WOLBBaltimore - Baltimore's Home for Honest News & Information » gay marriage

Should Obama Support Gay Marriage?

News One — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:11:41 +0000

Would President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign benefit from him supporting gay marriage, TheRoot asks.

SEE ALSO: Top Ten Myths About 2012

Obama is arguably the most gay friendly president in U.S. history.

His repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and passage of a federal law that further extends protections of LGBT people firmly solidifies his support from gay community.

However, one issue he has been slow to support-at least officially-is that of gay marriage. TheRoot says there would be benefits and risks behind such an endorsement:

If President Obama expressed support for marriage equality before the 2012 elections, there would be both benefits and risks. He would surely excite some of his supporters, especially those who feel that he too often shies away from bold stances in favor of measured pragmatism and common ground. On the other hand, some voters who support Obama but still oppose marriage equality may abandon the president over this issue. That leaves the president with two choices: Endorse marriage equality now or wait and play it safe until he is re-elected.

What do you think? Would supporting marriage rights invigorate Obama campaign? Or would such an endorsement derail his reelection hopes? Check out the rest of the article here.

Cough Syrup Banned From Minors in California

Group Seeks Black Support For Same Sex Marriage

Al Sharpton — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:57:52 +0000

The Human Rights Campaign has launched a campaign featuring prominent African Americans in support of same sex marriage.

NAACP head Julian Bond, comedian Mo’Nique, and Newark Mayor Corey Booker have all made video testimonials supporting gay marriage.

Also read: Bistro Chez Lucienne: French in the Heart of Harlem

Also read: Ex-Cop To Be Sentenced For Cover-up Of Hurricane Katrina Shootings

The New York Times reports:

This isn’t a topic that advocates for gay rights or their many black supporters relish discussing, because it focuses on a wedge where they wish there was a tighter bond. But polls indicate that support for same-sex marriage lags among black Americans.

In 2008 Californians passed Proposition 8, which prohibited state recognition of same-sex marriage, with a 52 percent majority. Voting analyses suggest that between 58 and 70 percent of black voters backed the prohibition.

Barbershop Buzz: How Do You Feel About Legalizing Gay Marriage?

Larry Young — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:17:40 +0000

As New York legislators were voting on the pivotal gay marriage bill last week, TheGrio took to the streets to get an idea of what New Yorkers are saying about the historic decision.

Anderson Cooper Calls Out Obama For Flip-Flopping On Gay Marriage

Larry Young — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:49:13 +0000

Anderson Cooper called out President Obama on his Tuesday show for flip-flopping his stance on same-sex marriage.

During his “Keeping Them Honest” segment, Cooper said “New questions are being raised about what the president actually believes about gay marriage and whether his public opposition to it is real or just political posturing.”

He then narrated Obama’s position on gay marriage; initially supporting it in a written statement back in 1996, to opposing it when he began running for national office.

Cooper said, “Hard to see how the president’s position has changed so much. The only thing that has changed is his need for a wider audience to vote for him.”

The Huffington Post Reports:

Cooper then brought on gay rights activist Cleve Jones and Democratic strategist Paul Begala to discuss Obama’s flip-flopping. Jones called the president’s moves a “political calculation, and sadly, I think it’s the wrong one.”

“You know, Paul, Democrats attack conservatives for being hypocritical on issues that they’re hypocritical about,” Cooper said to Begala. “But I don’t hear a lot of Democrats attacking their own president for hypocrisy.”

The White House recently released a statement that Obama feels the issue of same-sex marriage should be left up to the States.

David Tyree: “I’ll Trade In The Catch If It Means No Gay Marriage”

Larry Young — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:49:33 +0000

Former New York Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl legend David Tyree has received a lot of criticism in the past week over his remarks against gay marriage.

The retired athlete took it even further this week when he said he would trade his iconic catch and victory over the Patriots if it means gay marriage being banned.

