Not yet glad to be gay in the USA

Thousands of gay people marched on Washington on Sunday to call for equal rights and support for a number of other causes.

It came just a day after President Obama, speaking at the gay rights Human Rights Campaign annual dinner in the capital, renewed his campaign promise to allow gay people to serve openly in the US military.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that we have to work so hard to support this country and to be a part of this country and to pay and vote for this country that we should have a question of equality. It’s just absurd. It’s absolutely absurd. It’s enough,” said one marcher.

President Clinton initially wanted to open up the military to gay recruits in 1993, but watered down the initiative under pressure from the Pentagon to the current “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. 16 years later, Obama intends to go further:

“We should not, we should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve this country. We should be celebrating their willingness to show such courage and selflessness on behalf of their fellow citizens,” said President Obama.

However Obama has offered no specifics nor a timetable as to when the change will take place. Many in the Pentagon may also need convincing.

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tags: Barack Obama, gay rights, USA