Since taking office, the President has demonstrated that his vision for a brighter future includes greater equality for LGBT Americans. The President and his Administration are dedicated to eliminating barriers to equality, fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and engaging LGBT communities across the country.

Highlighted achievements include:

• June 2009: Issued a directive on same-sex domestic partner benefits, opening the door for the State Department to extend the full range of legally available benefits and allowances to same-sex domestic partners of members of the Foreign Service sent to serve abroad. OPM also expanded federal benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees and allowed same-sex domestic partners to apply for long-term care insurance.
• October 2009, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, extending coverage of federal hate crimes law to include attacks based on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity—the first federal civil rights legislation to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” 
• March 2010: The Affordable Care Act funds preventive efforts for communities, and is making other investments that will help address health disparities. Through increased research and data collection on health disparities, policymakers will have the knowledge and tools they need to continue to address the health needs and concerns of the LGBT community.
• April 2010: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) now requires all hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds to allow visitation rights for LGBT patients. The President also directed HHS to ensure that medical decision making rights of LGBT patients are respected.
• December 2010: The President signed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010  into law, allowing gay men and women to serve openly and with integrity in the U.S. military.
• February 2011: The Administration announced it would cease legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act’s provision defining marriage as only between a man and woman.
• February 2013: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) issued a Directive to specify care that is available to transgender veterans through VA benefits. The VA also launched an LGBT Veteran welcoming outreach campaign and established several new psychology postdoctoral fellowships specializing in LGBT health.
• February 2013: President Obama signed the VAWA reauthorization with important new provisions to protect LGBT victims of violence. 
• June 2013: The Administration announced the first ever national study of discrimination in housing against LGBT persons and proposed new regulations to ensure that housing programs are open to all persons regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
• June 2013: After the United States v. Windsor decision, in which the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional, the President instructed the Cabinet to review all federal statutes to ensure the decision was implemented swiftly and smoothly. After concluding its review, the Justice Department announced that in almost all instances it will extend benefits to same-sex married couples. 
• March 2014: The Community Relations Service at the Department of Justice released a new training module for law enforcement professionals who interact with and protect transgender persons who may be victimized by crime.
• July 2014: The President signed an Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment “because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin,” continuing to set an example as a model employer that does right by its employees.
• December 2014: The Attorney General released “Guidance for Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Regarding the Use of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, National Origin, Religion, Sexual Orientation, or Gender Identity” which prohibits profiling based on sexual orientation or gender identity by federal law enforcement or local law enforcement working on federal task forces.