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Joe Biden on Rick Warren Choice

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

In an interview with CNN's Larry King, Vice President-elect Joseph Biden answered a question on the controversy over the selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inaugural: "Barack Obama said you've got to reach out. You've got to reach a hand of friendship across the aisle and across philosophies in this country. We can't continue to be a red and blue country. We can't be divided like we have been. And he's made good on his promise. And I would say to the gay and lesbian community, they have nothing to worry about. Barack Obama, every aspect of his life, every aspect of his public life, and every commitment he's made relating to equality for all people, will be things that he will stick with and that they should view this in the spirit in which he offered the opportunity to - to Mr. Warren." Watch a video...

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Politics | Religion | TV | Barack Obama

Politics | Religion

Obama defends choice of Anti-Gay Pastor

Friday, December 19th, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama's announcement Wednesday that Pastor Dr. Rick Warren will give the invocation at the inauguration has set off a firestorm of criticism from liberal and gay rights activists. His selection by Mr. Obama further cements his place as one of the nation's preeminent religious leaders and also is seen as a clear sign to reach out to evangelical and conservative voters who didn't support him in last month's election. But it is Warren's strong opposition to abortion and particularly gay marriage which has many on the left up in arms over him being given such a prominent role in the inauguration. The Human Rights Campaign sent a strident letter to Mr. Obama, urging him to reconsider and calling the invitation "a genuine blow." "By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table," says the letter by Joe Solmonese, president of HRC. "We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination." Barack Obama responded to the growing controversy : "I am a fierce advocate of equality for gay and lesbian Americans. It is something that I have been consistent on, and I intend to continue to be consistent on during my presidency. What I've also said is that it is important for America to come together, even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues," reports CBS News.

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Politics | Religion | Barack Obama | Gay Marriage | Homophobia

Politics | Events

A Gay Band at Obama Inaugural Parade

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

The Lesbian and Gay Band Association, a musical organization comprised of concert and marching bands from cities across America and the world, will be included as a marching contingent in the 2009 Obama Presidential Inaugural Parade. "This is the first time that an LGBT group will be represented in a Presidential Inaugural Parade, truly our chance to make history," said the association's inaugural committee to members Saturday. Former President Clinton allowed gay groups to perform on the sidewalk during the parade, but not to march. "We will certainly have the biggest stage possible to remind people of the importance of coming out and taking part in our national community," said Cliff Norris, a member of the Atlanta Freedom Band, which is a part of the LGBA, reports Washington Blade. Watch a LGBA video...

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Politics | Events | Barack Obama

Politics

Barack Obama's Agenda for Gay Rights

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Barack Obama has posted his agenda to transform America on his President-elect office's website, Change.gov. The Obama-Biden Plan supports the LGBT Community and includes to strengthen civil rights for Gay Americans :

- Expand Hate Crimes Statutes
- Fight Workplace Discrimination
- Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples
- Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
- Expand Adoption Rights
- Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell
- Promote AIDS Prevention

The website quotes a Barack Obama's statement of June 2007 : "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." Read the Agenda here.

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Politics | Barack Obama

Society | Politics | Events

Obama Wins, Change Has Come

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Barack Obama, 47, enters history as the first black president of the U.S.. He made his first speech as elected president at Chicago's Grant Park, Illinois. Read an extract: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer... It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America." Watch a video of Barack Obama's speech...

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Barack Obama | Society | Politics | Events

Politics | Religion

Obama says NO on Proposition 8

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

Hours after the Proposition 8 campaign admitted it had mailed a flyer to African-American voters that lies about Sen. Barack Obama's position on the initiative, the NO on 8 Campaign launched a statewide television ad reminding voters that Sen. Obama, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, as well as the state's leading newspapers, have all called for the defeat of Proposition 8. Using the words each of these leaders has used to describe the unfair initiative, the new ad makes clear that Sen. Obama has called Prop 8 "divisive and discriminatory," that Gov. Schwarzenegger has said "it should never happen," and Sen. Feinstein closes by telling voters: "No matter how you feel about marriage, vote against discrimination, and Vote NO on 8." Watch a video...

