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'Gayby boom': Children of gay couples speak out.Some gays say Obama hasn't kept promises."And fulfilling this duty in upholding the law in no way lessens my commitment to reversing this law." "We have a duty to uphold existing law, but I believe we must do so in a way that does not exacerbate old divides," Obama said.
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It is one of the most divisive political issues in America, strongly backed by conservatives - particularly the religious right. The Defense of Marriage Act effectively bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions, even as individual states legalize them. Ending the policy requires an act of Congress and will take time, he added. "I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security," Obama said to applause. The "don't ask, don't tell" policy bars military officials from asking about a service member's sexual orientation but also bars the service member from revealing it, and allows the dismissal of a service member if a same-sex orientation is discovered. "It's not for me to tell you to be patient any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-century ago." "I know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that," Obama said. With first lady Michelle Obama at his side, the president told the cheering crowd filling the East Room that his administration would work to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gays in the military.