Three top-level Obama Administration officials have come out publicly in support of same-sex marriage equality, including Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan today. Who, of the 15 Cabinet members and eight cabinet-level officers, will be next?
This past November, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Shaun Donovan, came out in support of same-sex marriage, saying he “absolutely” supports marriage equality. There were no ramifications for the President or administration officials.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has worked tirelessly within her realm to advocate for support of LGBT rights, saying for years now that “gay rights are human rights,” a phrase the President himself borrowed recently. Will she be next to advocate for marriage?
Attorney General Eric Holder joined President Obama in declaring DOMA, the “Defense of Marriage Act” unconstitutional. Like the President’s stance, one has to wonder how much of a jump it is from declaring DOMA wrong and unconstitutional to supporting marriage equality?
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius opposed a 2005 constitutional amendment as Governor of Kansas banning same-sex marriage, although she did state the Kansas law went far enough.
As a Congresswoman, Hilda Solis, now Secretary of Labor, has consistently voted against anti-gay marriage bills, including the Marriage Protection Act of 2004. In November of last year, Solis spoke at the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce National Dinner and discussed President Obama’s achievements in LGBT rights.
Dr. Susan Rice, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, on her first day on the job Rice told “U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and top ambassadors the Barack Obama administration will collaborate more intensively with its international partners and respect human rights. That includes gay rights,” according to Rod McCullom. Rice has also made protections of LGBT people and LGBT rights an important component of her portfolio as U.N. Ambassador.
Unfortunately, there are few indicators of where other cabinet members and cabinet-level members stand on LGBT rights and marriage equality, but I have a feeling we’re about to find out.
Think Progress today wrote:
This morning, Joe Scarborough and David Gregory mocked the White House’s efforts to push back against Vice President Joe Biden’s embrace of marriage equality, with the Meet The Press host remarking “that this administration appears poised to change its position on same-sex marriage.â€
…
Chuck Todd observed that “this episode sort of forces the conversation†and predicted that the administration will come out for marriage equality before the Democratic National Convention in September.
Call the Shaun Donovan statement a fluke if you like. Call the Biden statement a gaffe if you want. The Duncan comment in no way was either.
Image: Official Obama administration portrait, 2009, with Vice President Biden, Secretary Duncan, and Secretary Donovan highlighted.