Sexual minorities have been a hot topic recently, with politicians, Congress and celebrities coming down on one side or the other of LGBT equality. The ball started rolling with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Vice President Joe Biden’s statements backing same-sex marriage. Then President Obama and Jay-Z came out in favor of it. (The former carries rather more weight than the latter.)
Obama’s announcement has brought kudos and criticism, generally along party lines. It remains to be seen what impact his position will have on the November election, or on various elements of his base, including African Americans, LGBTs and progressives. Predictions include energizing the gay community and progressives, but not losing any African-American supporters, who aren’t likely to support presumed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
In response to Obama’s support, Romney reiterated that he believed marriage should be between one man and one woman (no polygamy for this Mormon).
After his not-surprising revelation, accounts surfaced of Romney’s school “pranks,” which included holding down a classmate and cutting his hair because he was different. The student, who died in 2004, was thought to be gay was reportedly effeminate. While the others involved in the incident said they regretted it — some apologized and called it “vicious” — Romney has claimed to have no memory of it. For it to have had a lasting effect on the others involved and Romney to have forgotten it, he’s either lying or he has no concept of how his actions impact other people. Either prospect is not a desirable trait for a leader of the country.
In Congress, a Senate hearing was scheduled for the long-dormant Employment Non-Discrimination Act for June and a Senate committee voted in favor of extending domestic-partner benefits to federal employees. The domestic-partner bill now moves to the Senate floor.
In another piece of legislation, the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, the LGBT community is being used as political football.
The law, originally passed in 1994 and which expired last year, provides protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Senate passed its version with provisions to protect immigrants, women on tribal lands and LGBTs. The House version, up for debate on Wednesday, had stripped these, then added all but the LGBT protections back to the bill. The president had threatened to veto the legislation if it proceeded to his desk without the protections included in the Senate version.
Another House bill drew threat of a presidential veto — the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013, which covers the military budget. Among the items the president took issue with was a section that would provide military chaplains and troops “conscience protections” for those who oppose homosexuality and a section that would bar same-sex weddings on military bases.
Now that Obama has made clear his position on LGBT equality — and is continuing to defend sexual and gender minorities — the LGBT community needs to both keep the pressure on and appreciate that he’s standing with us.