Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administers the oath of office to President Barack Obama. – PHOTO: White House/Sonya N. Hebert
In his inaugural address Jan. 21, President Barack Obama said the nation’s journey for justice and equality will not be complete “until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”
He continued, “Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity – until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.”
The president, in the speech, said Americans must follow the star that guided the civil rights pioneers “Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall.”
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said Obama made history “by connecting the lives of committed and loving lesbian and gay couples fighting for marriage equality to this nation's proud tradition of equal rights for all.”
“We were honored that the president included Stonewall among the historic events in American history that have made our union stronger,” Griffin said. “Its inclusion is testament to the valiant contributions of LGBT Americans past and present who seek nothing more than to be treated equally by the country they love.”
At Outserve-SLDN, executive director Allyson Robinson said, “Today, President Obama made history with a clear and passionate declaration of the fundamental rights of LGBT Americans, and all Americans. We honor the work of his first term – especially his leadership in the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' – and expect great progress over the next four years on the very real inequalities that exist for our LGBT servicemembers, veterans and their families as we work together to bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice.”
At the national Freedom to Marry campaign, executive director Evan Wolfson said, “President Obama traced the moral arc from Seneca Falls to Selma to Stonewall, and rightly exalted the struggle for the freedom to marry as part of America's moral commitment to equality, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom to Marry applauds our president and the moral leadership he has shown, the moral leadership we will continue to need until all Americans, all loving couples, all families, can share fully in the American promise we celebrate on Inauguration Day.”
At the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, executive director Rea Carey said, “President Obama has repeatedly shown he is willing to fight for us. We have another four years to keep the momentum going, and will be vigilant in pursuing policies to ensure our community is not left behind. This includes pushing for federal LGBT employment protections, ending the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, combating HIV/ADS, preserving a social safety ne, and much more.”
