Obama takes digs at GOP for its anti-LGBT views
NEW YORK — President Obama was careful not to attack Republicans by name on Sunday night during an address before the Democratic National Committee’s LGBT gala, but it was clear what he thinks of their views.
For
example, Obama didn’t mention Democrat-turned-Republican Rowan County
Clerk Kim Davis or any the 2016 GOP presidential candidates, but his
repudiation of the invocation of religious liberty as an excuse for
anti-LGBT discrimination could have easily applied to them.
Acknowledging
that religious liberty is cherished in the United States, Obama noted,
“Religious freedom doesn’t grant us the freedom to deny our fellow
Americans their constitutional rights.”
Obama
delivered the 20-minute speech at Gotham Hall on the same day he came
to New York City to attend a session at the United Nations. According to
the DNC, about 530 supporters attended and contributed between $1,200
and $33,400 a person.
Reflecting
on the GOP presidential candidates, Obama said they probably won’t use
marriage as a wedge issue like they did in 2004, “because the country
has come too far,” but he took the hopefuls to task for their responses
thus far to the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of gay nuptials.
One
candidate, Obama noted without identifying him, said the United States
should “just disobey the Supreme Court’s order entirely.” That’s the
view of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
“I’m
sure he loves the Constitution, except for Article III,” Obama said.
“And maybe the Equal Protection Amendment. And 14th Amendment,
generally.”
One of the leading candidates, Obama said, suggested “going to prison turns you gay.” That remark came from former neurosurgeon Ben Carson before he apologized.
Another
candidate, Obama said, “boasts that he introduced an amendment to end
nationwide marriage equality — which isn’t even an accomplishment at
all.” That could be either Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who introduced such
an amendment in the current Congress, or former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum,
who unsuccessfully led efforts on the marriage amendment in 2004 and
2006.
Introducing
Obama at the event was Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in litigation
that established the right of same-sex couples to marry across the
country. Obergefell praised Obama for embracing LGBT issues, including
the Supreme Court decision, bans on “ex-gay” conversion therapy and
transgender visibility.
But
Obergefell joked one thing remains: Obama, he said, can’t pronounce
“Obergefell” correctly. During remarks in June, at the White House Rose
Garden at the time of the Supreme Court marriage decision, Obama tripped
over Obergefell’s name when it came up on the TelePrompter.
“We
have both names last names starting with ‘O’, so it should be easy,
right?” Obergefell said, adding that in truth he would support the
president no matter how he pronounced “Obergefell.”
Upon
taking stage at the gala, Obama sought to correct the record,
enunciating “Obergefell” before he proceeded with the speech to the
crowd.
Obama
bragged about progress seen over the course of six-and-a-half years in
his administration. Much of his talk was focused on the success of
Obamacare enrolling 17 million people in health care as well as economic
growth. Without naming 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt
Romney, Obama teased him for promising “to get the unemployment rate
down to 6 percent by the end of next year,” citing the figure that it’s
now at 5.1 percent.
The
president also rattled off accomplishments on LGBT issues, saying the
“cynics were wrong” that change wouldn’t happen. America is now a place
“where marriage is equal,” Obama said. Obama also touted repeal of
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“Tonight,
we live in an America where ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is something that
‘don’t exist,'” Obama said, eliciting loud applause from the audience.
Citing
continued discrimination faced by individuals, Obama credited the
Democratic Party for recognizing that bigotry and pledging to confront
it, ranking it as the best quality of the party.
“And
in the end, that’s what makes me proudest to be a Democrat,” Obama
said, adding the situation wasn’t always the case when Abraham Lincoln
and Everett Dirksen were leading the Republican Party on civil rights
issues.
Concluding
his remarks, Obama said Democrats must work harder in 2016 than they
did when he was first on the ballot in 2008 to keep on with change.
“What
makes America special is, is that though sometimes we zig and zag,
eventually hope wins out,” Obama said. “But it only wins out because
folks like you put your shoulder behind the wheel and push it in that
direction.”
Among
the high-profile attendees at the gala were lesbian finance guru Suze
Orman, gay “Star Trek” actor George Takei, gay New York City Council
member Corey Johnson, lesbian U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and gay
Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias.
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