White House Celebrates Gay Pride Month

Special Report - July 2, 2009
President Obama and the First Lady welcomed more than 200 members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) community to the White House for a party celebrating Gay Pride Month. During his speech at the party, the President acknowledged that many LGBT activists feel that he has moved too slowly on their issues since taking office. Yunji de Nies, in an article for ABC News, quotes President Obama as saying, “I know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that … But I say this:  We have made progress.  And we will make more.”

As Laura Meckler reports in The Wall Street Journal, part of the “progress” the President has previously promised is the overturning of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which would make the status of state DOMAs and even state constitutional marriage amendments unclear by removing the stipulation that states that do not recognize same-sex "marriages" (SSM) are not bound to recognize SSM licenses from other states. Furthermore, President Obama vowed to overturn the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Part of the President’s civil rights agenda also calls for “adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation.”

“The White House’s promise to fight for the acceptance and *** of a harmful lifestyle is deeply troubling,” said Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. Not only do these views not reflect the majority of Americans, but they also devalue marriage and the family.”

Copyright © 2009. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.