Gay Group HRC Endorses Obama for second term

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http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=8487&MediaType=1&Category=26

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on Thursday endorsed President Barack Obama for re-election.

The nation's largest gay rights group offered its endorsement in a statement posted on its website.

“President Obama has improved the lives of LGBT Americans more than any president in history. In 2008 we were promised change and profound change is what we got. More remains to be done and ensuring that President Obama is able to continue the forward momentum toward equality for another term is an absolute priority of the Human Rights Campaign,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

In its endorsement, the group singled out four major achievements of Obama's first term, including signing into law repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” and a gay-inclusive hate crimes law, concluding that portions of the Defense of Marriage (DOMA) are unconstitutional, and requiring hospitals nationwide to adopt gay friendly visitation policies.

“From signature achievements like passage of the law to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to administrative changes throughout government, President Obama has done more to improve the lives of LGBT people than any president in history,” the group said.

HRC's admittedly early endorsement rankled gay Republicans.

“Today, the Human Rights Campaign chose to endorse Barack Obama's re-election even though the field running for president in 2012 isn't even set yet,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, the executive director of gay GOP group GOProud. “This pre-emptive endorsement ends HRC's charade of bipartisanship.”

“LGBT people who are interested in putting policy before partisanship now know that HRC is little more than a puppet of the Democratic National Committee and an organization that has one goal – to elect more Democrats.”