Did you know that June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month? I guess I need to get out more, because even though I fully support LGBT rights, I only found out yesterday. It turns out that President Obama even issued a declaration about it. It's striking, especially to a near-geezer such as myself, when the President of the United States starts off a spiel by invoking the Stonewall riots of 40 years ago in New York, which most gay activists cite as the birth of the gay rights movement. I can't imagine that a President McCain would have issued such a proclamation, and Obama's decision to do so is a great step in the right direction.

At the same time, when he calls for "the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists," I can't help but think that the words would be more effective if the Prez supported the rights of LGBT folks to marry and enjoy the full legal benefits of their union. Oh, and there's that little matter of "Don't Ask Don't Tell," which makes some highly qualified Americans liable to be thrown out of the armed forces, such as the gay man who was recently canned even though he was one of only a handful of translators of Arabic working for the U.S. government. The words are nice, Mr. President, and a good move. Now let's see some action to back them up.