In response to the mailer received by African-American Californians that misrepresented the position of Sen. Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, the Obama campaign released the following statement last night: "The Obama-Biden ticket opposes Proposition 8 and similar discriminatory constitutional amendments that could roll back the civil rights he and Sen. Biden strongly believe should be afforded to all Americans."

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Politics | Religion | Barack Obama | Gay Marriage

Politics | Religion

Obama factor in Proposition 8's battle

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

Could Senator Barack Obama’s popularity among black voters hurt gay couples in California who want to marry? That is the concern of opponents of Proposition 8, a measure on the November ballot that would amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, which was legalized in May by the State Supreme Court, reports The New York Times. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, has stated his opposition to Proposition 8, calling the measure "divisive and discriminatory". But opponents of the proposed ban worry that many black voters, enthused by Senator Obama’s candidacy but traditionally conservative on issues involving homosexuality, could pour into voting stations in record numbers to punch the Obama ticket — and then cast a vote for Proposition 8.

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Politics | Religion | Barack Obama | Gay Marriage

Religion | Politics

Obama's choice, Joe Biden, on Gay issues

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

Barack Obama has chosen his running mate: Joe Biden, the Delaware six-term senator who was candidate for presidency against him in the Democratic primary. While being Catholic (if elected, he would be the first Roman Catholic vice president of the U.S.), the 65-year-old politician is known as being pro-choice and usually pro-gay, even if he voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage in 1996 with the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defines marriage as "between one man and one woman". But Biden has favored gay-supportive legislation by voting YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes, voting YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation and voting NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. Like Obama, he does not support same-sex marriage (he thinks it's "probably inevitable" though) but civil unions that would grant the same legal rights: "I think government should not be able to dictate to religions the definition of marriage, but on a civil side, government has the obligation to strip away every vestige of discrimination as to what individuals are able to do in terms of their personal conduct." Biden is also in favor of repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, which bans gays from serving openly in the U.S. military. "Our allies, the British, the French, all our major allies, gays openly serve. I don't know the last time an American soldier said to a backup from a Brit, 'Hey, by the way, let me check. Are you gay? Are you straight?' This is ridiculous," says Biden.

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Barack Obama | Religion | Politics | Gay Marriage

Religion | Politics

Obama, McCain and Gay Marriage

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain appeared Saturday on the same stage for the first time in months, although they overlapped only briefly. In a forum moderated by Pastor Rick Warren in Lake Forest, Calif, the two men shared their views on a range of moral, foreign and domestic issues as they near their respective nominating conventions. Both men said marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Obama added that he supports civil unions for gay partners, which would give them rights such as hospital visits with one another. He said he opposed a constitutional ban on gay marriage, calling the matter a state issue. McCain's answer was less clear. If a federal court ordered his state, Arizona, to honor gay marriages allowed in Massachusetts, he said, "then I would favor a constitutional amendment. Until then, I believe the states should make the decisions within their own states." Read the full Associated Press report.

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Barack Obama | Religion | Politics | Gay Marriage

Politics

Obama supports Gay Marriage in California

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is opposing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in California, taking a liberal stand on an issue in the midst of a move to the center on others in recent weeks, reports the Washington Post. In a letter sent to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club of San Francisco this week, the Illinois senator said "I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states." Conservatives in the state are pushing a constitutional amendment following a California Supreme Court decision that overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Presumptive GOP nominee John McCain backs the proposed amendment. Obama aides emphasized he has opposed similar state bans in the past. They said the Illinois senator does not support gay marriage, but believes that federal and state constitutional amendments banning gay marriage can also threaten rights that couples have under civil unions and domestic partnerships, which Obama supports. His position comes as a shift for Democrats, as 2004 presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry backed amendments to ban gay marriage in some of the states in which he campaigned.

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Barack Obama | Politics | Gay Marriage

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