Melody Barnes, President Obama’s senior domestic policy aide, provided a somewhat definitive answer to same-sex marriage standpoints while visiting Boston College’s School of Law, according to various sources. A questioner within a student group after her speech expressed interest in her support for marriage equality.
The questioner and Paul Sousa, co-founder of LGBT rights organization Equal Rep described Barne’s response to her personal position as supporting marriage equality and appreciating the frustration the LGBT community feels. She also said she is working toward furthering other action items such as DOMA, DADT and ENDA.
However, two other students at the college speech reported Barnes providing a less confident answer by expressing her concern for same-sex marriage but also said she not only advises the president but also works for him. A White House official also said Barnes was not delivering her personal views on marriage equality or other issues.
“As she clearly stated at the event, her personal views on issues are irrelevant to her work of advancing the administration’s agenda,” the official told huffingtonpost.com “In response to the questioner, she did provide an overview of what the president is doing to help advance equal rights for LBGT Americans.”
If the observer viewpoints are accurate, Barnes will be the highest-ranking White House official to signal support for same-sex marriage.
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-Kim Brown
