Fighting for Rights

In the past few weeks, several issues have dominated the news, including the revolutions in the Middle East and the situation in Wisconsin. But an issue that hasn't gotten a lot of attention lately is the fight for gay rights. Aside from the victories the protestors have experienced in the Middle East, there have recently been a series of small victories for advocates of gay rights.

Image cred: CNN

This month, the Maryland senate passed a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Though it still needs to pass in the House of Delegates, Democrats remain optimistic that they have the votes to pass the bill. Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley has stated that if it passes, he will sign the bill into law. If the bill passes Maryland will be the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage, along with Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Vermont, as well as Washington D.C. This bill is a great news for gay rights advocates, and hopefully it will be passed and signed into law.

President Obama also spoke out this week about the issue when he stated the administration's opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law defining marriage as strictly between a man and a woman. Obama has long voiced his opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act, but this week he ordered the Department of Justice to cease all defense of the law. But some fear Obama's decision will have political consequences in his re-election bid in 2012.

In other news, the White House also named Jeremy Bernard as the new White House Social Secretary. This marks the first time an openly gay person will hold the position.

These past few weeks we have seen a few small victories in the fight for equality, and they hopefully represent the first of many victories to come.