SAN FRANCISCO/BOSTON, October 1, 2011 ― President Obama tonight reinforced his November 2009 vow to permanently end job discrimination for LGBT workers. In reconfirming his position, he laid to rest doubts that began in spring 2011 when White House spokesman Jay Carney would not say whether the president still planned to end job discrimination for people working in private industry or working as civilians for the military.
Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign's 15th annual national dinner, the President said, "I don't have to tell you how many are still denied their basic rights, Americans who are still made to feel like second-class citizens, who have to live a lie to keep their jobs, or who are afraid to walk the street, or down the hall at school," he said. He blamed "gridlock and vicious partisanship" in Congress for delaying passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that was introduced in April, and asked voters to get their Senators and Representatives to act now. "I need your help to fight for equality . . . to pass an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination bill so that being gay is never again a fire-able offense in America."
Tonight's update marks the 9th time that a presidential candidate has changed a political position since Marriage Equality USA launched its Election 2012 project in August. "Candidates change their stances because when we publish their positions, voters notice, and demand improvement," said MEUSA President David Janis-Kitzmiller.
Marriage Equality USA's "Election 2012" table is a side-by-side comparison of what all 13 candidates plan for America's 31 million LGBT citizens (www.MarriageEquality.org/Election2012). Since going live on August 15, fifty articles about the comparison table were published in magazines, Web sites, and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal.
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