Obama vs. McCain on LGBT Families

Compare and contrast:

John McCain: “I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption.”

Seriously. Do we really want a president who can’t count to two? He later “clarified” to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos:

I am for the values and principles that two-parent families represent, and I also do point out that many of these decisions are made by the states, as we all know, and I will do everything I can to encourage adoption—to encourage all of the things that keeps (sic) families together…

Barack Obama, in response to a letter from the Family Equality Council asking what he will do for all families:

While we live in a nation that is enriched by a vast array of diverse traditions, cultures and histories, it is our commonality that most defines us. The desire to build a life with a loved one, to provide for a family and to have children who will grow and thrive—these are desires that all people share, regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. My own experience has taught me this lesson well. I was born to a single mother, my devoted grandparents helped raise me, and then I married the woman of my dreams and had two beautiful daughters.

We know that the cost of the American dream must never come at the expense of the American family. For decades we’ve had politicians in Washington who talk about family values, but we haven’t had policies that value families. Instead, it’s harder for working parents to make a living while raising their kids. It’s even harder to get a break.

That’s why I’ll double spending on quality after-school programs—so that you can know your kids are safe and secure. And that’s why I’ll expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers; to let parents participate in school activities with their kids; and to cover elderly care. And we’ll finally put federal support behind state efforts to provide paid family and medical leave. We’ll require employers to provide seven paid sick days each year. We’ll enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination. And we’ll encourage flexible work schedules to better balance work and parenting for mothers and fathers. That’s the change that working families need.

We have to do more to support and strengthen LGBT families. Because equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights is not some abstract principle; it’s about whether millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives marked by dignity and freedom. That’s why we have to repeal laws like the Defense of Marriage Act. That’s why we have to eliminate discrimination against LGBT families. And that’s why we have to extend equal treatment in our family and adoption laws.

I’ll be a president that stands up for American families—all of them.

Yes, Obama could be stronger about the whole marriage thing. If his current stance against it is what gets him into office, though, I’m okay with that as a campaign tactic. His statement above shows that he’s still the strongest candidate LGBT families have ever had.

UPDATE: The Family Equality Council notes that they sent a similar letter to John McCain, but he did not respond.