Barack Hussein Obama's Debased Godless Mindset
Romans 1:28-32
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
From generation to generation, ordinary Americans have led a proud and inexorable march toward freedom, fairness, and full equality under the law ‑‑ not just for some, but for all. Ours is a heritage forged by those who organized, agitated, and advocated for change; who wielded love stronger than hate and hope more powerful than insult or injury; who fought to build for themselves and their families a Nation where no one is a second-class citizen, no one is denied basic rights, and all of us are free to live and love as we see fit.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has written a proud chapter in this fundamentally American story. From brave men and women who came out and spoke out, to union and faith leaders who rallied for equality, to activists and advocates who challenged unjust laws and marched on Washington, LGBT Americans and allies have achieved what once seemed inconceivable. This month, we reflect on their enduring legacy, celebrate the movement that has made progress possible, and recommit to securing the fullest blessings of freedom for all Americans.
Since I took office, my Administration has worked to broaden opportunity, advance equality, and level the playing field for LGBT people and communities. We have fought to secure justice for all under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and we have taken action to end housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We expanded hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients and their loved ones, and under the Affordable Care Act, we ensured that insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to someone just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Because we understand that LGBT rights are human rights, we continue to engage with the international community in promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT persons around the world. Because we repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans can serve their country openly, honestly, and without fear of losing their jobs because of whom they love. And because we must treat others the way we want to be treated, I personally believe in marriage equality for same-sex couples.
More remains to be done to ensure every single American is treated equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Moving forward, my Administration will continue its work to advance the rights of LGBT Americans. This month, as we reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go, let us recall that the progress we have made is built on the words and deeds of ordinary Americans. Let us pay tribute to those who came before us, and those who continue their work today; and let us rededicate ourselves to a task that is unending ‑‑ the pursuit of a Nation where all are equal, and all have the full and unfettered opportunity to pursue happiness and live openly and freely.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2012 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA
Obama’s Battle for Ohio’s Atheist Vote
By Phil Zuckerman
October 17, 2012
Bloomberg
U.S. President Barack Obama’s multiple references to Planned Parenthood
in the second presidential debate showed how keen he is to sway female
voters in swing states.
He may have emboldened another demographic in the process, without
making an overt appeal. I’m talking about secular Americans. Compared
with their religious peers, this bloc of Americans is much more
inclined to support women’s rights and gender equality. And the number
of nonbelieving Americans is rapidly increasing.
A study released last week by the Pew Research Center provides evidence
of what many sociologists have observed: The proportion of Americans
who say “none” when asked their religion is the highest recorded in
such surveys.
The numbers are striking. In 1990, only 8 percent of Americans claimed
to have no religion. Today, about 20 percent claim as much. More than
one-third of American adults younger than 30 are now religiously
unaffiliated, which means that among 20-somethings, secular Americans
far outnumber evangelical Christians -- a big shift from 25 years ago.
The overwhelming majority of “nones” are content with their lack of
religious involvement; 88 percent say they aren’t interested in or
looking for a religion that might be right for them.
Rising Irreligiosity
Most religiously unaffiliated Americans aren’t atheists or agnostics in
orientation, yet a sizable proportion are -- somewhere from one-third
to one-half. Thus, the rise of the “nones” simultaneously indicates an
increase in atheism and agnosticism in America.
There are several noteworthy demographic patterns. Men are more likely
to be secular than women, on average. Asian- Americans, Jews and
non-Hispanic whites exhibit higher rates of nonbelief than Hispanic and
black Americans. The nonreligious are most highly concentrated in the
Northeast and Pacific Northwest -- Portland, Oregon, was recently
designated the “least Christian” city in the U.S. by the Association of
Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.
What is perhaps most politically significant when it comes to the rise
of irreligiosity is the strong correlation in the U.S. between being
nonreligious and being left-leaning politically. Of course, as Ayn Rand
fans know, many secular Americans are conservative or libertarian. But
most are not.
