Integrity Legal

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the President of the United States noted his disapproval of negative reactions to comments made by a gay American serviceman. In order to elucidate further it is necessary to quote directly from the official website of the Washington Times, WashingtonTimes.com:

President Obama has taken a swipe at the entire field of Republican presidential candidates, saying they are guilty of “smallness” for failing to stand up for a gay U.S. service member who was booed by a few audience members at a GOP debate. “We don’t believe in the kind of smallness that says it’s OK for a stage full of political leaders — one of whom could end up being the President of the United States — being silent when an American soldier is booed,” Mr. Obama told a cheering crowd of gay and lesbian advocates Saturday night at the Human Rights Campaign’s annual dinner in Washington. “We don’t believe in standing silent when that happens. You want to be Commander-in-Chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient…”

This blogger strongly encourages readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to learn further details about this apparent incident.

It was heartening for this blogger to see this show of solidarity from President Obama as “booing” of any American military personnel willing to lay down their lives in service to their country is uncalled for notwithstanding personal disagreements regarding lifestyle choices. No member of the LGBT community willingly serving in the American Armed Forces should be subjected to such “second class” treatment, especially by those whom they are tasked with protecting.

Issues surrounding LGBT Equality have been a topic of discussion in recent months as discussions persist with respect to the repeal of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” leading to analysis of States’ Rights issues and matters pertinent to the Erie Doctrine. Of more immediate concern for those proponents of DOMA repeal is the possibility of a political solution in the form of an Act repealing DOMA. In order to shed further light upon endeavors aimed at the aforementioned goal it is necessary to quote directly from Advocate.com:

When Jo Deutsch and Kathryn Lehman are en route to Capitol Hill for meetings with Republicans, they find it best to avoid certain conversations. The debt ceiling is off the table. So are their respective political resumes — one has worked for Barbara Boxer, the other Newt Gingrich. In fact, the two lobbyists could not be more divergent on most issues — except repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA, which House Republican leadership is defending in several legal challenges, is a deeply personal issue for Lehman, because 15 years ago, she helped to write it…Deutsch and her partner, Teresa Williams, have been together for 28 years and have three children. However improbable legislative repeal of DOMA is in the near future, Deutsch’s professional raison d’etre, as Freedom to Marry national campaign director Marc Solomon sees it, “is to make our strongest case in D.C. with every influential player. Members of Congress, political operatives, the press corps — you name it.” And by hiring Lehman, the organization is taking a page out of the playbook from Proposition 8 opponents, who hired polar opposites Ted Olson and David Boies to make a court win happen.

The administration of this web log asks readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to gain further insight.

Perhaps one day a bi-partisan lobbying approach will lead to tangible benefits for LGBT couples and same sex bi-national couples who are in many cases unable to obtain immigration benefits such as the CR-1 visa, IR-1 visa, and/or the K-1 visa since there has been a legal presumption that DOMA precludes recognition of same sex marriages, even those performed in a sovereign American State.

For further relevant information please see: Full Faith and Credit Clause.

For further information regarding legal issues pertaining to US Immigration from Southeast Asia please see: Legal.