President Obama Still ‘Thinking About’ His Beliefs On Marriage Equality

President Obama has some impressive policy accomplishments when it comes to gay rights, but even though he has presided over the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” has consistently supported a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and instructed his Justice Department not to defend the law in court, President Obama still has not said that he believes in the right of gay couples to marry. At Tuesday’s White House briefing, I asked Press Secretary Jay Carney why that is.

When last I checked, then-Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the President “thinks a lot” about the issue of same-sex marriage, but that his personal beliefs on the subject had not changed since he told Jake Tapper that those beliefs were evolving. That was in December.

Here’s what Jay Carney had to say today:

The fact that Carney didn’t break huge news on this is not surprising (and mine wasn’t the only pitch he wouldn’t swing at today), but what is surprising is that the administration hasn’t come up with a good answer for why the President is taking so long to speak out. With reporters like Tapper, The Blade’s Chris Johnson, and I pressing the issue with some regularity, it would seem wise to at least suggest some effort on the President’s part.

There’s little political risk involved here. His policy positions and achievements already preclude the support of anyone who would be offended by such a declaration. A recent Gallup poll shows, for the first time, that a majority of Americans favor marriage equality. But polls are beside the point. The rights of human beings ought not be subject to popular whim, and rights cannot be granted. They can only be recognized, or denied.

Some would argue that actions speak louder than words (and his actions have been impressive, especially relative to other presidents), but words are important, too. My children go to a school where parents think it’s okay to rip down student-made Gay-Straight Alliance posters on back-to-school night. Anti-gay bullying has been blamed for a rash of suicides. These activities are all rooted in the notion that LGBT people are lesser human beings, a notion codified, under the law, by marriage inequality.

President Obama eloquently tried to reassure bullying victims that it gets better. I agree, and do you know when it gets better, at least a little bit? When the President of the United States finally says that they are equal human beings.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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