Gay Marriage: “I’m basically in support”
Last week, Bill Clinton, who as President signed into law both “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the “Defense of Marriage Act,” has come out in favor of same-sex marriage. The Nation reports:
“After speaking at the Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, DC, on July 8, the former president was asked if he supported same-sex marriage. Clinton, in a departure from past statements, replied in the affirmative.
“Clinton opposed same-sex marriage during his presidency, and in 1996, he signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which limited federal recognition of marriage to one man and one woman. In May of this year, Clinton told a crowd at Toronto’s Convention Centre that his position on same-sex marriage was “evolving.”
“Apparently, Clinton’s thinking has now further evolved. Asked if he would commit his support for same-sex marriage, Clinton responded, “I’m basically in support.”
When Clinton signed DOMA into law in Sepatember, 1996, he said,
“I have long opposed governmental recognition of same-gender marriages and this legislation is consistent with that position. The Act confirms the right of each state to determine its own policy with respect to same gender marriage and clarifies for purposes of federal law the operative meaning of the terms “marriage” and “spouse”.
“This legislation does not reach beyond those two provisions. It has no effect on any current federal, state or local anti-discrimination law and does not constrain the right of Congress or any state or locality to enact anti-discrimination laws. I therefore would take this opportunity to urge Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, an act which would extend employment discrimination protections to gays and lesbians in the workplace. This year the Senate considered this legislation contemporaneously with the Act I sign today and failed to pass it by a single vote. I hope that in its next Session Congress will pass it expeditiously.”
Of course, ENDA has been in front of Congress since 1994. Fifteen years, and still not even a vote this session.
As to DADT, though Clinton has not come out formally against its repeal, its widely accepted he was not in favor of it, as his attempt was to allow gays to serve in the military, which is how DADT came into being. General Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense under Clinton, said recently,
“Sixteen years have now gone by, and I think a lot has changed with respect to attitudes within our country. And therefore, I think this is a policy and a law that should be reviewed.”
President Obama has wavered on his language, promising repeal of DOMA and DADT, yet days ago calling for a “change” to DADT, not a repeal.
Food for thought? Or time for action?
Chris Geidner thinks we may be a bit too optimistic in our reading of Bill Clinton’s comments: “Clinton on Marriage.”