Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Obama insists he’s a gay ally
I’m going to give President Barack Obama points for nerve. When asked by NBC’s Brian Williams if gays and lesbians, who want to get married, have “a friend in the White House,” Obama looked in the camera said yep, emphasized his commitment to civil unions, noted marriage was a state issue that was not the providence of the federal government, and talked a little bit on how he would fight discrimination.
Man he’s good. Sure that answer is going to make most of the folk here apoplectic but he wasn’t talking to us. His words were for the dwindling majority of American citizens freaked out not only by gay marriage but anything to do with the dignity of gays and lesbians. Essentially told them discrimination on sexuality is wrong and like them he would prefer unions.
As a politician, Obama understands the tenor of voters and same sex marriage might be the thing in New England and Iowa (hello Hamer family!) but it is DOA in Texas and Georgia. Texas voters might look at New Hampshire with skepticism for its gay marriage legislation, but citizens of the Lone Star State are not going to blame Obama and are relieved (i.e., more likely to vote for him) when he says the federal government isn’t going to make states jump on the gay marriage express.
Is this helpful to anyone here? Nope. Would it be nice to have a president who was for same sex marriage? Sure, but when we were having that debate, the people who supported marriage equality had NO shot at winning the White House (and please Clintonistas: don’t leave any stuff how your lover’s best friend’s hairdresser knows for a fact that if she had won Hillary would have come out for marriage rights).
None of this means that suddenly we should be happy with Obama. I would repeat that but what’s the point? Too many of you are already writing comments about how I’m throwing the community under the bus. When it comes to gay rights, Obama is following a trend the Democratic Party is known for. Talk a lot and do less. We are all adults and that should not surprise; however, if you are already yelping how your vote will be going to Gavin Newsom in 2012, riddle me this. If Obama is punting on gay rights, why nominate a Republican for the secretary of the Army who favors changing DADT?
Let’s push Obama to do better, but let’s not forget that he has other political realities (voters) outside of our concerns and he might have to take a circuitous route to get where we want. Doesn’t mean we should wait patiently. That would be silly. It does mean thinking long term.
PS: And maybe the problem really isn’t Obama. As former LOGO correespodnet Jason Bellini reported, it could be us.
>Let’s push Obama to do better
Until more time goes by, the most realistic thing we can says is that this is a disagreement about timing.
Obama–given the federal political realm in which he operates and given what’s on his plate–probably figures that tackling ENDA and DADT within “a few years” is reasonable. And, if you focus strictly on how government works and political strategies that tend to work, he’s right.
But for the poor LGBT grunts who might get drummed out of the military unfairly and lose pensions, “a few years” is a long time to wait. For a gay community that’s been locked out of federal political gain for 15 years–at first due to a Republican-led congress, and then due to a Republican president–”a few more years” feels excruciating (”justice delayed is justice denied”).
Because I like to emphasize the yin and yang of life (I use that image a *lot* in my work as a Life Consultant), I’d say that it would be helpful if we could strike a balance between keeping some pressure on him to deliver on his campaign promises within the first year, and easing up a bit so that we aren’t beating someone about the head and neck who is best positioned to help us in the long run. Keep the pressure on him (to fulfill his campaign promises in the first term), AND ease up on him (in terms of expectations around immediate results).
>PS: And maybe the problem really isn’t Obama. As former LOGO correespodnet Jason Bellini reported, it could be us.
Again, if you look at this only from the angle of how politics work and how laws get made, we are looking like (politically) whiny, immature, demanding children. “But we wanted it NOOOWWWWW! Wahhh! [Toss the baby food across the room]”
An earlier comment talked about how Obama was not a “fierce” advocate of gay rights. Ferocity looks good on TV and in the movies, and it’s great for street theater, marches, or protests. However, ferocity doesn’t get you very far in the halls of Congress.
When I think of Martin Luther King Jr., I don’t think of ferocity. I think of inner peace and focus, being principled, being smart, being strategic, and a very smooth and steady commitment across the years, never getting too high or too low about the current day’s developments. Slow and steady wins the race.
I think members of the gay community could get further emulating the cool, consistent, firm strategizing of King, and a little less bluster, ferocity, and demanding instant results.
