Mr. President, It's Time to Come Out.

By jpm-

The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.

-- Galadriel

The President of the United States, who in 2008 promised to be a fierce advocate for LGBT equal rights, is now one of the single biggest obstacles to that goal. Not because he is opposed to (almost all of) those rights. That's not it at all.

But because of his unparalleled stature, his very public opposition to equal marriage rights has resulted in him becoming the most prominent bastion of non-religious-wacko support for the fairy tale position that "separate is equal".

As David Axelrod, the President's advisor, put it immediately after Judge Walker's ruling in Perry v Schwarzenegger:

The President does oppose same-sex marriage... but...

To quote no one specifically, but likely millions of Americans' thoughts who aren't paying much attention to this issue but do pick up the phone when pollers call:

If the President doesn't believe in full equality, why should I?"

In fact Proposition 8 Proponents' Attorneys cite the President's opposition to equal marriage rights as a major point in their appeal to the Ninth Circuit -- as to why their (once-failed) case against equality has merit!

When the President speaks, people listen -- even the Ninth Circuit, or so at least the Prop 8 attorneys thought (a stay, as requested by the appeal, was granted without any explanation, so we have no idea whether this argument got actual consideration. Still.).

Let's put this in perspective. The President of the United States, the leader of the Democratic Party and a scholar of constitutional law, is now to the right of a near-majority of the US population AND

• Dick Cheney, Republican former Vice President: "I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish.
• Cindy McCain, wife of Senator John McCain: "marriage equality isn't a Republican issue any more than it is a Democratic issue."
• Ken Mehlman, former RNC Chairman: "wants to become an advocate for gay marriage"
• Elizabeth Hasselbeck, right-wing co-host of the television show The View: "I actually support gay marriage."
• Glen Beck, right-wing Fox News television show host: "I don't think marriage, that the government actually has anything to do with...that is a religious right."

As David Mixner puts it

... there is simply no logical personal or political reason for President Obama to be against marriage equality. At this stage there can only be two conclusions: that he is a political coward or that he does indeed hold prejudice against LGBT citizens... Looking at the facts, the statistics, the political reality and at the President's current position one can only say "Shame on you, Mr. President. Shame on you."

We don't elect a President just to run the Executive branch and be the Commander-in-Chief. We'd like to see him or her stand up for what is right. To speak out against hatred and bigotry, and for equality and justice.

The world has changed Mr. President. Civil unions are so 2008. They no longer, if they ever did, represent equality and they never will again. It's the dawn of a new decade, where nothing short of full equality will do.

So, Barack Obama, 'Come Out'.

• Come out in support of equality.
• Come out in support of the 14th amendment, for equal protection under the law.
• Come out in favor of the pursuit of happiness.
• Come out so that those who look to you can no longer say their President believes in "separate but equal".

Come out, and the tipping point will quickly be reached: no longer will religious zealots be able to say that the majority of Americans do not support marriage equality.

And really

Come out because it's the right thing to do.