This is 2012.
There is a growing movement that has taken place over the past many years towards acceptance of gay marriage not only in a political sense, but also in personal terms among families and friends. In fact, the most-recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll suggests that views on gay marriage are shifting faster than for any other hot-button social issue in recent memory.
There is strong and growing recognition that a two-tier system of benefits, rights, and even terms of word usage is not just. Marriage rights in all aspects for heterosexuals must be extended to gay couples . Period.
Gay people will not accept anything less than full civil rights. In addition, no elected official should find any comfort with a position on gay marriage that is not on the enlightened side of the argument. Especially from a Democrat!
Which brings me to President Obama.
I am a strong supporter of the President for being an intelligent, far-sighted, and mostly pragmatic leader on the issues that our nation confronts. Obama has made truly positive steps with ending DADT, along with ending support for DOMA.
But there is one more move that he needs to make. And now.
President Obama needs to take a stand for what is right and just by making it known he is in favor of gay marriage.
The words, in and of themselves, will not make a policy change or allow in an instant rights to be secured by any loving gay couple in America. It will not undo the anti-gay hatred and bigotry, which in spite of all the progress this nation has witnessed, sadly still is a force that needs to be fought.
The words of support for gay marriage from President Obama would be a dramatic and forceful statement about the real meaning of America, the ever-forward movement society takes in order to create equality, and the acknowledgement that there remains in the nation some who are not yet in the full community of rights.
Over and over through history we see that words matter. Convictions matter.
This is now the time for President Obama to stand up to the moral test of his presidency, and align himself with gay marriage and full civil rights for all Americans.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
That’s not going to happen, he WANTs to win the 2012 election.
Craig skip Weis
Don’t hold your breath. As always, the answer will be wait…. At least with the Republicans–and I don’t agree with them on this–you know where you stand. Obama is no friend to the gay community; he says one thing and does another.
Gay pride flag raised at US base gets jeered, cheered.
The United States military has reportedly launched an investigation into the appearance of the rainbow-striped gay pride flag that flew over an army base in Afghanistan. Three pictures of the flag raising were posted on the Wipeout Homophobia Facebook page and, although the photos haven’t been verified as being recent or even for real, they’re unsurprisingly the source of debate. The uberconservative Family Research Council has condemned the gesture as “uncomfortable” and “a headscratcher,” while the Maddow Blog says it’s an example of the military’s “extraordinary progress on gay rights.” But several Instinct Magazine commenters say the biggest issue isn’t the flag itself, but the lack of authorization to fly it.