President Obama did not mince words on Sunday, telling a LGBT Democratic fundraiser in New York that religious liberty isn’t an excuse for denying Americans their constitutional rights. He also took aim at the field of GOP candidates who are seeking his job for their views on LGBT rights.
In his remarks, Obama knocked Republicans for opposing not only equal marriage rights, but for not recognizing that the conversation has moved on, arguing that “America has left the leaders of the Republican Party behind,” according to The Huffington Post.
“We need to reject politicians who are supporting new forms of discrimination as a way to scare up votes,” the president said. “That’s not how we move America forward.”
Obama also dismissed various Republican candidates’ stances on LGBT issues as out-of-touch, attempting to paint them as extremists. In particular, he appeared to take aim at pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who made remarks suggesting that situational homosexuality in prison is proof that being gay is a choice. Other targets of his remarks appeared to be Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.).
“One of their leading candidates argued that going to prison turns you gay,” Obama said. “I’m just stating the facts. Another candidate boasts that he introduced an amendment to end nationwide marriage equality — which isn’t even an accomplishment at all. A third said Americans should just disobey the Supreme Court’s ruling entirely. I’m sure he loves the Constitution — except for Article III. And maybe the Equal Protection Amendment. And the 14th Amendment, generally.”
But even though he acknowledged that some parts of the country are still uncomfortable with same-sex marriage and that a change in attitudes may not be coming in the near future, the president outright rejected the idea that freedom of religion somehow excuses people who wish to discriminate against LGBT people.
“We affirm that we cherish our religious freedom and are profoundly respectful of religious traditions,” Obama said. “But we also have to say clearly that our religious freedom doesn’t grant us the freedom to deny our fellow Americans their constitutional rights.”
Obama then recounted the various victories achieved for the LGBT community under his administration, including hate crimes protections, the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that banned openly gay servicemembers from serving, and an executive order banning anti-LGBT discrimination in government employment and in federal contracting.
“We live in an America where a growing share of older generations recognize that love is love, and younger generations don’t even know what all the fuss was about,” the president said. “And tonight, thanks to the unbending sense of justice passed down through generations of citizens who never gave up hope that we could bring this country closer to our founding ideals — that all of us are created equal — we now live in America where our marriages are equal as well.”
Republicans are seizing on former Vice President Kamala Harris' new book, 107 Days -- a reference to the length of her abbreviated campaign following President Joe Biden's delayed exit from the race -- to accuse Democrats of prioritizing identity politics over merit.
In the book, Harris reveals that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was her preferred running mate in last year's presidential election, but she ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, citing concerns about how voters might respond to a ticket featuring both a Black woman and a gay man.
John Reid, the gay Republican nominee for Virginia lieutenant governor, has defended the right of his running mate, current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, to oppose same-sex marriage -- even though he personally disagrees with her on the issue.
Speaking on the conservative talk radio program The Wilkow Majority on SiriusXM, Reid said he and Earle-Sears are "willing to put aside our differences" to support policies they believe are best for Virginia. Host Andrew Wilkow then asked Reid to name an issue on which the two disagree.
"She's not for gay marriage. She's 100 percent against it," Reid said. "You know, she's from Jamaica, and her religious background tells her a very different narrative than my Episcopalian white-guy Virginia background. I understand!"
A Republican candidate who campaigned against transgender rights has dropped out of the Wisconsin governor's race after a local newspaper revealed he had followed several sex- and relationship-focused blogs on Medium, including one authored by a nonbinary porn performer.
Bill Berrien, a former Navy SEAL and CEO of Pindel Global Precision, a manufacturer of precision-machined components, was one of three Republicans competing for the party’s nomination in the 2026 Wisconsin governor’s race.
The 56-year-old businessman faced an uphill battle in the primary, where political observers saw him as the most "moderate" candidate. That perception stemmed from his past support for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign, his backing of ranked-choice voting, and his criticism of Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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