Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Protests meet Obama in California
From his decision to include Rev. Rick Warren in his inauguration to silence about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” President Barack Obama has not been the fierce advocate of the gay and lesbian community that was promised in the campaign. So the White House should not have been surprised when Obama was met with protesters last night when he was talking at a Beverly Hills fundraiser.
Officially called “a welcome” (yeah sure), about 200 people gathered to wonder where was the hope that was talked about last fall. One of the protesters was U.S. Army Lt. Dan Choi, an Arab language specialist, who was recently booted out of the service because of his sexuality. We are supposedly in a war against terror, and we do not need the expertise of an Arab language specialist? Mmmmmmmm.
Based on a purely cold calculus, Obama’s silence works for him politically. He stays above a conversation where passions get heated. Independent conservative voters who might not be the most liberal on sexuality issues, warm to him and his policies when they see gay and lesbian voters are dissatisfied. Finally the attempt by Republicans to paint him as a crazed radical fall flat when he matches them point for point on gay and lesbian issues.
We need to accept that Obama is our adversary. He’s not a Westboro Baptist Church nutty. Nor is he the spokesman for the Family Research Council. He’s a politician and contrary to popular belief politicians are not brave. They only do what’s right when forced or for some political gain (to those still upset about the Democratic primary: Hillary Clinton would be following the same script if she were in charge). Let’s not forget that Obama, in the campaign, hinted he expected us to be funky with his work on LGBT matters.
So if Obama comes to your town, throw him a “welcome.”
Obama sucks. He’s in it for himself. He has no backbone and no incliniation towards risk taking or making hard decisions. He’s the classic example of the empty suit…
He and Mayor Villagaroso should have a lot in common. They’ll enjoy their time together.
I basically don’t have much sympathy for the lgbt community I live in. Everyone, despite the evidence, continues to still hold circle jerks for this hypocrite who lives in the white house. The gay community gives millions of dollars to politicians who continue to disappint us. Talk about insanity.
Sorry guys, I beg to differ that Hillary would be doing/acting the same as Obama! Hillary ALWAYS follows through on her promises because she is strong and Obama is weak!
Silence speaks just like words do, sometimes even louder!
It’s your assumption, not reality, that Hillary would do the same. You are simply wrong, some authentic politicians have been brave. They are often the leaders.
Personally, and I might be flamed for this, I think Obama has more important things to worry about at the moment than gay rights. I’m speaking from my heart as a queer-as-a-three-dollar-bill woman: I’d rather see the economy get its shit together before I see marriage for us gay folk. We’ve lived without it for pretty much ever; we can deal for a few more months while we focus on more important issues.
That is not to say I am against equal rights; it is just to say that we need to organize our priorities. No one is dying here in the country because they were denied a marriage license; more people are hurt by the failing economic atmosphere as a whole.
Okay. I have a genuine and sincere question to ask everyone, including Mr. Withers: where were you during the 2008 presidential campaign? What (outside of Obama’s personal statement) led you to believe that he was an advocate for GLBT issues, let alone a *fierce* advocate of such? Because he *said* so!? Did none of you use the Google to check that little statement against other statements issued at a later date, or did you just decide that you already heard what you wanted to hear so damn the rest of it? Seriously, all through the campaign, I kept wondering how and why so many gay groups were backing this guy who flip-flopped on the issue of gay rights in such an obvious manner. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the only Obama who is an advocate for GLBT issues and the only one who is a *fierce* advocate is Michelle. I don’t know if the rest of you have your heads in the sand or in the clouds.
If Obama is “our adversary,” then he has rather graciously given us an in to this fight. Rights and equality are never merely granted, they are not just given, they are won through hard-fought court cases, legal measures, and appeals upon appeals upon appeals. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was segregation in America eliminated in a day, even after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Anyone who expected Obama to get into office and immediately grant equal rights to all people was truly expecting the impossible. And if anyone out there thinks that a federal sanction of marriage will eliminate anti-gay sentiment in this or any country is not just expecting the impossible, they are ignoring the ugliest and truest parts of human nature. What Obama has done here is not just stand in opposition to us as gay people, he has given us the opportunity that we require to fight for our legal rights. We, like all other oppressed groups before us who won their equality in the courts, must take this as high as it can go. We, like those who preceded us, must prove that we deserve to have equal rights. I don’t like it any more than the rest of you, but that’s the way it is. Instead of crying about it, let’s stand up and accept the challenge. Let’s do our best to prove that we deserve what we’re asking for. Let’s file court cases and let’s admit that the kind of bigotry that is currently ensconced in law prevents us from living full lives, and it prevents us from contributing our maximum to society and the world. Let’s not cry, let’s not shout, let’s not set things on fire or smash them down. Let us be honest and let us listen to the other side that we so vehemently demand listen to us.
Obama is not simply or merely standing athwart and shouting, “Stop!” He is standing athwart with a hand outstretched and he is saying, “Earn what you wish to take.” If we as gay people or as a community wish to accept that hand, we must be willing to put ourselves on the front lines, we must be able to take the hard knocks, we must maintain our vigilance and our integrity, we must not back down in the face of fierce opposition. This is where we agree, Withers: when Obama comes to your town, give him a great *big* “welcome.”