According to the Pew study, nonreligious Americans are about twice as
likely as religious Americans to describe themselves as politically
liberal, rather than conservative. And they are much more likely to
vote Democratic; 63 percent of nonreligious Americans support the
Democratic Party, with only 26 percent supporting Republicans.
In the 2008 presidential election, three-fourths of the nonreligious
supported Obama, with only 23 percent supporting Republican Senator
John McCain. A related study recently conducted by the Council for
Secular Humanism found that rates of left-leaning political orientation
are even higher among those Americans who affiliate themselves with
secular groups. For example, among subscribers to the secular humanist
magazine Free Inquiry, 75 percent label themselves as liberal,
progressive or socialist, with only 7 percent self-labeling as
moderate, and 3 percent as conservative.
Numerous additional studies reveal the contours of the secular-liberal
connection: Nonreligious Americans, when compared with their religious
peers, are more supportive of same-sex marriage and abortion rights,
more interested in protecting the environment, and more supportive of
creating paths to citizenship for illegal immigrants. They are less
likely to support the death penalty.
Voter Subsets
Yes, you could have guessed this already. And why should political
operatives care, since these voters are concentrated in uncontested
blue states? As the microtargeting boom has demonstrated, small subsets
of voters in swing districts and states matter, and if secularism is on
the upswing, then those subsets might be growing too. It is unclear how
strong a wind this is for the political left.
The rise of the “nonreligious” is partly a result of the decline of
liberal Christianity. People who might have considered themselves
mainline believers a generation or so ago don’t want to be associated
with a belief system that they think has been hijacked by the religious
right. The religious liberals have become nonreligious liberals.
Secular Americans aren’t an organized lot with a clear political
agenda. Unlike religious voters whose convictions often determine their
political choices, people are identified by the lack of something --
belief in God, faith in Jesus, interest in church. That doesn’t always
translate into a predictable voting strategy.
In the swing state of Colorado, for example, secular women who favor
abortion rights might not vote for Obama because other issues could be
of greater concern to them, such as the economy.
While a few organizations, for example the Freedom From Religion
Foundation and the American Humanist Association, provide support to
the nonreligious, there is nothing on the secular left akin to the
hundred-million-dollar media empires and multimillion-dollar PACs of
the religious right. Thousands of state and national legislators don’t
owe their jobs to secularists.
But if the rise of the “nones” keeps up the pace it is making now, who knows what will happen.
(Phil Zuckerman is a professor of sociology and secular studies at
Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He is the author of “Faith No
More” and “Society Without God.” The opinions expressed are his own.)
Is Barack Obama a Compulsive Liar?
By Steve McCann
October 1, 2012
Barack Obama has lied about the terrorist attack on the American
Consulate in Libya for over 15 days, even going so far as to overtly
imply that this attack was prompted by an obscure internet movie
trailer in his speech at the United Nations two weeks after it was
confirmed the White House knew it was an Al Qaeda sponsored
attack. Additionally, during the current campaign the lies
and obfuscations about Mitt Romney and the Republicans have been so
fast and furious that it is nearly impossible to keep up with them.
The administration's reaction to what went on in Libya is not a
surprise, as reliance on prevarications and the attendant dishonesty is
part and parcel of Obama's normal behavior. There rarely has been
a speech or an off the cuff comment since he entered the national stage
that does not contain some deliberate or insinuated falsehood.
This tendency is exemplified in his recent interview with Univision
wherein Obama lied about why he never introduced immigration reform and
when the ill-fated Fast and Furious program was raised, he began
blaming the Republicans and George Bush respectively.
There is now a near universal mistrust of Obama among world leaders as
well as many members of Congress who candidly admit they cannot deal
with Barack Obama, as he has proven himself to be untrustworthy and
unbelievable -- particularly as he refuses to accept any responsibility
for the outcome of his actions and policies. The diminished
status of the United States around the globe and the greatly eroded
standard of living for the vast majority of Americans are testament to
these character flaws.
