What We Love Wednesday!! President Obama!

Welcome to this week's WWLW - this week we have gone for something that is all over the news currently- President Obama coming out in support of gay Marriage!

Barack Obama has announced in an interview with ABC News that he thinks gay couples should have the same legal right to marry as heterosexual couples. In an interview with Robin Roberts, he said that his views have ‘evolved’ over the past few years, based on conversations with staff members, gay and lesbian service members, and people in his own family.

According to ABC News, Mr Obama said: ”I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

He added that this was a personal opinion, but he would still leave the decision to individual states. “It’s interesting, some of this is also generational,” he said. “You know when I go to college campuses, sometimes I talk to college Republicans who think that I have terrible policies on the economy, on foreign policy, but are very clear that when it comes to same sex equality or, you know, sexual orientation that they believe in equality. They are much more comfortable with it. You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

Mr Obama had faced mounting pressure to state his own position on the issue, which he had previously described as ‘evolving,’ as both his vice president, Joe Biden, and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, came out in support of equal marriage.

This week on ABC's The View Tuesday (15 May), Obama said of DOMA, the legal prohibition on federal recognition of same-sex marriages: 'Congress is clearly on notice that I think it's a bad idea.' Obama's appearance on The View was taped on Monday, the same day he appeared at a $5000-a-head LGBT fundraiser at the Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea. Regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation, Obama said 'everybody deserves a shot.' 'It's been said this election is going to be about values. I absolutely agree. It's about the economic values we have, about the values I believe will make America so special: everybody gets fair shot, everybody gets their fair share, everybody plays by the same set of rules,' Obama said, citing the repeal of DOMA as one example. 'The good news is, I think the American people are on our side. ''We have never gone wrong when we have expanded rights and to everybody,' he also said. 'That doesn't weaken families, that strengthens families.' (we love that bit)

But the question is now 'So what?' - as time goes by we're sure this will fill pages in papers and on blogs but this was the latest article we read in Curve magazine HERE.

In the interview with The View, Obama stressed that while obviously gay marriage and equality are big issues, the election will be won based on issues of education and healthcare. In an ideal world, of course that is true, but come on Barack - this is America. We are a great country, but we oversimplify - everything is so black and white to us. Let's not forget that in the Democratic primaries of 2008, for the majority of Americans, Hilary vs. Obama wasn't about their policies - it was 'will you vote for the woman or the black guy?' While obviously there are plenty of politically-minded, well informed Americans out there, there are definitely more of the 'black and white' type, who will vote on two major issues - gay marriage and women's rights. That's the stuff that gets people's blood pumping, more than education and healthcare, which, while important issues, they have always been important issues, and will continue to be through the next howevermany elections. They don't tend to change dramatically like the more social issues.

Invading the private lives and civil rights of those who are different than you, and taking away the women's right to choose what to do with her body? Especially with such a polar opponent such as (likely) Romney (is anyone else even left in the running?) making these issues prominent, we think they will be how the election is decided. So it is a wise move for Obama to come out in support of gay marriage at this time. He has been in the middle for too long, and now that he has finally taken a stand, we applaud him. Sure, he may lose some voters, but he is more likely to inspire people and get them to the polls with a strong stance on an issue mostly everyone has an opinion about. Inspire - its what he did in 2008, and it's time for him to do it again.

Ladies and gentlemen, Laura's soapbox.

Laura wrote a letter to President Obama last year, about his stance on gay marriage and the heartbreak of DOMA - and actually received a really nice reply from him, so we are proud that we have a letter from the first President to support gay marriage openly in office. We'll put the letters up for you guys at some point!

Anyway, good job, President Obama. We are really proud of you.

Love always, 

Laura & Sarah xo