Members of Congress, Faith Groups Send Letters to Obama Appealing for LGBT Anti-Discrimination Order

[Better Believe It]

2. CBS: Impatient Gay-Rights Groups Putting Pressure On Obama

Impatient Gay-Rights Groups Putting Pressure On Obama
May 4, 2012

One source of frustration is Obama’s stance on same-sex marriage – he has yet to endorse it even though he advocates equal rights for gay and lesbian couples. Tensions may mount as activists and many leading Democrats call for the Democratic National Convention to support marriage equality in the platform it will adopt in September.

The other dispute involves a months-long campaign by gay-rights advocates urging Obama to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The White House says Obama supports the goal of such workplace protections but believes the best solution is for Congress to pass the long-pending Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would extend those protections to workers in all sectors nationwide.

Many gay activists don’t buy that explanation, given that the act has no chance in the current Congress. They wonder why issuing the executive order doesn’t fit with Obama’s recently adopted “We can’t wait” strategy of taking actions that don’t need congressional approval.

Read the full article at:

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/05/04/impatient-gay-rights-groups-putting-pressure-on-obama/