Obama's Pride Reception Speech

Obama On Marriage Equality: I'm Not Gonna Make News On That Today

More from today's press conference: "I'm gonna keep giving you the same answer until I get a different one. And that won't be today."

Obama Reacts To New York Marriage

The official (and brief) White House statement:

The President has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples. That's why he has called for repeal of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" and determined that his Administration would no longer defend the constitutionality of DOMA in the courts. The states should determine for themselves how best to uphold the rights of their own citizens. The process in New York worked just as it should.

White House: Obama Will "Mention" NY Marriage Battle, But Won't Take A Position

Despite strong pressure for the president to endorse marriage equality at tonight's Manhattan fundraiser with LGBT community leaders, the White House says that isn't going to happen.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday that President Obama plans to “mention” during an LGBT fundraiser later in the evening a pending marriage equality bill in the New York Legislature, but won’t come out either for or against the legislation. Carney said the president will maintain the marriage issue should be something left to the states to decide. Many political observers believe New York is on the cusp of legalizing same-sex marriage and the necessary 32 votes are secured in the Republican-controlled State Senate to move forward with the legislation.

The president will begin the evening by attending a performance of the Broadway hit, Sister Act.

White House Rejects Pfeiffer Claim

Here's how the White House is responding to Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer's claim that the president didn't fill out the 1996 survey in which he appeared to support marriage equality. Via Washington Blade:

The White House is backing off of the comments Pfeiffer made on Friday on Obama’s 1996 statement in support of same-sex marriage. Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson, addressed the issue in a statement: “Dan was not familiar with the history of the questionnaire that was brought up today, but the president’s views are clear,” Inouye said. “He has long supported equal rights and benefits for gay and lesbian couples and since taking office he has signed into law the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ signed into law the hate crimes bill, made the decision not to defend Section 3 of DOMA and expanded federal benefits for same sex partners of federal employees.” Inouye didn’t respond to a further question from the Washington Blade to verify whether the White House believes the president in fact filled out the questionnaire in 1996.

AmericaBlog is calling the above a "bizarre non-denial."

NETROOTS: White House Rep Denies Obama "Filled Out" 1996 Marriage Pledge

This may be the biggest news to come out of Netroots.

In an interview conducted in front of an audience at the Netroots Nation blogger conference early Friday in Minneapolis, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer claimed a 1996 questionnaire favoring gay marriage, which bears Barack Obama's signature, was "actually filled out by someone else." "If you actually go back and look, that questionnaire was actually filled out by someone else, not the President. There was a long debate about this in the campaign. ... This was litigated in the campaign," Pfeiffer said in an exchange with the Daily Kos' Kaili Joy Gray caught on video.

AmericaBlog was quick with a denouncement.

Dan Choi's Trial Set For August

Yesterday a federal court set August 28th as the date that Dan Choi will be tried for DADT-related civil disobedience at the White House. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

Former Lt. Dan Choi was in federal court today, the lone individual still facing charges from any of the 2010 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" protests that took place at the White House. He also was in uniform, a reminder of the symbol for repeal that Choi and other active servicemembers became during the course of the 2010 debate over ending the 1993 policy and instead allowing out gay, lesbian and bisexual service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Sitting at the defense table in Courtroom 7 of the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, Choi was silent throughout today's brief conference where U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay set an Aug. 29 trial date for Choi on federal charges of violating a federal regulation prohibiting "interfering with agency functions," specifically disobeying a lawful order of the National Park Service.

New White House Site: Winning the Future, Obama and the LGBT Community

The Obama administration today launched a new official subsite titled "Winning The Future: President Obama & the LGBT Community." Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

In addition to the fact sheet and email sign-up page, the LGBT home page contains links to the administration's "It Gets Better" videos; White House blog posts relating to LGBT issues; LGBT-related news releases from the administration; and links to resources, including StopBullying.gov, AIDS.gov and the Defense Department's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal page.

The two-page, "The Obama Administration's Commitment to Winning the Future for the LGBT Community" fact sheet contains many bullet points of accomplishments -- similar to but more expansive than Tuesday's 2011 LGBT Pride Month proclamation from Obama -- and three bullet points about future progress. The "progress" points all relate, at least in part, to relationship recognition -- a topic absent from Tuesday's proclamation.

Obama Issues Pride Month Proclamation

The White House today issued a proclamation recognizing LGBT Pride Month. Metro Weekly notes that for the first time since Obama took office, the statement makes no mention of recognizing gay relationships. The proclamation begins:

The story of America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union. It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Read the proclamation in full (PDF).

White House Issues Statement Denouncing Minnesota's Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

Via the Washington Blade:

“The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples or to take such rights away. While he believes this is an issue best addressed by the states, he also believes that committed gay couples should have the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country."

"Best addressed by the states." Hmm.

Obama: No Bin Laden Death Photos

The White House just announced that it will not be releasing the reportedly gruesome death photos of Osama Bin Laden. Right-wing news outlets have been clamoring for the photos to be published, both as evidence of Bin Laden's actual death and for their potential use to intimidate other terrorists. Others have argued that the photos could inflame anti-American sentiment and endanger U.S. soldiers and civilians living abroad.

Getting The News

At The White House Bullying Conference

Can you imagine anything remotely like this taking place during a Republican administration?

Christians Taunt Praying Muslim Man

Video taken outside the White House.

Trump: I Offered To Build The White House A $100M Ballroom And They Said No

Yesterday prospective 2012 GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump told Rush Limbaugh that he offered $100M to the Obama administration to build a "magnificent White House ballroom" instead of those "rotten tents" put up on the South Lawn for special occasions. Trump claims White House officials blew him off because he's a Republican.

Gay Man Named WH Social Secretary

Longtime Obama fundraiser Jeremy Bernard (on left, with former partner Rufus Gifford), has been named White House social secretary. He's the first openly gay man to hold that position and the third in the job since Obama took office.

“Jeremy shares our vision for the White House as the People’s House, one that celebrates our history and culture in dynamic and inclusive ways,” President Obama said in a statement, “We look forward to Jeremy continuing to showcase America’s arts and culture to our nation and the world through the many events at the White House.” Bernard comes to the White House from the US Embassy in Paris, where he served as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador. Prior to this role, he worked as the White House Liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Obama's first social secretary departed after that dumbass Real Housewives debacle. The second left to campaign for Rahm Emanuel.

Gibbs Dodges Obama '96 Question

Outgoing White House press secretary Robert Gibbs today once again dodged Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson's questions about the president's 1996 position on same-sex marriage. One gets the sense that Gibbs is so ready to be through with this job.

SOTU: The Enhanced Remix

Via the White House, here's last night's complete State of the Union address. "This enhanced version features charts, graphs and other visual aids that accompany the President's speech."

A Moment Of Silence At The White House

President Obama and the First Lady joined members of Congress and their staffers today for a moment of silence honoring the victims of Saturday's massacre in Arizona.

About Obama's New Chief Of Staff