Obama calls for end of DADT in State of the Union
Last night the President gave his much anticipated State of the Union speech. Surely, the economy was to be a big part of the speech, but many wondered if LGBT Americans were going to be included. The President delivered a feisty speech, with a touch of humor, that touched on hate crimes and "Don't Ask, don't tell".
Here is the text from that portion of his speech:
" Abroad, America's greatest source of strength has always been our ideals. The same is true at home. We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we're all created equal; that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else.
We must continually renew this promise. My administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. (Applause.) We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate. (Applause.) This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. (Applause.) It's the right thing to do. (Applause.)"
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