Coming on the heels of the Department of Justice filing a legal brief containing arguments in defense of the Defense of Marriage Act, arguments which many, including myself, found to not only be offensive but also lacking in rationality, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum opening the way for the extension some benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, calling it a first step and acknowledging that there is, “more work to do to ensure that government treats all its citizens equally; to fight injustice and intolerance in all its forms.”

The President also commented on the current limitations of his administration to extend broader benefits to same-sex partners.

Unfortunately, my Administration is not authorized by existing Federal law to provide same-sex couples with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples. That’s why I stand by my long-standing commitment to work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. It’s discriminatory, it interferes with States’ rights, and it’s time we overturned it.

Yes, President Obama is continuing to say that he will work toward the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, even though his Department of Justice fervently argued the case for the legitimacy of the legislation and the illegitimacy of same-sex relationships in the eyes of the US Constitution.

 Here’s what it seems to come down to. If Obama is going to work toward equality for the GLBT community, he’s going to do it in his own time, and in his own way. In addition to arguing for the dismissal of the court challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, the administration also asked that the US Supreme Court not take a case challenging Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which Obama has also pledged to eliminate.

President Obama also seems to desperately want to protect the word “marriage” from being legally used universally in referring to same-sex couples; however, his language seems to indicate that he’s willing to work toward providing rights and privileges associated with marriage to same-sex couples. In other words, he’s making steps on the way to ensuring that civil unions can be attained throughout the country in one form or another. This strategy is a piecemeal process requiring the President to limit outside influences while working, bit by bit, to form the solution he envisions for the GLBT community.

I disagree with the President’s strategy on GLBT issues and feel that he’s setting up policy and laws which continue to segregate heterosexual relationships from same-sex relationships. I also believe that the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution should be applied when reviewing whether or not the withholding of marriage licenses based on gender/sexuality is constitutional. I also believe the US Supreme Court’s opinion from Loving v. Virginia where marriage was determined to be a fundamental right is also applicable to same-sex relationships. Overall, and perhaps this is most applicable in my opinion of Obama’s efforts to extend rights to same-sex couples, I believe that separate is never equal. Whether that separation exists on buses, in the form of water fountains, within the classroom, or in the definition of a committed and loving relationship — in a society built upon the foundation of freedom and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal; that separation cannot stand.

So, I applaud President Obama’s efforts to improve the lives of same-sex couples. Any such steps are greatly appreciated and should be celebrated. However, the GLBT community has a long way to go before they can celebrate real and lasting equality. I hope the President will consider this sort of equality and begin to lay the groundwork to accomplish this goal.

Related posts:

1. Obama Administration slams gay community in legal brief
2. Obama is making a mistake in considering taxing benefits
3. Reflecting on the National Equality March
4. For GLBT equality, a coalition must be built
5. California upholds their unconstitutional constitution