No one would accuse President Obama of talking about LGBT rights too much, but when he does get around to doing so, he can be pretty direct. At a press conference in Senegal on Thursday, Obama took a deep dive into gay issues, commenting more about the Supreme Court DOMA ruling and prodding his host country to eliminate laws criminalizing homosexuality.
Obama made a key point about the ruling. From the federal government’s perspective, he thinks you are married even if you move to a state that doesn’t recognize your marriage.
“It’s my personal belief, but I’m speaking now as a president not as a lawyer, that if you marry someone in Massachusetts and you move somewhere else, you’re still married,” Obama said at a news conference. “We’re going to be evaluating all these issues.” This is an important issue, since many federal benefits, including Social Security survival benefits, depend on whether the state you live in recognizes your marriage.
At the same press conference, Obama made pointed observations about Senegal’s own laws that criminalize homosexuality.
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“But when it comes to how the state treats people, how the law treats people, I believe that everybody has to be treated equally,” Obama said. “I don’t believe in discrimination of any sort. That’s my personal view. And I speak as somebody who comes from a country in which there were times when people were not treated equally under the law, and we had to fight long and hard under a civil rights struggle to make sure that happened.”
Senegal President Macky Sall responded to Obama’s comments defensively. He said that Senegal is not ready to decriminalize homosexuality,” because “we have different traditions.” At the same time, Sall insisted that his country is “not homophobic.” After all, who could ever think that throwing people in jail for being gay is some kind of homophobia?
Derek Williams
Even though I don’t live in the USA, I still feel I can say, “That’s my President!”
alterego1980
This is why i am completely mystified by anyone who continues to complain about Obama’s record on LGBT issues. He stands up for us, and goes out of his way to do so, not just when it’s convenient, but whenever it’s necessary!
2eo
@Derek Williams: Agreed, as a Brit I’m very happy, because our government is so absolutely gutless and weak we follow the US examples almost to the letter. So progress in the US is progress here.
Plus I like Obama and would rather have cancer than shake hands with David Cameron or George Osbourne.
Dakotahgeo
My heart is immensely warmed about the legal events of the last two days! President Obama has been INSTRUMENTAL in advancing the GLBT cause for our community! I tire of the “whiney” type of GLBT people who insist that enough is never enough! They sound like conservative extremist “wannabes” who are never satisfied! The President, any President was NOT elected to serve only the wishes of a few people, but ‘all’ citizens. He has walked miles and miles in undoing past mistakes like the DOMA debacle that President Clinton rightfully apologized for! For the GLBT community the icing on the cake was the undoing of the DOMA and Prop 8 silliness! Not to mention the millions and millions of US citizens who have learned that there is noting scary about the GLBT community… just more to learn about our Community and the positive achievements still to come in this world and worldview. Phooey on the naysayers, negativos, and the sad-you-sees! The world will always have the unhappy people with us. Like Michele Botchmann’s comments??? WHO CARES?!
Robert
Obama 2016 (I know only2 terms allowed)
I hope all our gay brothers and sisters move out of the Red states leaving those states to wallow in their hatred, ignorance, and uneducated lives.
Dakotahgeo
@Derek Williams: You are most welcome here, Derek! Hurry on over! 😉
larryh
We still have two Americas. If our President truly and I do mean truly, wants equal marriage for all than Mr. President use your pen to make it so. Stop KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. This has to stop. The leaders of our land has to much control of adult lives and our bedrooms. Stick to building a stronger. And just do it.
miagoodguy
Looks like Obama stuck his finger in the political wind and sees where they are blowing. Too bad he didn’t have the spine to stand by his conviction (much like Clinton when he signed DOMA) before the pendulum swung in our direction.
Dakotahgeo
@miagoodguy: You need to understand that former President Clinton sign DOMA for one reason, and one reason only: He was looking at his re-election chances. He followed through with DOMA and was re-elected. Had you done a modicum of research you would have found those were President Clinton’s very words! DOMA = Re-election!
Sohobod
Americans are so stupid. Excuses for Clinton. Excuses for Obama. Actually, the American Right and the American Left are equally stupid. They believe in individuals, rather than look at what they say.
@ alterego1980 You are quite ridiculously stupid. the trouble is that you don’t have faintest idea what I’m talking about.
@ Robert Dito.
@ Dakotahgeo Dito, plus you’re an idiot.
@ 2eo I thought that you would have had more sense.
EricNYCity
@Sohobod
sounds like you’re the stupid one!! BTW… Dito is spelled ditto. Get it right, moron!
Teleny
The president has really delivered for our community. At first I was a bit concerned, but like Lincoln he is a master of politics and understands public opinion, timing, etc. 3rd term????
Dakotahgeo
@EricNYCity: I don’t think sohobod’s Mommy knows he’s escaped from his crib. He’ll be fine after his bottle, meds, and nap. And sohobod could be from either South Hollywood or the SoHo district of London. In either case, he’s out of his element on this blog and any others he’s trying to impress. (Then again, he may just be a victim of his parents’ upbringing!).
2eo
@EricNYCity: I wouldn’t worry what he thinks, he’s a Tory, and a right Tory at that, he’s also an apologist. He posts on The Telegraph site where he’s loved because he’s a panderer to the people who murder us.
Ronbo
@Dakotahgeo: And his re-election gave us … what? NAFTA, Outsourcing American Jobs, etc….
Clinton is a conservative just as is Bush1, Bush2 and Obama. Don’t think lip service is action. Obama has signed EVERY SINGLE BILL the Republicans sent him. Obama supports Wallstreet and the Banksters while increasing prosecution of whistleblowers.
Ronbo
@Sohobod: You are easily smarter than these Obots. They think that when Obama farts, it’s a new scent…Familiar, yet unusual. They don’t think, they follow.@Teleny:
Dakotahgeo
@Sohobod: No, the REAL problem is, YOU don’t know what you’re talking about, so actually, how are we to follow you? Hmmmm.
Dakotahgeo
@Ronbo: Mehhhhhhhhhh… whateva!
tjr101
Ugh, we can always count on the Obama haters to infest any article that involves the President.
miagoodguy
Yes, so Clinton sold out the gays for political reasons (his reelection) and we should be proud he did it and got reelected? That means he has a political spine and stood by his conviction how exactly? So he didn’t stick his finger in the air to see where the political wind was blowing to make sure he was reelected and damn what the right thing is? I guess there apologists for bad behavior (the gays for DOMA and DADT and women for his boarish and piggish attitude towards women).
Charli Girl
I’m seriously considering moving out of Texas,UNLESS Wendy Davis would SO eloquently become my NEW and hot GUVNA!!!! Ive always liked Massachusetts,maybe Northern Cali… .hmmmmm
OBAMA GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND,NOW HE’ll sign that Exec Order,watch n see
Dakotahgeo
@Charli Girl: Heyyyyyy, Charli Girl!!! Were I not so old, I would gladly move to Minnesota (but too damn cold!!!), or Washington (I’m too damn arthritic!), or Iowa (I’m too damn progressive!), so I’ll just stay in Kansas and complain (I’m amongst these damn Kansas/Missouri complainers), LOLOL. Thanks for your comment(s).
Sythan
@Sohobod: There is no American Left. It’s a fight between the Center-Right Wing known as Democrats and the Right-Wing known as Republicans.