There were a lot of responses and analyses to Obama’s signing of the presidential memo granting limited benefits to partners of federal employees.
In this post I’ve gathered together statements from Rep. Tammy Baldwin, SLDN, NCLR and others.
I’ve also pulled together video clips of Joe Solmonese, Tammy Baldwin, Richard Socarides, Dustin Lance Black, Mike Rogers, and Rea Carey on Maddow, Olbermann, and others.
I’ll update this as I come across more responses.
UPDATE: Wockner has collected a superpost of responses as well.
Rea Carey Of The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force speaking to MSNBC before Obama’s signing.
Tammy Baldwin on Rachel Maddow talks after Obama signed it.
Mike Rogers on Ed: I Want Equal Treatment For Each Of Those Three Hundred Million Americans.
HRC’s Joe Solmonese, who was at the White House signing, on Olbermann, “He did what he could do . . . I was looking for an extension of health care benefits [but that has to be done through Congress].”
Dustin Lance Black and Richard Socarides on AC 360. Socarides, on what now: “What the president really needs to do now is enunciate a very specific plan for gay rights.”
Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s statement: “LGBT Americans yearn for full equality. After last week’s U.S. Department of Justice filing seeking to dismiss a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), many in the LGBT community, myself included, were profoundly disappointed. After that disappointment, I was heartened to hear the President make a strong case today for the repeal of DOMA.”
A Statement from NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell on the Presidential Memorandum: “The policy announced today by the President committing to a federal workplace free from discrimination, is a step in the right direction, but inadequate and long overdue. It leaves out millions of Americans who do not work for the federal government and fails to include key benefits including health insurance. When running for office, then candidate Obama called equality for LGBT people a “moral imperative.” We will continue to demand this administration live up to the President’s promise of achieving “full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country.”
SLDN’s statement: “What the President failed to mention today was that not all LGBT employees will receive these benefits. Gay and lesbian service members, employees of the federal government, will not be eligible to receive these benefits under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Ironically, Obama said he wants to “retain the best talent” to serve our country. Yet he won’t speak out publicly against DADT, the law that fires the best and brightest from the military because they’re gay or lesbian. We urge him to break his continued silence on DADT and endorse repeal legislation in the House, or send up his own language to Capitol Hill.”
National LGBT Bar Association: “We applaud the President’s memo as an important first step toward workplace equality for government employees,” said D’Arcy Kemnitz, Executive Director of the National LGBT Bar Association. “But there is still much more to be accomplished. The president’s action should spur Congress to finish the job and pass the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act.”
Law Dork: “This meets several of the steps that I hoped to see from Obama tonight.”







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