"This Presidential Memorandum is just a start." President Barack Obama, June 17, 2009
Signing a small expansion of federal benefits for gays and lesbians, Obama reasserted his opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act and promised more to come, if at an unspecified future time.
"Unfortunately, my Administration is not authorized by existing Federal law to provide same-sex couples with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples. That's why I stand by my long-standing commitment to work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. It's discriminatory, it interferes with States' rights, and it's time we overturned it."
Early reaction from gay groups is tepid. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Forces said the move "inches" the administration forward, and called for executive action on HIV-positive travel and counting gay couples in the census.
And the grassroots and donor bases remain livid, with some asking for their money back from the DNC.
Sources: Politico
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