President to Address Gay Rights Group

President Obama is scheduled to make an appearance at the annual dinner for Human Rights Campaign on Saturday, Oct. 10, the night before the National Equality March. The appearance is unprecedented as only one other sitting president has addressed the leading gay rights advocacy group and that was Bill Clinton in 1997.

Obama's White House has been criticized by gay rights activist for what has been viewed as not only a slow response to support but a stream of contradictions. Many question his solid commitment to gay issues when Mr. Obama has yet to fulfill such campaign promises as repealing the "don't ask, don't tell," policy barring openly gay people from serving in the military, and the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal law that allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

The infamous case of the California couple who sued to overturn DOMA only to be met by the administration's defense of the law arguing that two consenting adult men wanting to marry equated to a man marrying his niece was met by a nation of dropped jaws. Obama remained silent on the issue until meeting with members of the gay community in June for an earful of regret, frustration and disappointment.

The President has the executive authority to order the military not to enforce the ban on gays rule but has yet to do so believing the best course is to work with the Pentagon and lawmakers to overturn it. In a remark made to the NY Times he believed, "preventing patriotic Americans from serving our country weakens our national security.""As commander in chief," Mr. Obama said, "I do have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term."

On September 15, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced a bill in Congress to dump the Defense of Marriage Act. President Obama has promised to support the repeal. There are 97 co-sponsors of the bill to date.