Information appearing on the Whitehouse website on Tuesday set out the Obama administration’s agenda of commitments and goals for their term. Of greatest interest is the Civil Rights Section, which explicitly explains the administration’s stance on a range of LGBT policies, including anti-discrimination legislation; civil union and Federal rights for gay couples; the Defense [sic] of Marriage Act; the ludicrous ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy; AIDS awareness and prevention; and adoption rights.
While it would be naïve to think that all of these will be drafted into law or, indeed, even brought to the Senate, the publication of such an agenda is highly encouraging, especially in the context of the UN call for equality and rights for all, regardless of sexual identity. In reality, until the Democrats gain a filibuster-proof majority, they are likely to face trouble bringing about wholesale changes in the Senate, but initial measures such as repealing DOMA and DA,DT, as well as federal recognition of civil unions and gay marriage from other countries could well pave the way to larger, more permanent change. We’ll see.
George Rambles 