Gay Activists Rejoice, But Obama’s Inaugural Words Need Action

LGBT community has laundry list of things they’d like to president to do next

President Barack Obama surprised gay rights activists on Monday with his unmistakable reaffirmation of equality for LGBTQ people. “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like everyone else under the law,” Obama said in his second inaugural address. Perfect, say the activists. Now appoint an openly gay Cabinet member, do something about unequal treatment of gay couples in the military and bar federal contractors from workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The LGBT community’s largest item, rights to same sex marriages, faces Supreme Court tests in March. That’s something Obama can’t do much to sway, outside of his historic endorsement of marriage equality last year. However, Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign says the Obama administration could file a friend-of-the-court brief during SCOTUS arguments as a “natural extension of the inaugural remarks.”  (Associated Press)

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