My Hope for Obama: Work to Pass the Matthew Shepard Act Within 100 Days

by Michael Jones · 2009-01-20 02:15:00 UTC
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Obama InaugurationThere's no shortage of hopes when it comes to talking about our thoughts on what an Obama administration should work to accomplish over these next four years.  And while we want to see President Obama sign an employment non-discrimination act, repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," work to foster marriage equality rights throughout the U.S. for same-gender couples, and continue to appoint qualified LGBT persons to high level positions within his administration, there's one very simple thing that Obama can help do within his first 100 days that should not only be easy to do, it would help ease some of the unfortunate tension that exists between Obama and LGBT communities.  And that one thing is work to pass the Matthew Shepard Act.

The Act has already passed Congress once before, and now there's more support for it among lawmakers than at any point in time in history.

Pass it, pass it quickly, and help alleviate some of the skepticism that exists among many LGBT people when it comes to your positions on LGBT rights.  Whether it was your quietness when it came to Proposition 8, your selection of Rick Warren as a prime speaker for the Inauguration ceremony, or this weekend's disastrous handling of Bishop V. Gene Robinson's opening prayer (which wasn't televised with the rest of the Inaugural festivities), there's some raw feelings that deserve to be addressed.  This would be one way of doing so, right out of the gate.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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