Obama’s LGBT creds

He may declare his Christian credentials and have held his hand on a bible during his inauguration, but Barack Obama has made clear his gay-rights intentions, and there’s already a statement on the White House website on gay rights.

Which is more than can be said for his Christian predecessor.

Under the more general heading “Civil rights” comes a subheading “Support for the LGBT community”.

It begins with an excerpt from a June 2007 statement Obama made, in which he said:

While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.

Then come eight areas in which Obama promises to help the LGBT community: “Expand Hate Crimes Statutes”; “Fight Workplace Discrimination”; “Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples”; “Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage”; “Repeal Don’t Ask – Don’t Tell”; “Expand Adoption Rights”; “Promote AIDS Prevention”; and “Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS”.

So far, so good! Let’s hope he’s not got at by the forces of religious evil.