President Obama did not mince words on Sunday, telling a LGBT Democratic fundraiser in New York that religious liberty isn’t an excuse for denying Americans their constitutional rights. He also took aim at the field of GOP candidates who are seeking his job for their views on LGBT rights.
In his remarks, Obama knocked Republicans for opposing not only equal marriage rights, but for not recognizing that the conversation has moved on, arguing that “America has left the leaders of the Republican Party behind,” according to The Huffington Post.
“We need to reject politicians who are supporting new forms of discrimination as a way to scare up votes,” the president said. “That’s not how we move America forward.”
Obama also dismissed various Republican candidates’ stances on LGBT issues as out-of-touch, attempting to paint them as extremists. In particular, he appeared to take aim at pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who made remarks suggesting that situational homosexuality in prison is proof that being gay is a choice. Other targets of his remarks appeared to be Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.).
“One of their leading candidates argued that going to prison turns you gay,” Obama said. “I’m just stating the facts. Another candidate boasts that he introduced an amendment to end nationwide marriage equality — which isn’t even an accomplishment at all. A third said Americans should just disobey the Supreme Court’s ruling entirely. I’m sure he loves the Constitution — except for Article III. And maybe the Equal Protection Amendment. And the 14th Amendment, generally.”
But even though he acknowledged that some parts of the country are still uncomfortable with same-sex marriage and that a change in attitudes may not be coming in the near future, the president outright rejected the idea that freedom of religion somehow excuses people who wish to discriminate against LGBT people.
“We affirm that we cherish our religious freedom and are profoundly respectful of religious traditions,” Obama said. “But we also have to say clearly that our religious freedom doesn’t grant us the freedom to deny our fellow Americans their constitutional rights.”
Obama then recounted the various victories achieved for the LGBT community under his administration, including hate crimes protections, the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that banned openly gay servicemembers from serving, and an executive order banning anti-LGBT discrimination in government employment and in federal contracting.
“We live in an America where a growing share of older generations recognize that love is love, and younger generations don’t even know what all the fuss was about,” the president said. “And tonight, thanks to the unbending sense of justice passed down through generations of citizens who never gave up hope that we could bring this country closer to our founding ideals — that all of us are created equal — we now live in America where our marriages are equal as well.”
Republicans are seizing on former Vice President Kamala Harris' new book, 107 Days -- a reference to the length of her abbreviated campaign following President Joe Biden's delayed exit from the race -- to accuse Democrats of prioritizing identity politics over merit.
In the book, Harris reveals that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was her preferred running mate in last year's presidential election, but she ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, citing concerns about how voters might respond to a ticket featuring both a Black woman and a gay man.
Leaked group chats show Young Republican leaders nationwide praising Hitler, making "jokes" about racism, slavery, rape, and Holocaust gas chambers, and routinely using racial and anti-gay slurs to describe ideological opponents -- including fellow Republicans, according to a bombshell report from Politico.
The Telegram chat logs -- some 2,900 pages of dialogue spanning January through mid-August 2025 -- were obtained by the D.C.-based outlet while it investigated a separate story about the group's debts and alleged financial mismanagement.
In a heated October 9 debate in Virginia’s governor’s race, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears defended her belief that treating LGBTQ people differently from heterosexual or cisgender individuals does not amount to discrimination.
Earle-Sears, who trails in most public polls, used the debate as a last-ditch attempt to paint former Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger as extreme, out of touch, or untrustworthy. She pressed Spanberger on issues like transgender participation in sports and restroom access. She attacked her for not calling on Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones to withdraw after his comments appeared to endorse political violence.
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