In a video for the National Organization For Marriage, Tyree said that passing a gay marriage bill would lead to “anarchy.” His former teammate Michael Strahan and New York Rangers star Sean Avery have made videos for the legalization of it.

Obama Believes Gay Marriage “Best Addressed By States”

Larry Young — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:40:12 +0000

WASHINGTON — As the debate on whether President Obama supports same-sex marriage or not continues, a White House official released a statement on his current stance on the matter.

“Although the President believes that this is an issue best addressed by the states, he also firmly believes that committed gay and lesbian couples should receive equal protection under the law,” the emailed statement said.

The Huffington Post Reports:

Respect for states’ rights with regards to marriage is a position shared by many prominent officials and politicians, including Republicans like Dick Cheney. While it falls far short of a full-throated endorsement of same-sex marriage — a gap that will keep LGBT activists rankled — as it comes just days before Thursday gala, the White House official’s statement offers both an indication of where Obama’s evolution currently stands and a hint as to how the president will handle the inquiries that will be coming his way.

Obama is reportedly looking for politically comfortable ways to take a more open stance on same-sex marriage. Stressing states’ rights, with a basic federal guarantee of benefits for same-sex couples, could be the path he’s looking for.

This comes at a time when the political discourse on same-sex marriage has reached an all-time high, as the state of New York is close to passing a bill that would legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

Many considered Obama’s stance on same-sex marriage vague as Press Secretary Jay Carney has repeatedly said that the president’s position on the issue is “evolving.”

Nevertheless, Obama is expected to host a high-profile fundraiser at an LGBT gala in New York City on Thursday.

NY Gay Marriage Bill Vote Comes Down To The Wire

Larry Young — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:23:35 +0000

NEW YORK – Supporters and opponents of gay marriage made 11th-hour appeals on Sunday as state lawmakers weighed a vote on making New York the sixth state — and the most populous — to legalize same-sex marriage.

The measure that would make gay marriage legal, introduced by Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat and strong advocate, is currently one vote shy of passage in the state Senate.

The state Assembly approved the bill by a wide margin last week, and Monday is the last day of the legislative session before summer recess.

New York’s Archbishop, Timothy Dolan, reiterated his and the Catholic Church’s opposition to gay marriage on Sunday, vowing to oppose “any radical bill to redefine the very essence of marriage.”

“One has to wonder why the proponents of this radical redefinition, who claim overwhelming popular support, would not consider” a referendum “on such a drastic departure from traditional values?” he wrote on his blog.

Recent polls show statewide support for gay marriage.

Dolan wrote that the “government presumes to redefine” such sacred words as father, mother, husband and wife “at the peril of the common good.”

In Albany, Senate Majority Leader Republican Dean Skelos has said the bill as written has prompted concerns over its religious clauses and exemptions.

The bill does not compel any member of the clergy to conduct same-sex marriages, but some Republican lawmakers are concerned the legal protection is not strong enough.

Skelos said Cuomo has indicated he was open to including more specific exemptions for religious groups.

The governor has lobbied for passage and said he remains cautiously optimistic the bill will come to a vote and pass.

Meanwhile gay marriage advocates, including Latinos United for Marriage Equality, rallied on Sunday.

“Our demand today is simple and reasonable: bring Marriage Equality to a vote on Monday,” said Jake Goodman of the group Queer Rising, in a statement.

The group held a “Last Day of Marriage Inequality” rally in Manhattan’s Union Square, where supporters carried signs that read “‘I do’” support marriage equality” and “Be a leader: introduce the bill.”

New Yorkers United for Marriage also held rallies around the state.

The stakes are especially high because New York would become the most populous U.S. state to allow gay marriage approved by lawmakers, spelling a huge gay rights victory.

The state-by-state battle over gay marriage has become a contentious U.S. social issue ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections.

Five states — Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire and Vermont — and the District of Columbia allow gay marriage, while four states have civil unions. Gay marriage is specifically banned in 39 states.

