Obama has promoted marriage equality, adoption rights

Since our last update in 2010, a lot has happened to extend equal rights to same-sex couples.

With President Barack Obama's support, the military rescinded the "don't ask, don't tell" rule for military service on Sept. 20, 2011. In May 2012, Obama publicly affirmed his support for gay marriage, saying, "I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

And on June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, called DOMA. After the ruling, Obama promised executive action to carry out the decision. "I've directed the attorney general to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly," he said.

>More recently, and perhaps most importantly, on June 25, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees same-sex marriage as a right. Obama hailed the move. "From extending full marital benefits to federal employees and their spouses, to expanding hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients and their loved ones, we've made real progress in advancing equality for LGBT Americans in ways that were unimaginable not too long ago," he said in a post-ruling statement.

This month, Michigan passed a law that allows state child-welfare agencies the ability to deny services to same-sex couples hoping to adopt or foster a child. Earlier this year, Texas and Alabama also proposed legislation permitting discrimination against adoption by same-sex couples on religious grounds. And in Mississippi, same-sex couples have been prohibited altogether from adopting children since 2010.

Obama has recently made remarks supporting same-sex couples in adopting children. In a presidential proclamation declaring May 2015 "National Foster Month," Obama discussed adoption and foster care rights. "With so many children waiting for loving homes, it is important to ensure all qualified caregivers have the opportunity to serve as foster or adoptive parents, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status," he said on April 30, 2015.  

This proclamation echoed a verbatim statement Obama made in a proclamation declaring November 2011 "National Adoption Month." Since 2011, Obama has issued a similar proclamation every year, reiterating the importance of eliminating discriminatory barriers that limit the adoption rights of same-sex couples.

Since our last ruling, Obama has publicly endorsed same-sex marriage, as well as a same-sex couples ability to adopt on several different occasions. He's done the urging, and he's seen a lot of progress. For this reason, we rate this a Promise Kept.