James Downie at The New Republic has compiled a handy, and damning, timeline of Obama’s statements on the subject. Watch the political homophobia set in as his star rises, starting with this statement in 1996:
In response to a questionnaire from Outlines newspaper (now part of Windy City Times), Obama, a candidate for the Illinois state senate seat representing the wealthy Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, writes, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.” Eight years later, in a letter to Windy City Times, Obama would say that he opposed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) of 1996, calling it “an effort to demonize people for political advantage” that should be repealed.
And then ending with this statement in the wake of the Perry v. Schwarzenegger decision:
After the Perry decision, which struck down Prop 8, the White House releases this statement: “The president has spoken out in opposition to Proposition 8 because it is divisive and discriminatory. He will continue to promote equality for LGBT Americans.” Meanwhile, White House senior adviser David Axelrod tells MSNBC that Obama “does oppose same-sex marriage, but he supports equality for gay and lesbian couples. … He supports civil unions. That’s been his position throughout. So nothing has changed.”
Downie covers all points between.
The only thing that has changed is that he’s become a typical Democrat on the subject.
(Of course, that’s still a hair better than being a typical Republican on the subject.)
[h/t Dan Savage]
