Obama's Best Gay Week Ever
The last week of October certainly looks like it's going to go down as President Obama's best week yet in regards to LGBT rights. While it's not high time to call up the Vh-1 casting department to pitch a new 'Best Week Ever' show, this week has finally seen some progress on issues at the heart of the LGBT rights movement -- most notably hate crimes legislation and the imminent end of the HIV travel ban.
History was made this week when President Obama signed expanded hate crimes legislation into law, which will now include protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability status. It's a law that has been fought over for more than ten years, and a law that despite its fierce opposition by the radical right -- notice Pat Robertson's freak out about the law, saying that it will place a noose around the necks of right-wing Christians -- becomes the first piece of civil rights legislation signed in a pretty long time.
President Obama earned some brownie points this week for delivering a hell of a commentary as he signed the law. "We must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits — not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear," Obama remarked during the signing ceremony. "No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are or because they live with a disability."
<chills>Wow. Such a good line.</chills>
With hate crimes legislation finally passed, it's now time for other important LGBT rights measures to move their way to the head of the class. Today, we could get a second piece of extremely good news: word has it that the Obama administration is about to lift the HIV travel ban, which for years has prevented non-U.S. residents from traveling to or immigrating to this country if they were HIV-positive.
Lifting the HIV travel ban has already met the approval of Congress, which approved reversing the discriminatory ban during the last term of President George W. Bush. But President #43's administration didn't get a chance to finalize the lifting of the ban before high-tailing it to Crawford, Texas for some brush clearing, so now Obama is picking up where Dubya left off.
A confidential source told The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld, "The White House wants to be out front [on this issue.]"
If Obama lifts the ban today, consider this another victory for the LGBT rights movement. This means that LGBT men and women with HIV will no longer be barred from entering this country, can apply for Green Cards, and can travel to the U.S. to marry their partners if they're coupled with someone from one of the states that recognizes marriage equality.
It also tears down another wall of discrimination -- one that should have been broken down years ago. HIV status is nothing to be afraid of, and it makes no sense for our government, let alone any government, to penalize people or discriminate against them because they have HIV.
Rachel Tiven, Director of Immigration Equality, said it best this morning in a press release celebrating the lifting of the HIV travel ban. "At long last, people living with HIV will no longer be pointlessly barred from this country," Tiven said.
That phrase "at long last" has such relevance this week. At long last hate crimes legislation. At long last an end to a discriminatory policy. At long last some positive steps from the White House that show they have an ear out to the LGBT population of this country.
Consider this week Obama's Best Gay Week Ever. At least for now. If we can just get a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a repeal of "Dont' Ask, Don't Tell," and a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act in the hopper, then we'll really be cooking with this White House.
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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