Bloomberg Criticized For Comparing Gay Rights To Civil Rights

Larry Young — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:01:59 +0000

NEW YORK-State Senator, Ruben Diaz has criticized New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg for comparing gay rights to Civil Rights in a recent press release:

There is no just comparison between America’s struggle to overcome the evils of slavery and the promotion of the lifestyle of homosexuality. It is preposterous for Mayor Bloomberg to degrade and minimize the plight of African-Americans in this civil rights struggle by equating it with the effort to push to legalize homosexual marriage.

Black Americans should not sit back and let Mayor Bloomberg compare the long struggle of their ancestors against American slavery to the current fight for a lifestyle choice. The effort to redefine marriage to include a man and a man or a woman and a woman can never be compared to the struggle against slavery.

Read The Whole Story

Gay Marriage Opponents Planning To Appeal

Black Organization Pushes For Same-Sex Unions In Maryland

Larry Young — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:30:35 +0000

Maryland– With the introduction of a marriage equality bill in Maryland, LGBT activists are increasingly optimistic about the prospect of nuptials for same-sex couples to in the Free State. And one of the state’s leading black organizations continues to rally support for the issue.

Equality Maryland announced the introduction of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act in both the House and Senate last month, which would end the exclusion of gays and lesbians from civil marriage and allow religious institutions to opt-out of performing same-sex unions if they so choose. Lisa Polyak, vice president of Equality Maryland’s Board of Directors, singled out the Maryland Black Family Alliance for its efforts to bring the message of marriage equality to people of faith and color across the state.

The MBFA’s efforts include producing a public service announcement and providing funding and support to Equality Maryland, Trans-United, the Maryland ACLU and other LGBT groups across the state. The organization also appeared in the film “Maryland Voices of Equality” that highlights issues facing LGBT Marylanders.

The last effort to bring marriage equality to Maryland ended when the Court of Appeals in Sept. 2007 upheld traditional marriage in a 4-3 decision. Chief Judge Robert Bell, the first black person to lead the court, dissented from the majority’s opinion. He noted while “there are important differences between the African American experience and that of gays and lesbians in this country [...] many of the arguments made in support of the anti-miscegenation laws were identical to those made today in opposition to same-sex marriage.”

Carrington supported Bell’s sentiments, adding gays and lesbians were some of the first to support the black civil rights movement.

“Back in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, lesbians and gays joined in the work of the civil rights movement to help African Americans get their full inclusion in our country and into our institutions,” he said. “I don’t see how you can turn your back on a group of folks that are fighting for a chance to have the same rights. As Dr. King had said, anytime that there is a threat to justice anywhere it’s a threat to justice everywhere.”

Read more at edgeboston.com

RELATED:

Top 5 Anti-Gay Ministers Accused Of Being Homosexual

Military Lays Out Plan To Implement Gay Ban Repeal

Joe Jackson Says MJ Wasn’t Gay Despite What His Doctor Said

Vice Pres. Joe Biden: Gay Marriage Is “Inevitable”

Larry Young — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:51:40 +0000

WASHINGTON– Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that the country is evolving on the issue of gay marriage and he thinks it’s inevitable there will be national consensus.

He said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” the same thing is happening with the issue of marriage that happened with gays’ service in the military.

Changes in attitudes by military leaders, those in the service and the public allowed the repeal by Congress of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that will eventually allow gays to serve openly in the military.

Gay marriage is still not legal in most states. President Barack Obama recently said his feelings on the gay marriage issue are evolving, but he still believes in allowing strong civil unions that provide certain protections and legal rights that married couples have.

Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE:

Vindicated! Judge rules in
Fantasia’s favor [from Hellobeautiful.com]

Nicki Minaj calls Rihanna “The best
fondler ever” [from Hellobeautiful.com]

Trey
Songz ex-bodyguard diss record “warning shots,” attempts to expose Trey
[from TheUrbanDaily.com]

Antoine Dodson’s “Chimney Intruder” song
[from Theurbandaily.com]