Gay and lesbian couples tying the knot this week in California were ecstatic as the most populous U.S. state began to allow legal same-sex marriages. But passions cooled when the topic turned to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Obama supports national civil unions giving same-sex couples the same safeguards and rights of marriage, but he and Republican rival John McCain both say states should make their own decisions about gay marriage.
Many brides marrying brides and grooms marrying grooms compared domestic partnership for gays to the discredited policy of “separate but equal” segregated schools.
“With all due respect to Mr. Obama, he is not doing anything to ensure my rights,” said Ilana Kaufman of Oakland. “Domestic partnership is separate, and it’s not equal.”
Added Stephen Willard : ”He was a civil rights lawyer. It just seems weird to me that he doesn’t think we should have full civil rights.”
A few people in the unscientific survey of newlyweds and betrothed said Obama was playing politics — though few seemed to find that much comfort.
Gary Dubs was one who bucked the trend, though, arguing that sweeping, radical change was not the way to go. “I actually think it’s great that Obama is all for states to decide. A gradual change is likely to be more permanent than a sudden federal-level change.”
(reporting by Amanda Beck and Syantani Chatterjee)
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5 comments so far
One big YES to this entire article except for Gary Dubs. “A gradual change is likely to be more permanent than a sudden federal-level change.” Actually, Mr. Dubs, that’s historically inaccurate - Brown v. Board of Education, Loving v. VA, and Roe v. Wade were all sudden federal-level changes, and all three decisions are a.) still with us and b.) would be in pretty bad shape if left to a state-by-state basis.
Obama needs to get his act together and actually stick up for my civil rights.
- Posted by ShannonActually Mr Dubs has a point. Look at the Prohibition, it was a sweeping reform, and it did not stick. If states that allow Gay marriage are consistant and the idea becomes commonplace, other states will follow suit. Some holdout states may never change until a federal mandate is drafted, but that same federal mandate would have a far more likely chance of standing the test of times if they could site examples such as California.
- Posted by TomWhen I see Obama, I think of Abraham Lincoln. Whom entered his presidency preaching about letting the state decide whether they wanted to allow slavery. For those of you who know, he changed his mind right at the moment when he had the power to do something about it. And he did!
Obama has said that he’s all for Civil Unions, but that he might change his mind (can’t remember where i read it but im very confident of my memory, especially of this topic). I doubt he meant that he would no longer support any such rights for same-sex couples since DEMOCRATS are the only gay friendly political group this country has.
I have lot of hope about Obama. His decisions are well backed (defininitely a GOOD thing after all the Bush-Cheney secrecy) and so I think he’ll end up sticking up for my rights which is the right thing to do when you sit down and think about it (Seperating church and state ofcourse).
- Posted by LawrenceNYLike the schism that affected the US churches 100 plus years ago, when slavery and its legality was a hot issue (eventually all the churches decided slavery was against Christian doctrine! - like they were Christians?) But it tool them AGES to realise it - right?
Surely, the attitude towards homosexuality will be viewed as being anti-Christian, eventually, and the churches will drop the fascistic ideology that promulgates bigotry and persecution, ad hoc. Know what I mean?
I predict a few riots but eventual capitulation and cohesion amongs all those bible folk jumping up and down like lynch mobs.
- Posted by The Truth Is...[…] of international telephone calls and emails. (2) Despite his lifelong fight for civil rights, he still believes that marriage is an institution meant only for a man and a woman. (3) He thinks it’s OK to fuse religion with government-sponsored programs, as he proved […]
- Posted by Spare change; My two cents « Tale of the Fishwife