WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Jay Carney maintained on Tuesday that President Obama’s LGBT remarks in his inaugural speech weren’t an attempt to nationalize the issue of marriage.
“The President believes that it’s an issue that should be addressed by the states,” Carney said in response to a question from Politico’s Reid Epstein.
Jay Carney
File photo: Michael Key, Washington Blade
Mainstream media outlets asked Carney several questions to clarify Obama’s views on marriage because of the LGBT references he made in his inaugural address, which included an assertion that “our gay brothers and sisters” should be treated equally under the law “for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”
NBC News’ Kristen Welker was first to ask whether the remarks — which suggested a national call to support marriage equality — represent a shift in Obama’s way of thinking from his previous position that marriage should be left to the states and not handled at the federal level.
“The President’s position on this has been clear in terms of his personal views,” Carney replied. “He believes that individuals who love each other should not be barred from marriage. He talks about this not about religious sacraments, but civil marriage. And that continues to inform his beliefs. We have taken position on various efforts to restrict the rights of Americans, which he generally thinks is a bad idea.”
Carney indicated that Obama’s believes Section 3 of DOMA, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional based on the belief that the federal government shouldn’t be involved in marriage.“One the reasons why we believe that Section 3 of DOMA is not constitutional is because we should not addressing it in that way,” Carney said.
Pressed by NBC News on whether the remarks mean the Obama administration will participate in litigation before the Supreme Court challenging California’s Proposition 8, Carney provided no updates beyond his earlier stated non-anwers. The Justice Department has until Feb. 28 to file a friend-of-the-court brief in the lawsuit.
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You know I am so sick of this. Obama didn’t win on the support of those who are anti-gay marriage. He needs to stop pandering to the LGBT community. Either he endorses marriage equality or he doesn’t. It is not like he has another election to win.
Then it needs to discontinue enforcing the laws and regulations given to heterosexual couples who Get married.
It needs to stop being protected and rewarded on the federal level then, and not tomorrow, NOW!!!
Marriage equality for all. What’s the big deal? Get rid of DOMA, and declare it unconstitutional for any state to write marriage discrimination into the constitution, and allow gay couples to get married and share the benefits and responsibilities like all other couples.
It IS a Federal issue because the Federal Government choose to define who is eligible for benefits, health care etc. setting a precedent for Unions and private employers to follow! This is absolute BS! I hope the Supreme Court decides in favor of us in the LGBT community and puts an end to discrimination.
I agree to an extent; it shouldn’t be a federal issue. IN fact, it shouldn’t be an issue that the government has a hand in at all. But the moment Uncle Sam stuck his nose into our business, and made marriage a governmentally regulated establishment, it became a federal issue. It is obviously a human rights violation, which should be handled at the federal level.
its a federal issue when it coms down to taxes. If that is the case thrn I am filing joint taxes with my partner but I bet they audit the crap out of me or reject the return.
He clearly endorses it. If he didn’t he wouldn’t have brought it up in his speech. He just wants to look like a moderate.
I feel “baby steps” are best and yes as of this date making it a federal issue will backfire. Getting more states passing laws for same sex marriage will strengthen the effort. I think in a year it will be a better time to pursue federal laws, and federal laws will be needed.
If a US citizen is in a relationship with a foreigner in a different country, even if legally recognized through same sex marriage or civil union and even obtains a visa in that other country based on that relationship and that US citizen wants to bring back his partner, he can’t obtain a legal visa, even if he wants to marry that person in one of our states that recognizes same sex marriages.
People in same sex relationships and marriages can’t get the same visa status in this country as straight couples; it is this that federal laws must be established like Australia has. Relationship visas are legal in Australia.
Federal laws in this country will also need to be established for same sex couples in the military who move from state to state or overseas. These are just two of many situations requiring the need for federal laws. Again, “baby steps” and let states take the “reins” for now in order to begin the stage for federal laws.
But human rights are.
If it goes Federal, it will end up like the Abortion issue is now. Yes, Abortion is legal, federally, but the states are making it nearly impossible to get one…if that’s an option a woman chooses.
It needs to be federal!
Denial of anyone’s rights is a federal problem.
It is a federal issue. It has to be a federal issue. Same sex marriage needs to be legal and recognized on a federal level the same way hetero marriage is. This is ridiculous. No matter what they say they all suck. DOMA must be declared unconstitutional and our marriages must be recognized federally. Fuck the states………
So…I deserve equality unless it means that I’ll be filing my federal tax return as married? What?
the white house is wrong when the keep taking my tax dollars to fund federal boondogles.
Susan has a good point. Instead of riling everyone up at once, we should slowly take over, state by state, until: WHAM! Most states have passed marriage equality bills, and the ones that are left after the majority pass, are the ones who are affected by the federal change. If we take this all at once, there is going to be a lot more opposition than if we take this one state at a time.
Wrong… That will never happen. The buy-bull thumping southern states will never give us equal civil rights. We need to be given equal civil rights federally or we need to take them. I don’t really care about the opposition at this point. I am sick of begging for the equal civil rights that I pay equal or more taxes for. The federal government, including the president, needs to man up and give us the equal civil rights we deserve because if it is up to the states it will never happen…
And by the way, baby steps suck…
I think he made all the promises to get votes!!!!!!
No, LGBT Costitutional marriage rights is an issue to be resolved once positively by the U.S. Supreme Court; not up to state by state ballots and voting 50 times!
So Obama is just saying what he thinks we want to hear to keep his position on the chess board of politics where “GLTB citizens” are mere pawns?! Hypocrite!!
it IS a FEDERAL ISSUE…..this is where i HIGHLY disagree with the president……that’s why DOMA needs to GO.
Oh but it is a Federal issue. Civil Rights!!!!!!
Obama is WRONG! marriage equality is most certainly a federal issue. Even if all fifty states legalized gay marriage, we still would be ineligible to receive federal benefits. But that’s not even the main issue, actually. When American citizens are having their civil rights violated, it MUST be a federal issue. I am disappointed, but not surprised with Obama’s decision not to fully support us. But it could be worse…Romney would be drafting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.