At times even the most diehard of his sycophants in the mainstream
media are forced to report on this disturbing trait in their
hero. This past spring the Washington Post ran a lengthy front
page article on Obama's machinations during the debt ceiling
debate. The highlight of the piece: Barack Obama deliberately
lied to the American people concerning the intransigence of the
Republicans in the House of Representatives. It was an
amazing admission for a pillar of the sycophantic mainstream media to
write a story claiming that their hero lied. A further
example of the media's awakening to the deceit and fabrications of the
Obama administration is the recent reporting on the Libyan scandal
which is actively pursuing the lies and cover-up.
However, there has been five years of outright lies and narcissism that
have been largely ignored by the media, including some in the
conservative press and political class who are loath to call Mr. Obama
what he is in the bluntest of terms: a liar and a fraud. That he
relies on his skin color to intimidate, either outright or by
insinuation, those who oppose his agenda only adds to his
audacity. It is apparent that he has gotten away with his
character flaws his entire life, aided and abetted by the sycophants
around him; thus he is who he is and cannot change.
In an earlier column I asked the question is Barack Obama a compulsive liar or a sociopath?
A Sociopath:
A sociopath is typically defined as someone who lies incessantly to get
their way and does so with little concern for others. A sociopath
is often goal-oriented (i.e., lying is focused--it is done to get one's
way). Sociopaths have little regard or respect for the rights and
feelings of others. Sociopaths are often charming and
charismatic, but they use their talented social skills in manipulative
and self-centered ways.
A compulsive liar:
A compulsive liar is defined as someone who lies out of habit.
Lying is their normal and reflexive way of responding to
questions. Compulsive liars bend the truth about everything,
large and small. For a compulsive liar, telling the truth is very
awkward and uncomfortable while lying feels right. Compulsive
lying is usually developed in early childhood, due to being placed in
an environment where lying was necessary.
While Barack Obama exhibits traits from both categories, it is becoming
increasingly clear that he is primarily a compulsive liar. How
else to explain the lies and obfuscations that so easily come forth
regardless of whom he may be talking to or the subject
matter. His sociopathic skills come to the fore in his
ability to manipulate others to join him in his these prevarications,
or to exploit the celebrity culture that has overwhelmed a deliberately
ill-educated American society.
In the United States there is great deference paid to the occupant of
the White House. Justifiably so, as that person is the chief
operating officer of the country, but more importantly he or she is the
head of state representing the nation around the globe. The
President's actions and demeanor set the tone for not only the
political class but the country as a whole. Over the centuries
there have been many exceptional but also a few inept men to hold the
office of President.
Today so much power is vested in the Office of President that honor and
integrity must be a hallmark of a president's character. It is
not with Barack Obama; he is perhaps the most dishonest and
disingenuous occupant of the oval office in history, and has the
potential to do more long-term damage to the United States than all his
predecessor combined.
His failings can no longer be excused by this historical deference or
timidity fostered by race with the euphemisms of spin or politics as
usual being used to avoid the truth. It is extraordinarily
difficult to run against someone such as Barack Obama -- a stranger to
truth and integrity willing to do anything to win -- but Mitt Romney
must do so by candidly admitting who he is dealing with.
While the future of the country depends on dramatically altering the
economic and governing landscape, it cannot do so unless the opposition
politicians and average citizens recognize and forcefully challenge the
lies and machinations of Barack Obama and his allies without fear of
what may be said about them or to them by either the Obama machine or
their sycophants in the media.
Book reveals Obama
Lexington Dispatch
Friday, July 6, 2012
Editor: "Dreams From My Father" is Barack Obama's biography of past and
present beliefs, finished in 2004. This book can be found in any
library and should be read to know who our true president is today.
Obama stated that he attended many socialist conferences as he went to college in New York on page 122. Obama has honored many socialists while being president. Does Obama want America to become a socialist nation? Obama states that he and his family's (forefathers) are of the Islamic faith in this book many times. Obama states that he supports Malcolm X's teachings … on page 86. This book was completed in 2004, and Obama became president in 2008.
Obama states that his best friends were Marxist professors on page 100. Does Obama support Marxism today? Economists say Obamacare is an action of socialism and Marxism. Who is the true Obama today?
