Obama Recognizes Families with Same-Sex Parents in His Family Day Proclamation

Small though the mention may be, President Obama's inclusion of LGBT families in his Family Day Proclamation is sure to put the proverbial bee in the bonnet of "protect the children from gay indoctrination" conservatives.

"Our family provides one of the strongest influences on our lives. American families from every walk of life have taught us time and again that children raised in loving, caring homes have the ability to reject negative behaviors and reach their highest potential. Whether children are raised by two parents, a single parent, grandparents, a same-sex couple, or a guardian, families encourage us to do our best and enable us to accomplish great things. Today, our children are confronting issues of drug and alcohol use with astonishing regularity. On Family Day, we honor the dedication of parents, commend the achievements of their children, and celebrate the contributions our Nation's families have made to combat substance abuse among young people."

Read the rest of the statement. [PDF]

This is definitely a statement that the NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign can certainly leverage to their advantage.

All families ARE equal and vital.

Minnesota High Court Rules Al Franken As Winner of U.S. Senate Seat; Opponent Concedes

Al Franken, longtime friend to the LGBT population, was declared winner of the long-contested seat for the Minnesota U.S. Senate. Today, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that he had in fact won the race.

Fear that his opponent, Republican incumbent and long-time ally of the former Bush administration, Norm Coleman would continue to fight for the job ended when he announced that he would be conceding. "It's time for Minnesota to come together under the leaders it has chosen and move forward," he said. Read his full statement.



Michael Jones at Change.org gives "Five Reasons Why Senator Al Franken is a Good Thing for LGBT Rights" including that Al Franken will vote for LGBT rights legislation and that, being a Democrat, he will now give the Democratic party a solid 60 seat filibuster-free majority in the U.S. Senate.

Whether or not this will encourage Obama to show a little more bravery when it comes to LGBT issues remains to be seen. Obama's fear of falling flat on his face like Clinton, though unfounded, may not disappear since not all Democrats are for LGBT equality.

But we should take heart that such a staunch ally is now in our corner in Congress.