Obviously this is a great thing. A U.S. President announcing his support alters history forever, and it symbolizes an even greater shift in the politics of today. I firmly believe, by applying some common sense, that Obama's always believed in gay marriage (if I didn't think so I wouldn't have voted for him) and so has been strategizing this moment since the beginning of his first term. He needed to make extra sure that our country had progressed enough on this issue for the inevitable announcement to succeed. And that's why I don't find the whole thing all that groundbreaking. In fact, it makes me a little sick.
Reading the context surrounding the statement, Obama's long and deliberated evolution towards acceptance... that his final answer somehow arrived at a crucial point on the campaign trail... feels like bullshit to me. Receiving waves of emails from Democrats, including Obama himself, patting him on the back, hailing him for his strength and then asking for campaign dollars... all because the guy supports same-sex marriage, something that I consider a given in anyone I respect, is congratulating a calculated falsity.
The fact of the matter is, in explaining his position, the slow evolution of his thoughts (assuming Obama's always believed in same-sex marriage), he is, in my opinion, essentially lying to all of us. It reeks of such gross political opportunism I share little to no enthusiasm over this "historic" moment.
And none of this would really upset me if Tyler Clementi hadn't jumped off that bridge, if gay and lesbian kids weren't 2-3 times more likely to commit suicide. Why not come out in support of same-sex marriage then? Why not before then?
At the end of the day, I couldn't see this playing out any other way. In a system, in which each move is calculated to the extreme, weighed against every possible outcome, why not save such a landmark statement for the right political moment? Right? No. Fuck that.
Sincerely fucking that,
Ben Lear