MONTPELIER, VT.  Today, Vermont Democratic Party Chairman Jake Perkinson, heralded the historic news that the President Barack Obama supports full civil rights for all Americans and affirmed his belief that marriage equality should be available to all people.  The President said today “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”  

Chairman Perkinson stated “President Obama’s statements this afternoon in support of marriage equality mark a watershed moment in this deeply important civil rights issue.”  Vermont is one of the few states in the union that permits same-sex marriage and has been at the forefront of this issue for over a decade.

Chairman Perkinson continued, “I am personally gratified that the President has made clear that his personal view is that it’s wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so. This is a great step forward for civil rights in the United States and I am proud that the President is leading on this issue just as many courageous people in Vermont, including our own Governor Shumlin, and others elsewhere, have done before him.”

The Obama Administration’s consistent record in support of the LGBT community also includes:Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; Ending the Legal Defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); Signing Historic Hate Crimes Legislation:  Ensuring Hospital Visitation Rights for LGBT Patients and Their Loved Ones; Preventing Bullying Against LGBT Students; Developing and Implementing a National HIV/AIDS Strategy; Expanding Access to Health Coverage;  Addressing Health Care Disparities; andTaking Steps to Ensure LGBT Equality in Housing and Crime Prevention.

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