Yhitzak,
Fair question. I’ve always been suspect about Obama when it came to LGBT issues. I saw him no different from other mainstream Democractic pol who courted the gay vote, but would move on if stuff got too hot. It’s how the Democratic Party operates.
Like I said yesterday, I don’t think he’s a homophobe; however, he will, like others before him, have to be pushed to do what is right.
Enjoy your week-end.
Sincerely,
James
why is anyone surprzed , hillary would have been the better choice , its funny how nobody noticed obama as a homophobe when he openly was not in support of gay marriage , stating , marriage was for one man and one woman , he should have keept his personal opiion to himself , if he really wnated to support the lgbt community , make this a lesson learned that most politicians are alike , with thir own agendas and will most likely if the are straight , will never support us . again when posting please put your full name and location out here , let the man know they dont scare us , as long as we are visible we can stand strong in numbers , be proud of who you are and support all our lgbt community , we are all brothers and sisters and have to remain as one .together with our unity we will succede,
rodney K , i agree with you all the way man, but as you know violence places people in harms way , we do need to be stronger as a whole , but with our words and choices we make by staying united , i know mr nice guy dont work , so agreed lets kick some ass , but with our minds and words , and even boycotting those who oppose us ,which is a comment i read earlier that made sense thats where to get them, in the pocket book, and lets face it us gays have more money to spend then most , i feel bad for martin luther king, he taught us to live by the sword is to die by the sword , unfortunately it didnt work out that way for him , he lived pecefully and died violently , that should teach us that a pasive stance does not always work , we must fight hard but with our unity and courage thats how we will get results .
Let’s face it, Obama LIED! He has lost my vote and I have NO faith that he will follow through on his promises. This is doubly sad because, by being black, I am sure he has faced baseless discrimination himself.
Obama is doing a phenomenal job on everything else except gay rights. His approval ratings are still in the sixties which goes to show that by him not acting on gay rights is not hurting him in anyway politically. It is however debatable if the same would be true if he was active in trying to repeal DADT and DOMA. Remember Obama is a politician and a master at it, probably the greatest in a generation. It’s not even six months, I will give him a year to act on gay rights before judging.
I, for one, am not surprised, its always been my belief that he was primed for office by republicans who knew that he was the only candidate with a chance against hilary. I was devastated when the gay community fell awayfrom her to endorse obama. if u will notice she has already proven herself to her employees even tho the world has lots of need for the state dept roght now, she made short work of handing out equality… Im just saying…I told ya so…
True, Obama hasn’t dealt with LGBT issues in the way most of us would like, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that he inherited a LOT of CRAP from Shrub, etc. The economy, the unjustified wars, all of it are things that he must focus on Now. He is just in the infancy of his presidency. Of course, I would like him to give more attention to the LGBT community, and to strike down DADT and make a statement about Prop. 8. Sorry, but I think it is FAR too early to expect him to change his focus. He has 4 years to take action on this issue. It would be impossible for him to focus on EVERYTHING that everyone wants at the same time. He has done things that have disappointed me, but I am reserving judgement until he has had time to deal with the crap SHRUB left behind. Lets leave the comparisons to the Taliban and racial slurs to the side.
Let’s not forget Stonewall. The LGBT community stood up for itself and made itself heard then, when homosexuality was a crime. We need to work together to make our voices heard, and not sit around complaining that the President hasn’t done enough for us.
What burden is on Obama that he can’t give us some support? Hmmm…he hasn’t done anything to shut down Guantanamo, in fact we might be more entrenched there now than we were before. He’s continued the perversion of our Constitution with regard for the bullshit military tribunals instead of a real trial in a real US court, where real US law prevails. Where he’s had room to change bank regulations to reduce the risk of this meltdown happening again, he’s just putting the same players back at the poker table again. Politics is the art of the possible? We’ve seen plenty of possible swept off the table in favor of maintaining an unsustainable status quo, at a cost of trillions of dollars to the US Treasury. Only a fool spends a mountain of money to keep the circumstances that made him part with the cash.
Maybe it’s time to be nasty. Maybe if enough of us show up in blackface, arm in arm, singing “We Shall Overcome”–maybe paying the local fire department to spray us with fire hoses–maybe then we’ll exist. And we’d “exist” at the cost of alienating millions of black Americans, gay and str8, who are NOT universally against us.
We already have support at the state level, and it’s growing. We have a Democratic Congress which is terrified of its own shadow, terrified of using its power the way the GOP did when it ruled. We have a President who shows less leadership and too much double-talk. These Federal Dems seem to think that gays will continue to endorse this Jim-Crow-meets-David-Geffen game for all eternity, but the anger is growing.
Obama can afford to show us support and he chooses not to. Everything in politics costs something. He’s on our meter, not the reverse, and it’s time he shows himself worthy of our substantial political donations if he wants to stay in that pretty house as something other than a token.
I agree that Obama is not brave; I’d add he is disembling and disloyal to the base of the Democratic Party. Proof? His flip-flopping on release of torture photos, continuing the policy on rendition, dissuading investigation of Constitutional wrongdoing by public officials and bailing out banks and insurance while letting homeowners take it in the shorts.
I’m so over Obama and his stupid cheerleaders.