Obama states that he did a lot of drinking and used different types of illegal drugs in the past on pages 93 and 94. The media hides Obama's words but constantly attacks (Mitt) Romney for his past. Does Obama still use drugs today, because Obama has tried to pass laws legalizing illegal drugs in America? Republicans are attacked for their past, but Democrats' past stays silent. I believe the past of Obama should be known by everyone before the 2012 elections.
Obama
stated in this book that he was against homosexuality and called
Christians zealots. Obama now supports same-sex marriage today. This
would be called a flip-flop if Obama was a Republican, but media states
Obama just evolved to better knowledge. Why the double standard?
Obama speaks of a hatred for white people in his book and this hatred
for anyone means that Obama isn't the Christian he claims to be. God
states you can't hate anyone and enter into heaven. Obama shows himself
to be a racist. Obama speaks of being a bully to several youths in
school, but this information isn't spoken of by our media as they
attack Romney for past bullying.
Obama spoke of getting elected into the African National Congress by having two white boys drag him off the stage to dramatize the situation on page 105. If Obama would do this to be elected, what actions and lies would Obama tell to be re-elected?
Will
America become another China that only allows one child to be born unto
each family? Planned Parenthood endorsed Obama, but recently supported
aborting any child due their gender. Obama, Democrats and our media
said nothing against gender-selected abortions. Does Obama dream of
better ways to spend, destroy and torment America?
Black pastors withhold support for President Obama over same-sex marriage
Published July 06, 2012
FoxNews.com
A coalition of black pastors is calling on other black pastors
nationwide to withhold support for President Obama, demanding that the
administration reverse its stance on same-sex marriage.
“By embracing gay marriage, President Obama is leading the country down
an immoral path,” said Rev. William Owens, president of the
1,300-member Coalition of African-American Pastors. “The Black Church
has always been the conscience of America, and today we are calling on
black pastors and black Christians to withhold support from President
Obama until he corrects course.”
CAAP officials, in a letter to Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss the issue, said they “pray” for Obama.
“President Obama is the fulfillment of our dream for our sons — and he
has broken our hearts by using his power and position to endorse as a
civil right something that is simply wrong,” the letter read. “Some
things are bigger than the next election.”
The group, which has created a petition on the issue, also called on
the African Methodist Episcopal Church to denounce the president's
actions.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the AME Church has condemned as false an
online report claiming the denomination had already withdrawn support
for Obama over his stance on same-sex marriage.
In a statement released Monday, Bishop Samuel Green Sr., president of
the Council of Bishops, said the denomination does not endorse
candidates for political office. Green also said the denomination is
not affiliated with CAAP. The erroneous report was published on
Christian news website charismanews.com. On Tuesday, it appeared to
have been taken down.
Obama was a featured speaker at the AME Church's 2008 general
conference. He was a senator at the time. Last week, Michelle Obama
addressed the 2012 conference in Nashville, receiving a standing
ovation and enthusiastic cheers from a crowd of about 10,000. After the
speech, several attendees said they were not bothered by Obama's recent
expression of support for same-sex marriage, although they believe
homosexuality is a sin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Obama Is Wrong on Gay Marriage
Friday, 08 Jun 2012 11:28 AM
By Pat Boone
It
was likely the most stunning magazine cover in American history.
Newsweek, with new ownership and editorship, trying desperately to
regain former readership and relevance, portrayed President Barack
Obama looking upward with a determined, purposeful expression . . .
with a shining, ethereal, rainbow-hued halo hovering over his head.
And in bold letters, the picture and cover story bore the title,
'The First Gay President."
Yes, the President of the United States, the presumed leader of the free world . . . gay.
Of course, the incredulous reader would discover that the president
didn’t pronounce himself a homosexual. That title was conferred on him
by the magazine and the cover story writer, Andrew Sullivan, who is
proudly homosexual.
But the intent of Newsweek and Sullivan — in no way disclaimed by Obama
— was to identify the American president totally with, and 100 percent
supportive of, the homosexual community and its determination to be
“normalized” in American culture.
