President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hosted their annual LGBT pride month celebration today in the White House — something no other president has ever done — and while speaking to perhaps over one hundred invited LGBT activists, journalists, and allies, offered nothing new. The Obama administration has a very long list of advances they made for the LGBT community, and the President proceeded to rattle a few of them off — and had every right to do so.
“We passed a hate crimes bill in Matthew Shepard’s name,” the President reminded the audience. “We lifted the HIV entry ban, released the first national HIV/AIDS strategy. We strengthened the Violence Against Women Act to protect LGBT victims. We told hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid that they have to treat LGBT patients just like everybody else. Starting next year, the Affordable Care Act will ban insurance companies from denying someone from coverage just for being LGBT. We put in place new policies that treat transgender Americans with dignity and respect. And because no one should have to hide who they love to serve the country that they love, we ended “don’t ask, don’t tell” once and for all.”
President Obama told the audience in the East Room, “we’re not going to have to wait that long” for marriage equality, “because from Minnesota to Maryland, from the United States Senate to the NBA, it’s clear we’re reaching a turning point.”
“We’ve become not just more accepting; we’ve become more loving, as a country, and as a people. Hearts and minds change with time. Laws do, too. Change like that isn’t something that starts here in Washington, but it’s something that has the power that Washington has a great deal of difficulty resisting over time.
“It’s something that comes from the courage of those who stood up, and sat in, and came out. It’s something that comes from the compassion of family and friends and coworkers and teammates who show their love and support.”
The President promised continued support for marriage in his home state of Illinois, and told his guests that the “genius of America is that America can change. And people who love this country can change it. That’s what we’re called to do. And I hope that when we gather here next year, and the year after that, we’ll be able to say, with pride and confidence, that together we’ve made our fellow citizens a little more free. We’ve made this country a little more equal. We’ve made our world a little more full of love.”
But as the President started talking about LGBT discrimination in the workplace, activists in the room and watching live around the nation wondered if he would surprise them with a special announcement: an executive order for all federal contractors banning anti-LGBT discrimination.
President Obama noted that in “34 states, you can be fired just because of who you are or who you love. That’s wrong,” he said. “We’ve got to change it.”
He added, “the fact [is] that there is a bipartisan bill moving forward in the Senate that would ban discrimination against all LGBT Americans in the workplace, now and forever. We need to get that passed. I want to sign that bill. We need to get it done now.” But he offered noting more, leaving most not surprised — White House Press Secretary Jay Carney warned there would be no breaking news — but perhaps a bit disappointed.
Obama mentions passing ENDA to help LGBT workers but does not mention the ENDA executive order HE could sign to prohibit discrimination.
— Kerry Eleveld (@kerryeleveld) June 13, 2013
Â
Here’s a video of the President’s remarks. Watch: