Back in the United States, some 300 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists gathered at the White House Monday for a reception hosted by President Obama. In a speech, Obama addressed criticism his administration has failed to meet campaign pledges to fight for equal rights.

President Obama: “We’ve been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration. I have some confidence about that.”

Despite a campaign promise, Obama has made no specific move to overturn the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays and lesbians in the military. Conceived in 1993 by the Clinton administration, “don’t ask, don’t tell” allows gay military personnel to serve as long as they don’t disclose that they’re gay or engage in homosexual conduct. Obama said he remains committed to a repeal.

President Obama: “I know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep disappointment to those men and women who continue to be discharged under this policy, patriots who often possess critical language skills and years of training and who’ve served this country well. But what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing this policy, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is essential for our national security.”