This was in contradiction to Obama’s earlier statements in which he
declared his belief in marriage as a covenant between one man and one
woman. That was when he was campaigning for the presidency.
But now he is campaigning for re-election, suffering in the polls
because of the economy and many other factors, and Sullivan surmised
that championing “gay marriage” would “fire up” the youth vote. So our
president declared his “thinking had evolved,” and that his new view
underscored his commitment to “equality.”
Sullivan said further, “Obama advanced his key strategy to winning in
the fall: to make this a choice election. If it is a ‘choice’ election
(a choice about the institution of marriage), he wins. If it is a
referendum on the last four years of economic crisis, he could lose.”
And as Sullivan added, “the choice could not have been starker.”
Precisely.
It is the president, not the Congress, not the electorate, not the tea
party, or any “special interest” group who has drawn a line in the
sand. He is motivated by purely partisan political ambition. He, and he
alone, has given the American people the starkest and clearest choice
ever in American politics this November.
It’s not about homosexuality alone, or marriage, or his “evolving” thought.
The real dividing line — the line drawn in the sand — is who, and what,
will govern the American people. Will it be the people ourselves, by
majority rule as foreseen by our founding fathers — or will it be a
temporary leader, unelected judges, and willful, heavily funded
lobbying groups?
Even more precisely, will we continue to be “One nation Under God” or a
drastically divided society under humanism, secularism and “evolving”
thought?
Consider, on just this issue of the definition of marriage. In every
state where the people have voted, expressing their will, the verdict
has always been to uphold marriage as between a man and a woman.
The issue is not antipathy toward homosexuals; it is not about the
morality involved; it is whether or not this sacred God-ordained
covenant will continue to be defined — as it always has been since the
human race came into being — as the union of a man and a woman.
Interestingly, not one of the proponents of same-sex marriage — not a
single one, ever — is other than the product of a man and a woman. That
was the plan, from the beginning, and there will be no other way to
propagate the human race.
When this issue was being debated in Washington, just before Congress
voted on the Marriage Amendment, a dear black minister made this
observation: “Water is H20. That’s two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen.
"You may decide to combine two parts oxygen and one part hydrogen—but
then you get hydrogen peroxide, not water. Water is made only one way,
and messing with that creates something very different.”
Mr. Obama has drawn his line right down the middle of the black church,
presuming he could bring them along into his evolutionary thought. He’s
wrong.
All the big black church groups, though they love Obama, cannot endorse
abortion or homosexuality…because they know their Bible. So he has put
them in the position of choosing him…or God. That’s a losing
proposition.
Bishop Clarence McClendon, in South Central L.A., pastor of a large,
vital, multiracial church, was compelled to preach on this painful
choice right after the Newsweek cover appeared:
“Truth does not change because of cultural change (if this is the
perspective of a practicing Christian, then he needs to stop
practicing).
This is not a civil rights issue . . . this is an issue of
“equalization,” of making homosexuality “normal” in the culture. We
respect your right to do it, but we will not call it normal, when the
Word of God calls it an abomination. Marriage makes it normal in the
culture and homosexual marriage is not normal.
We can, and do, love every human being, but we are not to compromise
our beliefs or the standard of God’s Word.” And the Bishop went on to
say,” Sin is sin, no matter who does it. The sin of a believer or an
unbeliever is still sin. There are no levels of sin, and we make no
distinctions. The Bible says ‘All have sinned and fallen short’ Romans
3:23
This brave minister echoes the words of John Wesley, founder of the
Methodist Church: “Vice does not lose its character by becoming
fashionable.” And “what one generation tolerates, the next generation
will embrace.” That’s “evolution” of thought. Wesley also said, “My
ground is the Bible. Yea, I am a Bible-bigot. I follow it in all
things, both great and small.”
I fear our cries for “tolerance” are leading us away from God’s will . . . and blessing.
And that’s where Barack Obama, the “first gay president,” has brought us.
Pat Boone's public career spans a half-century, during which he has
been a top-selling recording artist, the star of a hit television
series, a movie star, a Broadway headliner, and a best-selling author.
