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In the years since, the LGBTQ+ community has seen tremendous strides in the push toward equality, but much work remains to protect the rights of marginalized people.
Twelve years ago, former President Barack Obama made a historic declaration on national television supporting same-sex marriages, a momentous event that would significantly shape the landscape of LGBTQ+ rights in America.
His declaration came in a pivotal interview with ABC News on May 9, 2012, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president had openly endorsed marriage equality. This endorsement catalyzed a series of events that would lead to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, legalizing same-sex marriages nationwide.
"I've stood on the side of broader equality I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient," the president told out anchor Robin Roberts.
"But 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," Obama said.
Just days before Obama’s endorsement, then-Vice President Joe Biden expressed his support for same-sex marriage on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Biden’s comments, which preceded Obama’s public endorsement, were crucial in setting the stage for Obama’s announcement. Biden openly discussed the fundamental nature of marriage, emphasizing love and loyalty beyond gender. His early and clear support highlighted a significant shift in public attitudes and underscored the evolving perspectives within the highest levels of government.
Obama and Biden's endorsements were not just political maneuvers but reflections of their personal growth and the changing tides of society. Prior to 2012, the federal Defense of Marriage Act still defined marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes, and many states had enacted bans on same-sex marriage.
According to Gallup, only 50 percent of Americans supported the right for same-sex couples to wed at the time. That number has increased significantly, with 71 percent supporting marriage equality in 2023.
The response from major newspapers and the public at the time underscored the impact of Obama’s statement. The New York Times noted the necessity of “strong national leadership to expand equal rights,” while USA Todaycommented on the historic nature of Obama’s endorsement as a marker of how far public opinion had shifted. The Boston Globeemphasized the president’s commitment to fairness and equality, aligning him “on the right side of history.”
In the years following these declarations, the Obama-Biden administration continued to support LGBTQ+ rights through various executive actions and legal battles, culminating in the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down DOMA in 2013 before it affirmed the constitutional right to same-sex marriage in 2015.
The landscape of LGBTQ+ rights continues to evolve, with new battles over transgender rights, religious exemptions, and nondiscrimination protections taking center stage. In recent years, Republicans have attacked the LGBTQ+ community by targeting drag queens, transgender people, books, and curricula that discuss sexual orientation and gender identity. Alarmingly, the ultra-conservative Supreme Court signaled with its Dobbsdecision overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 that rights like marriage equality may not be permanent.
The 2012 endorsements by Biden and Obama were more than political moments; they were profound affirmations of dignity and equality for millions of Americans.
