A Presidential Proclamation of importance

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, has issued a Presidential Proclamation regarding "Gay Pride." Included in that proclamation is the following:

Much work remains to fulfill our Nation's promise of equal justice under law for LGBT Americans. That is why we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. We must protect the rights of LGBT families by securing their adoption rights, ending employment discrimination against LGBT Americans, and ensuring Federal employees receive equal benefits. We must create safer schools so all our children may learn in a supportive environment. I am also committed to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so patriotic LGBT Americans can serve openly in our military, and I am working with the Congress and our military leadership to accomplish that goal.

Well and good Mr. president - so issue an Executive Order and end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the same way Harry Truman ended segregation in the US Military. Truman didn't need Congress to move out of 1850 into the 1950s. He acted over the objections (screams and cries) of both Congress and the military leaders. You don't need Congress or the military leadership to do the right thing - you can do it. And why not stop your administration's defense of DOMA.

The president ends his proclamation with the following:

As we honor the LGBT Americans who have given so much to our Nation, let us remember that if one of us is unable to realize full equality, we all fall short of our founding principles. Our Nation draws its strength from our diversity, with each of us contributing to the greater whole. By affirming these rights and values, each American benefits from the further advancement of liberty and justice for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.

As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." But then, I suppose being allowed to stand in the back of the bus is better than being forced to walk behind it.

Read it all here.