Views: Gay rights after Obama's first 100 days

Views: Gay rights after Obama's first 100 days
by Carlos T. Mock, M.D.
Copyright by Windy City Times
2009-05-20
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=21224


We are not equal, we are still second-class citizens!
While same-sex marriage has received a strong dose of positive change, we've yet to hear from Mr. Obama. He is still on the record that marriage is between one man and one woman.

Here's where things stand nationally:

—Same-sex marriage: Maine, Vermont, Iowa, Connecticut and Massachusetts, California briefly allowed gay marriage last year, but a voter initiative in November repealed it.

—Civil unions: New Hampshire and New Jersey, same-sex couples can enter into civil unions that entail the same rights and responsibilities as marriage. New Hampshire's waiting for its governor to sign into law same-sex marriage, as the measure cleared both houses. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has pledged to sign a gay-marriage bill that has been introduced in its legislature. New York's governor, David Paterson, introduced legislation for same-sex marriage in the state's legislature. Illinois has a civil-union bill working its way in the legislature.

—Domestic partnerships: California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have domestic-partnership laws that extend many of the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples.

—Constitutional bans: Twenty-nine states have approved state constitutional amendments that ban gay marriage: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Hawaii.

—Federal recognition: Under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the United States government does not recognize same-sex unions, even those that are legal marriages in Massachusetts, Connecticut and several foreign countries.

—Out-of-state recognition: New York recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere but hasn't allowed them in the state. The District of Columbia Council recognizes gay marriages performed in other states.

We must all fight our fights. These next four years need to be when the rights of LGBTs become as inalienable as anyone else's—when our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are as indisputable as anyone else's.

Whether we have access to the cultural and economic advantages of marriage should not be up for debate. Whether we can be fired from our jobs, lose our kids or be thrown out of our apartments should not be up for debate. Whether we can serve openly and proudly in the armed forces should not be up for debate.

The time has come for our president to enforce The Bill of Rights' Fourteenth Amendment: ”All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” These should be applied to every citizen, regardless of his/her sexual or gender orientation.

Carlos Mock, MD, has published three books and is the Floricanto Press editor for its LGBT series. He was inducted in the Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame in October 2007. His Web site is www.carlostmock.com .