Whose duck is back there? (Laughter.)
MRS. OBAMA: It's a duck.
THE
PRESIDENT: There's a duck quacking in there somewhere. (Laughter.)
Where do you guys get these ring tones, by the way? (Laughter.) I'm
just curious. (Laughter.)
Indeed, that's the story of the
movement for fairness and equality -- not just for those who are gay,
but for all those in our history who've been denied the rights and
responsibilities of citizenship; who've been told that the full
blessings and opportunities of this country were closed to them. It's
the story of progress sought by those who started off with little
influence or power; by men and women who brought about change through
quiet, personal acts of compassion and courage and sometimes defiance
wherever and whenever they could.
That's the story of a civil
rights pioneer who's here today, Frank Kameny, who was fired --
(applause.) Frank was fired from his job as an astronomer for the
federal government simply because he was gay. And in 1965, he led a
protest outside the White House, which was at the time both an act of
conscience but also an act of extraordinary courage. And so we are
proud of you, Frank, and we are grateful to you for your leadership.
(Applause.)
It's the story of the Stonewall protests, which
took place 40 years ago this week, when a group of citizens -- with few
options, and fewer supporters -- decided they'd had enough and refused
to accept a policy of wanton discrimination. And two men who were at
those protests are here today. Imagine the journey that they've
travelled.
It's the story of an epidemic that decimated a
community -- and the gay men and women who came to support one another
and save one another; and who continue to fight this scourge; and who
demonstrated before the world that different kinds of families can show
the same compassion and support in a time of need -- that we all share
the capacity to love.
So this story, this struggle, continues
today -- for even as we face extraordinary challenges as a nation, we
cannot -- and will not -- put aside issues of basic equality.
(Applause.) We seek an America in which no one feels the pain of
discrimination based on who you are or who you love.
And I
know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast
enough, and I understand that. It's not for me to tell you to be
patient, any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African
Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.
But
I say this: We have made progress and we will make more. And I want
you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by
promises I've made, but by the promises that my administration keeps.
And by the time you receive -- (applause.) We've been in office six
months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I
think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama
administration. (Applause.)
Now, while there is much more
work to do, we can point to important changes we've already put in
place since coming into office. I've signed a memorandum requiring all
agencies to extend as many federal benefits as possible to LGBT
families as current law allows. And these are benefits that will make
a real difference for federal employees and Foreign Service Officers,
who are so often treated as if their families don't exist. And I'd
like to note that one of the key voices in helping us develop this
policy is John Berry, our director of the Office of Personnel
Management, who is here today. And I want to thank John Berry.
(Applause.)
I've called on Congress to repeal the so-called
Defense of Marriage Act to help end discrimination -- (applause) -- to
help end discrimination against same-sex couples in this country. Now,
I want to add we have a duty to uphold existing law, but I believe we
must do so in a way that does not exacerbate old divides. And
fulfilling this duty in upholding the law in no way lessens my
commitment to reversing this law. I've made that clear.
I'm
also urging Congress to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and
Obligations Act, which will guarantee the full range of benefits,
including health care, to LGBT couples and their children.
(Applause.) My administration is also working hard to pass an employee
non-discrimination bill and hate crimes bill, and we're making progress
on both fronts. (Applause.) Judy and Dennis Shepard, as well as their
son Logan, are here today. I met with Judy in the Oval Office in May
-- (applause) -- and I assured her and I assured all of you that we are
going to pass an inclusive hate crimes bill into law, a bill named for
their son Matthew. (Applause.)
In addition, my administration
is committed to rescinding the discriminatory ban on entry to the
United States based on HIV status. (Applause.) The Office of
Management and Budget just concluded a review of a proposal to repeal
this entry ban, which is a first and very big step towards ending this
policy. And we all know that HIV/AIDS continues to be a public health
threat in many communities, including right here in the District of
Columbia. And that's why this past Saturday, on National HIV Testing
Day, I was proud once again to encourage all Americans to know their
status and get tested the way Michelle and I know our status and got
tested. (Applause.)
And finally, I want to say a word about
"don't ask, don't tell." As I said before -- I'll say it again -- I
believe "don't ask, don't tell" doesn't contribute to our national
security. (Applause.) In fact, I believe preventing patriotic
Americans from serving their country weakens our national security.
(Applause.)
Now, my administration is already working with the
Pentagon and members of the House and the Senate on how we'll go about
ending this policy, which will require an act of Congress.
Someday,
I'm confident, we'll look back at this transition and ask why it
generated such angst, but as Commander-in-Chief, in a time of war, I do
have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a
practical way and a way that takes over the long term. That's why I've
asked the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal.
I
know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep
disappointment to those men and women who continue to be discharged
under this policy -- patriots who often possess critical language
skills and years of training and who've served this country well. But
what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing
this policy not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it
is essential for our national security.
Now, even as we take
these steps, we must recognize that real progress depends not only on
the laws we change but, as I said before, on the hearts we open. For
if we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that there are good
and decent people in this country who don't yet fully embrace their gay
brothers and sisters -- not yet.
That's why I've spoken about
these issues not just in front of you, but in front of unlikely
audiences -- in front of African American church members, in front of
other audiences that have traditionally resisted these changes. And
that's what I'll continue to do so. That's how we'll shift attitudes.
That's how we'll honor the legacy of leaders like Frank and many others
who have refused to accept anything less than full and equal
citizenship.
Now, 40 years ago, in the heart of New York City at
a place called the Stonewall Inn, a group of citizens, including a few
who are here today, as I said, defied an unjust policy and awakened a
nascent movement.
It was the middle of the night. The police
stormed the bar, which was known for being one of the few spots where
it was safe to be gay in New York. Now, raids like this were entirely
ordinary. Because it was considered obscene and illegal to be gay, no
establishments for gays and lesbians could get licenses to operate.
The nature of these businesses, combined with the vulnerability of the
gay community itself, meant places like Stonewall, and the patrons
inside, were often the victims of corruption and blackmail.
Now,
ordinarily, the raid would come and the customers would disperse. But
on this night, something was different. There are many accounts of
what happened, and much has been lost to history, but what we do know
is this: People didn't leave. They stood their ground. And over the
course of several nights they declared that they had seen enough
injustice in their time. This was an outpouring against not just what
they experienced that night, but what they had experienced their whole
lives. And as with so many movements, it was also something more: It
was at this defining moment that these folks who had been marginalized
rose up to challenge not just how the world saw them, but also how they
saw themselves.
As we've seen so many times in history, once
that spirit takes hold there is little that can stand in its way.
(Applause.) And the riots at Stonewall gave way to protests, and
protests gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a
transformation that continues to this day. It continues when a partner
fights for her right to sit at the hospital bedside of a woman she
loves. It continues when a teenager is called a name for being
different and says, "So what if I am?" It continues in your work and
in your activism, in your fight to freely live your lives to the
fullest.
In one year after the protests, a few hundred gays and
lesbians and their supporters gathered at the Stonewall Inn to lead a
historic march for equality. But when they reached Central Park, the
few hundred that began the march had swelled to 5,000. Something had
changed, and it would never change back.
The truth is when
these folks protested at Stonewall 40 years ago no one could have
imagined that you -- or, for that matter, I -- (laughter) -- would be
standing here today. (Applause.) So we are all witnesses to
monumental changes in this country. That should give us hope, but we
cannot rest. We must continue to do our part to make progress -- step
by step, law by law, mind by changing mind. And I want you to know
that in this task I will not only be your friend, I will continue to be
an ally and a champion and a President who fights with you and for you.
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