Contemporary and Historical Points

In 1993, president Bill Clinton put the "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy into effect. This policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants while baring openly gay, lesbian or bisexual persons from military service.


In 2006, then-Pennsylvania Senator, Rick Santorum, and other GOP (Grand Old Party) conservatives pushed for an amendment to the Constitution to clarify that there was no fundamental constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry.

President Obama voted against moving ahead with the proposed amendment. “This debate is a thinly-veiled attempt to break a consensus that is quietly being forged in this country,” he said. “A consensus between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, Red States and Blue States, that it's time for new leadership in this country - leadership that will stop dividing us, stop disappointing us, and start addressing the problems facing most Americans.”

In 2007, and 2008 when President Obama ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, he spoke at a forum sponsored by the gay advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign.

 On marriage, President Obama said, “We should try to disentangle what has historically been the issue of the word ‘marriage,’ which has religious connotations to some people, from the civil rights that are given to couples, in terms of hospital visitation, in terms of whether or not they can transfer property or any of the other -- Social Security benefits and so forth.”

In 2011, Obama repealed the DADT policy stating, " As of September 20, service members will no  longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country."


Democrat Bill Clinton, signed the Defense Act of Marriage which is an act that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. The Obama administration last year decided not to enforce the Denfense Act of Marriage in the courts.

On June 6, 2012, President Obama attended the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) leadership Council's 2012 Gala in Los Angeles which benefited the LGBT community.

President Obama founded the LGBT leadership council in August 2007 during his 2008 campaign.

It is also not clear whether President Obama still believes, as he said in 2006, that, " decision about marriage should be left to the states as they always have been."