Last Sunday, Barack Obama stood before Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s home church in Atlanta and called on his audience to examine their own prejudices. "If we are honest with ourselves," he said, "we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. Â If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community. We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them." He continued:
"So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scapegoating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others – all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face: war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late."
Including the LGBT community in his message to the very heartland of the civil rights movement was the latest chapter in Barack's advocacy on behalf of LGBT Americans. Among the candidates in this race, Barack Obama included gays and lesbians as participants in the American Dream when announcing his run for president. Barack has regularly talked about LGBT equality on the campaign trail, even when the audience was not LGBT-friendly.
Barack's commitment to LGBT rights is also evident in his record, which extends throughout his 11 years in public office. From relationships and families to workplace discrimination to sound policies on HIV/AIDS, the senator's commitment is real. He has the character to stand up for principle when the going gets tough.
Barack has supported the complete, unqualified repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act since he was a candidate for Senate. He has taken stronger positions on dismantling "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and on a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act than any candidate in this race. Barack is a strong supporter of every major piece of LGBT legislation in Congress today, from fair tax treatment and equal immigration rights to domestic partner benefits for federal workers. Not every Democratic candidate supports the full repeal DOMA, legislation that was signed into law by then-President Clinton.Â
In Illinois, Barack sponsored a fully inclusive anti-discrimination law that included both sexual orientation and gender identity. A subsequent version of that bill was later enacted as the Illinois Human Rights Act, now one of the most progressive laws of its kind in the country. The U.S. House of Representatives was not able to pass a bill that included gender identity. Barack helped make it happen in Illinois.
Fighting the spread of HIV and securing fully funded, accessible treatment for people with HIV or AIDS have always been top priorities for Barack. He understands that the fight against HIV/AIDS requires an approach that is bold enough to set national standards and benchmarks for progress and deep enough to address the forces of poverty, racism, homophobia, and unequal access to health care that all contribute to the spread of the disease. Barack has sponsored the Microbicide Development Act to fund research critical to combating HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world. He spoke out on World AIDS Day to an audience of evangelical leaders at Saddleback Church, publicly disagreeing with the leaders in attendance who opposed condom distribution. Barack has always insisted that our approach to HIV/AIDS be guided by the expertise of scientists, health care professionals, and direct service providers who know what works, rather than by politics and ideology.
In Illinois, Barack worked to enact a law that authorizes licensed pharmacists to provide clean needles in small, controlled numbers, a reform that is credited with achieving dramatic declines in the spread of HIV among intravenous drug users. In Congress, he has supported efforts to lift the ban on federal funding for regulated needle exchange programs that are proven to work in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Experience demonstrates that these programs save lives and protect the public without promoting illegal drug use, but getting them passed requires political courage. Barack has shown that courage.
We proudly support Barack Obama because of his singular ability to inspire unity and support across communities. His message of hope will change the course of our country and our standing in the world.
Bevan Dufty is a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Peggy Moore is the founder of Sistahs Steppin' in Pride.