WASHINGTON — President Obama made sweeping pledges Saturday before gay and lesbian activists, promising to end the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and work to undo the law that prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.
Obama, addressing a gala dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, said he would work for "full equality" across the board. Although there have been advances in gay rights, Obama said, there are "still laws to change and hearts to open."
The president, who has made similar pledges in the past, did not spell out a timetable for these initiatives, but he told the audience that they eventually would view "these years as a time when we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians."
One night after winning the this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Obama arrived at the dinner-fundraiser with fence-mending to do. He acknowledged in his remarks that some gays have been dissatisfied with the pace of his reforms.
Addressing those who stand up against discrimination, he said had a simple message: "I'm here with you in that fight."
He added, "Do not doubt the direction we are headed and the destination we will reach."
"Don't ask, don't tell" is the Defense Department's policy of allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military so long as they do not disclose or act on their sexual orientation. Already, Obama is working with Pentagon leaders on ways to scrap the law.
"I will end 'don't ask, don't tell' -- that is my commitment," Obama said to loud applause.
He took the stage to a standing ovation and often had audience members back on their feet, applauding thunderously. "We love you!" one person cried out as Obama opened. "I love you back," the president replied from the stage.
The federal Defense of Marriage Act, often called DOMA, allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. It also bars federal recognition of such unions.
In an address that was at times poignant and reflected on the sometimes "painful and heartbreaking" experiences gays face, Obama said he recognized that a gay relationship was "just as admirable as a relationship between a man and a woman."
