President Obama will be speaking on Saturday night before a national meeting of gay rights activists who are conducting a March On Washington, and it provides the opportunity for him to take clear public stands on important issues regarding the gay community.
It is time for him to move on ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military.
It is time for him to promote an employment discrimination law, which would prevent the dismissal of gay employees because of their sexual orientation.
It is time to push legislation making crimes against gays part of a national hate crime bill, something which has now passed the House of Representatives, but is stalled in the Senate, which therefore requires the intervention of the President.
It is unlikely, however, that the President will back gay marriage anytime soon, because it is still not favored in the public opinion polls, although gay civil unions are supported by a majority in the polls, and also by President Obama.
This speech on Saturday night shall be a turning point for the gay community in their relationship with the Obama Administration. It is hoped that Obama will not disappoint that group which so strongly backed him in 2008.