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Socarides: Obama Must Support Marriage


Richard Socaridesx180 (Law) | Advocate.com

Richard Socarides, a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton on LGBT issues, writes that the recent Proposition 8 ruling in federal court gives President Barack Obama no choice but to support marriage equality.

In an opinion piece for Politico, Socarides writes that following the landmark opinion from Judge Vaughn Walker, the civil unions position Obama held in the campaign is not a viable political option among gay voters and younger liberals who supported him in 2008.

“His presidential campaign view seemed fine for most gay voters at the time (despite its apparent political expediency), and he received their overwhelming support in the general election,” writes Socarides, adding, “But that position is now untenable for several reasons.”

Read the opinion here.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: pepa
    Date posted: 8/19/2010 3:30:37 PM
    Hometown: surprise, az

    Comment:

    I simply do not get you libs, I am for gay marriage, I get lambasted, Obama is AGAINST it, he is praised. Does anybody else understand this behavior? Is Charles and his ilk (Raul, Frank from Elk grove, Grandma Daisy and the rest of the backbench) really that insane?

  • Name: pepa
    Date posted: 8/19/2010 3:26:14 PM
    Hometown: surprise, az

    Comment:

    @ Charles, Get a grip. Maybe you should replace "blah blah" with actual words, or have you forgotten how to use them? Drone.

  • Name: Charles
    Date posted: 8/19/2010 2:29:19 PM
    Hometown: Akron

    Comment:

    Me - Are you related to pepa?

  • Name: Charles
    Date posted: 8/19/2010 2:27:21 PM
    Hometown: Akron

    Comment:

    Blah, blah, blah pepa. Hate, hate, hate. Blah, blah, blah.

  • Name: Charlie
    Date posted: 8/19/2010 12:33:47 PM
    Hometown: Doylestown, PA

    Comment:

    I find it ironic that while Obama is a product of interracial marriage, forbidden by Federal law until recently, he supports the same 2nd class citizenry status for us. How can you tell an entire class of people we can't participate in a fundamental right to pursue happiness because of who we love? We can't serve openly in the military. We have no employment or housing protection. I'm happy the issues are being addressed more aggressively now, but the government has no legitimate interest in forbidding same-sex marriage. Even if perpetuating the human race through traditional opposite sex procreation were in the best interest of the country (which I'm not entirely certain of given the world's overpopulation and the rapid depletion of precious natural resources that comes with it), forbidding same-sex marriage is not tailored to meet that interest. It's so clear: we're 2nd class citizens, denied participation in much of civil law and subjected to state-sanctioned discrimination.

  • Name: Me
    Date posted: 8/19/2010 12:09:24 PM
    Hometown: USA

    Comment:

    Could you people please stop making him sin against the teachings of his own religion? It's abundantly clear that anything homosexual (including homosexual marriage) is forbidden in Mohammedanism. So please leave him alone so he can build his mosque and worship whatever the hell his people worship in their mosques, in peace? Just remember to vote wisely next time.

  • Name: K.C. Read
    Date posted: 8/18/2010 7:44:04 PM
    Hometown: Auckland

    Comment:

    I definitely feel the Walker decision will go down as a turning point, as a pivotal moment where a critical mass has swollen for marriage equality that cannot really be turned around anymore. The religious right had their last gasp with the 2004-2005 campaigns that created the "glands" on the penis-shaped poll of same-sex marriages released last week. Every wise Democratic politician who has not yet come out for marriage equality will now be carefully pondering with their advisors how, when and where they will modulate their change on this position. Kudos to those who got in first on principle - history will look upon them warmly.

  • Name: DOUG
    Date posted: 8/18/2010 6:58:26 PM
    Hometown: VB

    Comment:

    Obama won't support gay marriage until mid November 2012- if he wins re election...if he loses- he'll probably blame us...at this pace, I'll gladly accept!

  • Name: pepa
    Date posted: 8/18/2010 3:18:46 PM
    Hometown: surprise, az

    Comment:

    Dream on Socarides! Shoulda' Woulda' Coulda" But WONT. Because your messiah is AGAINST natural rights and individual liberty. Why the hell would he allow people to marry without his permission? (like buying a car, house, medical insurance, cashing in 401ks without the permission of the "great one") You Obama drones are pathetic. Instead of trying to shove your Obama love down our throats why don't you grow some balls and tell him yourself. Most of us here are fine with gay marriage. So go to HIM.

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 8/18/2010 2:33:29 PM
    Hometown: Omaha

    Comment:

    I definitely agree with the sentiment that using "I support civil unions" as a political position is just a cop-out these days. Marriage equality will happen; it's just a matter of how long it takes. And as someone else said further down in the comments, history will not be kind to those who fail to stand solidly on the side of marriage equality.



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