Obama to sign UN gay rights declaration

Good news: The Associated Press reported this week that the Obama administration “will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign.”

This is another good step towards restoring this country’s reputation as a defender of human rights and equality for all.

Apparently the Bush administration, which refused to sign the declaration, thought it was OK for gays to be treated as criminals, and punished with prison time or even death in some countries.

Obama is a friend to the LGBT community — to an extent. As a U.S. Senator, he voted against Senate consideration of the Federal Marriage Amendment of 2006, which would have constitutionally banned same-sex marriage.

On the other hand, while Obama supports civil unions which would give same-sex couples the same legal rights as married couples, he has said that he opposes same-sex marriage for religious reasons. He does, however, concede that it should be left up to the individual states.

And it seems as though he might be warming up to the idea.

This is a huge improvement over the past administration.

One step at a time.