WHAT HAS SENATOR OBAMA ACTUALLY DONE FOR LGBT PEOPLE?
– He worked for seven years on enacting fully inclusive antidiscrimination protections in Illinois, cosponsoring the legislation as a freshman legislator, serving as chief cosponsor of three successive versions, and lobbying his colleagues for the successful enactment of that law, and he has repeatedly called for the enactment of a fully inclusive ENDA and advocates fully inclusive protections for federal workers and contractors. – He led the successful bipartisan effort to enact the Illinois Gender Violence Act, which provides broad protections from sexual and domestic violence, and he participated in the effort (ultimately unsuccessful) to make the protection of LGBT individuals under the Act explicit. – He was a champion in Illinois for the enactment of progressive, results-based HIV/AIDS policies, like a regulated needle exchange program and public awareness and education efforts. – In the U.S. Senate, he was an early voice in calling for lifting the ban on federal funding of regul
