President Obama Endorsed Respect for Marriage Act

Today President Obama endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would strike down DOMA and give legally married gays and lesbians the same federal rights and responsibilities as married straight couples.

Shin Inouye, a spokesperson for the White House, told Change.org, "The President has long called for a legislative repeal of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act,” which continues to have a real impact on the lives of real people – our families, friends and neighbors," Inouye said.  "He is proud to support the Respect for Marriage Act, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Jerrold Nadler, which would take DOMA off the books once and for all.   This legislation would uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples.

The question was originally asked by Metro Weekly's Chris Geidner earlier today at the White House Press briefing. Watch White House Press Secretary Jay Carney respond to Geidner here:

There are more than 1,000 federal rights and responsibilities gays and lesbians do not have access to because of DOMA. Thousands of legally married gays and lesbians throughout the country are taxed differently, are denied social security survivor benefits, and same-sex spouses of military personal will not receive the same death benefits of straight spouses when their loved ones die in combat.

Rick Jacobs, Chair of the Courage Campaign said in a statement, "We are delighted that today, on the eve of a historic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, President Obama endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act," Jacobs said. "It is rare that a White House endorses a bill that has yet to pass first in either the Senate or the House. President Obama’s decision to do so underscores the urgency with which the Defense of Marriage Act must be repealed. His support makes clear to all Americans that the Defense of Marriage Act has no place in our society."

The Human Rights Campaign campaign said in a statement, "We thank the President for his support of the Respect for Marriage Act.  He has repeatedly expressed his desire to see the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act repealed and his Justice Department has taken the historic step of ending its defense of that odious law in court.  By supporting this legislation, the President continues to demonstrate his commitment to ending federal discrimination against tens of thousands of lawfully married same-sex couples."

Tobias Wolf, Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, told Change.org, "President Obama has been calling upon Congress to repeal DOMA since he first became President. He has done so at least three times in the last two and a half years, from the White House and in front of TV cameras (in both the Oval Office and the East Room)," he said. "Endorsing this repeal legislation, and doing so at this early point in its journey through Congress, is another major step for which the President deserves enthusiastic praise."

On Wednesday the Senate Judiciary committee will hear testimony about the impact of DOMA on the lives of gays and lesbians for the first time ever.  GLAD publicly released DOMA Stories: How Federal Marriage Discrimination Hurts American Families and will share these stories with the Judiciary committee.

Dozens of petitions on Change.org call for the repeal of DOMA, and for laws giving gays and lesbians the right to marry in states throughout the country. CREDO's Change.org petition calls upon congress to pass the respect for marriage act. Currently CREDO's petition has more than 3,500 signatures.

While the Respect for Marriage Act has 27 co-sponsors, not a single member of the Republican party has endorsed the bill.

Last week former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told CNN he thinks the Republican presidential candidates should, "get the heck out of people's bedrooms."

"We'd be a much more successful political party if we stuck to our economic, conservative roots," Giuliani said.

The lack of Republican support has not cooled enthusiasm from Diane Feinstein (D-CA), a lead cosponsor of the bill, and one of only 14 senators to vote against DOMA. Feinstein told reporters on Tuesday, "If we don't succeed this session, we will try again next session," she said. "Believe me, we will continue this effort until the battle is won."

Photo by Joe Mirabella, presidential remarks at the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" signing ceremony