriage Equality does nothing to help bi-national same sex couples like us, who still  are forced to live in DOMA exile, or try to make long distance relationships work.   Still,  today's Presidential  "evolution" while essentially just  symbolic,  never the less is  historic.  The President of the United States has stated clearly and publicly   that  same sex couples should have the exact same freedom to Marry as heterosexual couples.   It is an endorsement of the civil rights of millions of  Americans that  has  been long overdue.

Thank You Mr. President.

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