President Barack Obama on Tuesday
called for equal benefits for gay and lesbian service members during
his State Of The Union address.
“As long as I'm Commander-in-Chief,
we will do whatever we must to protect those who serve their country
abroad, and we will maintain the best military in the world,” Obama
said. “We will invest in new capabilities, even as we reduce waste
and wartime spending. We will ensure equal treatment for all service
members, and equal benefits for their families – gay and straight.
We will draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and
daughters, because women have proven under fire that they are ready
for combat. We will keep faith with our veterans – investing in
world-class care, including mental health care, for our wounded
warriors; supporting our military families; and giving our veterans
the benefits, education, and job opportunities they have earned. And
I want to thank my wife Michelle and Dr. Jill Biden for their
continued dedication to serving our military families as well as they
serve us.”
The mention comes a day after outgoing
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta extended some benefits to gay
troops.
(Related: Leon
Panetta extends benefits to gay troops.)
Allyson Robinson, executive director of
OutServe-SLDN, which represents LGBT troops, responded by saying that
in order to treat gay troops equally the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA) must be overturned.
“President Obama was very clear
tonight in his assertion that lesbian and gay service members and
their families must be treated equally by the nation they serve,”
Robinson said in a statement. “Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
opened the path to equal recognition, benefits, and support to gay
and lesbian service members this week. To finish the task, the
Supreme Court must strike down the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.
Secretary Panetta's successor must enact equal opportunity and
non-discrimination policies that protect LGBT troops and ensure
America's military can attract and retain America's best. And
outmoded, obsolete policies that bar qualified American patriots who
are transgender from military service must be eliminated. At
OutServe-SLDN, we and our 6,000 LGBT members in uniform stand ready
to work with the President, Congress, and the Pentagon to make this
vision a reality.”
Obama's speech also included a second
reference to gay rights.
“It is our unfinished task to restore
the basic bargain that built this country – the idea that if you
work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no
matter where you come from, what you look like, or who you love.”
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