Obama’s Silence Could Pass Proposition 8

by Michael A. Jones

Published October 21, 2008 @ 08:02PM PT

Earlier this month, Ellen DeGeneres was the subject of widespread criticism in the blogosphere and elsewhere, for her lack of contributing any money to defeat Proposition 8, California’s statewide ballot measure that would eliminate marriage rights for same-sex couples. Critics said that DeGeneres was showing lackluster support for marriage rights, and that despite the fact that she came out against Prop 8 on her personal blog and on the Tonight Show, her absence from the donation list was sending a message that she just didn’t care enough about gay marriage.

DeGeneres has since quelled the criticism by donating $100,000 to fund a public service announcement condemning Prop 8, and urging Californians to vote against it. But the situation raises a serious question for LGBT rights activists:

If we were so quick to go after one of our own for failing to support marriage rights, why aren’t we going after the guy at the top of the ticket to come out against Proposition 8?

Barack Obama’s recent silence on Proposition 8 has left a void where there should be some leadership. Polls in California show a close divide over Proposition 8, with a recent Survey USA poll showing 48 percent of California voters in favor of the measure, with 45 percent against. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

When it comes to African Americans, a voting bloc that Obama wields enormous influence with, black voters favor Proposition 8 by twenty percent – 58 percent to 38 percent. With numbers like that, black support could be the critical push for Proposition 8’s passage.

Obama has steadfastly and consistently said that he opposes gay marriage. But by the same token, Obama has always iterated that he’s against constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. If that’s the case, now is the time for Obama to speak up. His coming out against Proposition 8 forcefully just days before the Election could do wonders to help close the gap among certain voting constituencies, especially African Americans, and it could just be enough to make the difference over whether Proposition 8 passes or fails.

Vice-Presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, himself a guest on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show this week, reminded Ellen’s audience that he and Obama both oppose a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. “I think it’s regressive, I think it’s unfair, and so I’d vote no,” Biden said. But by Sen. Biden’s own admission, if an amendment eliminating marriage rights for gay couples on a federal level is regressive, isn’t it also regressive on a state level too? And if so, then what’s holding Obama up?

I imagine most LGBT folks will still vote for Barack Obama whether he comes out against Proposition 8 or not in these remaining days before the vote. But it’s sad to think that when it comes to Proposition 8, Obama’s inclined to stay silent. Is the question of marriage equality above Obama’s pay grade, too?