He is also a great-great-grandson of the legendary pioneer Daniel Boone.
Obama Sees Rise in LGBT Fundraising But Small Donors Stay on Sideline
By Paul Stanley
Christian Post Reporter
June 7, 2012
While many previous donors to President Obama's campaign are choosing
to sit on their wallets this time around over a faltering economy and
lingering war in Afghanistan, the president has found newly motivated
donors within the homosexual community.
Since publicly announcing his support for same-sex marriage in May, several celebrities who are gay or support gay marriage have forked over large sums of money for Obama's reelection efforts.
While Obama has always received substantial support within the LGBT community in recent weeks, their support was seen as lukewarm during the president's first campaign when he said marriage was "a union between a man and a woman." Now that Obama has "evolved" and publicly embraced same-sex marriage, the motivation within the gay community has skyrocketed.
A fundraiser in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, attended mainly by gay activists and supporters including Ellen DeGeneres and Cher, raised over $5 million for Obama and the Democratic Party. Recent fundraising reports released on Thursday show that the Obama campaign raised over $60 million during the month of May.
In
a glowing endorsement of Obama's support for homosexual issues, he
received a standing ovation during the Los Angeles event from the 600
in attendance when he confirmed his commitment to refuse to reinstate
the military's ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military.
"That is not something I will tolerate," Obama told the audience.
But gay supporters and their allies aren't just giving money; they are also raising it from other friends and supporters.
Donors are required by law to provide their name, address and occupation, but sexual orientation is not required and therefore more difficult to measure. However, many of the supporters who gather and raise larger sums of money, known as "bundlers," are increasingly identified as homosexual and their contribution to the Obama campaign has been significant.
An analysis by several news sources such as The Washington Post and CNN estimates that anywhere from one in six "bundlers" are homosexual and their combined contributions have exceeded $8 million during this fundraising cycle.
Homosexual activists such as Fred Eychaner of Chicago have contributed over $1.2 million to Obama and super PACs that support him. Software entrepreneurs Tim Gill of Colorado, along with his partner Scott Miller, have donated in excess of $600,000 to Obama.
But outside of the gay and Hollywood glamour circuit, Obama is struggling to attract many of the more blue-collar, working class contributors he attracted during his first campaign.
In 2008, Obama had more than 550,000 donors who contributed $200 or more to his campaign, giving him the longest fundraising list of any politician. But a recent analysis of campaign finance records by BuzzFeed shows that 88 percent of those same 550,000, have yet to contribute for the 2012 election cycle.
According to interviews conducted among many of Obama's former contributions, a lack of enthusiasm based on the president's inability to end the recent economic recession, combined with the fact that Obamacare doesn't go far enough in meeting the needs of the middle class are primary reasons why fundraising has suffered.
"Where is the change I can believe in?" Lisa Pike, a small business owner in Virginia, asked BuzzFeed. "I wish he was the socialist they accused him of being. I wish we had the tons of change that would justify the right freaking out … but I'm disappointed that he's not the change-agent I had hoped for."
Obama campaign spokesperson Katie Hogan disputed the analysis, saying that 98 percent of donors have given less than $200 and that the campaign is ahead of its 2008 one at this point.
Nonetheless, President Obama and his team still have work to do in order to convince some of his most ardent supporters to get back on their donor list.
"Mostly,
the thing is we want more," noted Kirsten Leitzinger, saying that
Obama's performance over the past three years has left her
"unfulfilled."
Newsweek cover declares Obama 'the first gay president'
By Morgan Little
Los Angeles Times
May 14, 2012
Newsweek, which has recently become a conduit for controversy with its
cover art choices, drew more attention with the debut of its latest
issue declaring President Obama to be “the first gay president.”
The cover, featuring Obama anointed with a rainbow halo above his head,
made its arrival on newsstands Monday and comes in the wake of Obama’s
declaration last week that he is personally in favor of gay marriage.
