Repeal DOMA, pass federal marital rights for state-recognized marriage

[IndianaGreen]

Planning for March & Lobbying Week to pass Obama's LGBT agenda through Congress. Repeal DOMA, pass federal marital rights for state-recognized marriage

Website: http://EqualityWithoutMarriage.org

Obama’s Lifeline to Us

by Leland Traiman

President-Elect Barack Obama has thrown the LGBT community a lifeline in our time of need and no one seems to be grasping for it.

After 31 same-sex marriage election defeats in 32 elections, with 45 of 50 states banning same-sex marriage, with 17 states banning civil unions & domestic partnerships our President-Elect, still, wants to grant us federal marriage equality. Yes, all 1,138 federal rights of marriage, including joint income tax returns, shared social security benefits and immigration rights.

Barack Obama’s official Presidential Transition web site proclaims he “believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions.” http://www.change.gov/agenda/civil_rights_agenda/

This means that anyone in the nine states & Washington D.C. that have same-sex marriage, civil unions or domestic partnership could have full federal marital rights. If Congress words the legislation correctly, this may also mean that if you live in one of the other 41 states you could travel to Massachusetts and get married or to Vermont to get a civil union or to California, Washington or Oregon and sign up as registered domestic partners and have all the federal marital rights even if your home state does not grant you state marital rights.

However, there are two catches.

http://notoh8.ning.com/group/FederalMarriageRights

I disagree with the OP's pov, but I am posting this anyway.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I hope Obama is able to give everyone who wishes to wed

the rights granted to married couples. More people marrying and staying together only strengthens marriage. Why can't people understand this?

[terrya]

2. Look...repealing DOMA won't be easy.

We all know the bigots will come out of the woodwork on this.

IF President Obama and the Obama Administration is serious about repealing DOMA...putting the full weight of the White House behind it...the GLBT community will work with him.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Passing an all-inclusive ERA is my preferred choice

The Mormon Church played a big role in defeating the ERA.

[MNBrewer]

4. President-Elect, still, wants to grant us federal marriage equality?

No, not actually. Whatever it is, he doesn't support marriage equality and he's said so. No Marriage for the Gays. It's for heterosexuals only in his book.

[Not Me]

5. His refusal to speak out against Amendment 2 on campaign trips here in FL

clearly helped give it that edge to pass.
Sure, he's better than McCain, but no real ally.