The cover article, by prominent Newsweek political writer and outspoken
gay community member Andrew Sullivan, delves into Obama’s past and
asserts that given his background, his declaration of support for gay
marriage should come as no surprise. Drawing parallels between the
sense of isolation felt by many growing into accepting their
homosexuality and Obama’s struggle to assert his own racial identity in
his early years, Sullivan wholeheartedly celebrates Obama’s decision.
“Like many others, I braced myself for disappointment,” Sullivan
writes. “And yet when I watched the interview, the tears came flooding
down. The moment reminded me of my own wedding day. I had figured it
out in my head, but not my heart. And I was utterly unprepared for how
psychologically transformative the moment would be. To have the
president of the United States affirm my humanity — and the humanity of
all gay Americans — was, unexpectedly, a watershed.”
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, when asked if Obama had any
thoughts about the cover Monday, said “I don’t know if he’s seen it and
I haven’t spoken to him about it.”
Sullivan, it should be noted, was also one of the first voices within
the media calling for gay marriage, with his prominent 1989 cover story
in the New Republic, “The Case for Gay Marriage.”
“It's one of the richest ironies of our society's blind spot toward
gays that essentially conservative social goals should have the
appearance of being so radical,” Sullivan wrote back in 1989. “But gay
marriage is not a radical step. It avoids the mess of domestic
partnership; it is humane; it is conservative in the best sense of the
word. It's also about relationships. Given that gay relationships will
always exist, what possible social goal is advanced by framing the law
to encourage those relationships to be unfaithful, undeveloped, and
insecure?”
Obama’s declaration comes alongside a turning point for gay marriage in
the court of public opinion, with a recent Gallup poll finding that,
for the first time in the poll's history, a majority of Americans
support the legalization of gay marriage, 53% to 45%. But, one-fourth
of Americans still say that Obama’s support for gay marriage will make
them less likely to vote for him in November, while 13% say they’re now
more likely to vote in his favor. Obama will also be using his
declaration as a means to bolster his fund-raising, as reported earlier
by The Times.
The president will be taping an appearance on ABC’s “The View” Monday,
to be aired Tuesday, in which he is expected to speak further on his
support for gay marriage.
Obama Proclaims June LGBT Pride Month
By Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter
June 2, 2012
President Barack Obama called on Americans to celebrate evolving
attitudes toward the homosexual community as he proclaimed June as
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.
"This June, let's take some time to celebrate teachers and students who take a stand against bullying, openly gay and lesbian service members, ... families and friends who have seen their own attitudes evolve," he urged.
Obama made the proclamation Friday and expressed again his evolved personal belief in "marriage equality for same-sex couples" "because we must treat others the way we want to be treated."
He cited the Golden Rule when he first revealed on May 9 that he now believes gay and lesbian couples should be able to get married.
Pointing to his and his wife Michelle's Christian faith, he told ABC News at the time, "[W]hen we think about our faith the thing at root that we think about is not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf but it's also the golden rule – treat others the way you'd want to be treated."
His proclamation for LGBT Pride Month comes just after a group of African-American pastors requested a meeting with Obama to discuss their concerns over his "endorsement of gay marriage as a civil right."
The Coalition of African American Pastors says they're disappointed and heart-broken over the president's new stance.
Obama has declared June as LGBT Pride Month every year since taking office in 2009. Considered the most pro-gay president in history, Obama has repealed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military to allow gays to serve openly, stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court, and after many years of "evolving" expressed support for same-sex marriage, among other things.
"I've often said that the true genius of America is that America can change. We can pass laws to right wrongs; we can soften hardened attitudes," he said in a video posted Friday on the White House website.
Celebrating "unsung heroes" in the LGBT movement, Obama stated, "Bit by bit, step by step they bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice. Now it's our turn."
The president vowed to continue to "advance the rights of LGBT Americans" and called on Americans to "eliminate prejudice" and "celebrate the great diversity of the American people."
According to a USA Today/Gallup poll
released last month, 26 percent of Americans are less likely to vote
for Obama this November over his support of gay marriage; only 13
percent are more likely to vote for him.