If he has the spine and mean equality he will reverse DOMA and push a law through that will say that the word marriage in all federal laws will be replaced by “marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships as defined in the state of residence of the individual and in DC”. Such an omnibus has been used in other countries to sovle the federal problem. THis way he can leave it to the state to define marriage BUT he makes it clear that under any name, the rights are the same at the federal level. Period.
“If marriage isn’t a federal issue, then why did the Supreme Court rule in Loving v. Virgina (circa 67?) rule that Marriage is a basic human right?”
Activist judges!
I think when people say that marriage is not a federal issue they are so completely wrong. If marriage wasn’t a federal issue, then why all of the federal laws in regard to marriage? Clearly the federal government has it’s hands in marriage as well and it’s not just a matter for the states.
Are you serious about this Obama-drama? First of all, same sex marriage does play an important part with the federal government. Even though sixth states have legalized same sex marriage, we as gay and lesbian couples cannot file joint tax returns in those six states because the federal government does not recognize same sex marriages. If all 50 states had civil unions for same sex couples, could we then file jointly? With the six states that have legalized same sex marriage, DOMA should be removed now but that’s a federal decision isn’t it?
Obama carefully comments by saying well it’s up to the states but I prefer civil unions. Seeing that Obama is our President and that he prefers civil Unions so much, then offer civil unions to all Americans so you don’t create a second class group of people. Instead Obama is taking the easy route so he maintains his popularity with the majority of people, those who do not support same sex marriage, just in case he intends to run for a second term.
Obama should remember Rev. Martin Luther King’s historic words for equality, “Free at last”. We the GLBT people of America would like to say those same words when it comes to marriage and our rights.
Free to marry? Mr President, do you remember those not so long ago days when the church and our government would not legalize inter racial marriages? How would you have felt if there was a special civil union and not marriage for inter racial couples left up to the states to decide on? You would have screamed DESCIMINATION and that’s exactly what we are screaming but unfortunately you pacify us with civil unions that are not equal to those that can marry.
“And maybe the problem really isn’t Obama. As former LOGO correespodnet Jason Bellini reported, it could be us.”
Maybe if he wasn’t being contradictory.
I agree with you James, President Obama is nobody’s fool, LGBT or otherwise, he’s a Harvard Man; I was “married” to one for eight years! I believe that if we are going to be “Mr. or Mrs. Somebody” and we are going somewhere with that, we need to wake up and pay attention.
If marriage isn’t a federal issue, then why did the Supreme Court rule in Loving v. Virgina (circa 67?) rule that Marriage is a basic human right?
It is a cop-out and as a supporter of Obama for Prez. I am more than a little pissed that we are seeing a repeat of Prez. Clinton. Only difference was that at the time DADT and DOMA were passed it was a very different political landscape. A Rep. controlled congress and conservatives pushing and gaining momentum for a Constitutional Amendment….so I am willing to forgive Mr. Clinton. What I am not willing to forgive is when 70% (est) of the public now favors a repeal of DADT that Mr. Obama takes no action, that the HRC takes no action but according to blogs today actually made a deal with the White House to not focus on DADT repeal but focus only on Hate Crimes Leg….what we can’t fix more than one eggrigeous error at a time? I also cannot forgive the utter silence from Obama Admin on any of the gay issues, prop 8, victories in NH, Maine, IA etc., working to fix the taxation inequities, silence on the UAFA to allow our loved ones to stay with us in the US…and the list goes on and on. This is exactly why we do need to March on Washington!!!!
I don’t care about the myriad excuses for Obama’s failure to act. He can claim to be an ally to gays all he wants. I can claim to be the last surviving direct descendant of the Romanovs. Neither one of us has anything to back up our respective claims, but at least mine is halfway humorous.
I hear Obama speak, and I like what he says, and in fact, am inspired by the man, but after giving it some thought, I don’t SEE him doing anything. As far as Don’t Ask Don’t Tell goes, it is NOT a STATE issue. It is a FEDERAL issue! And it should be revoked Immediately, is the propaganda of ‘National Security’ means anything. When this so-called ‘War On Terror’ brought us into two wars, we are desperately in need of Arab Linguists and the ‘best’ of our military, but those that are gay have been fired, and are still being fired under Obama.
Please, spare me the nonsense! Get rid of DADT, or just shut the fuck up! Inspiring words are false unless backed up with some real integrity, and I just don’t see it.
Gay Americans need to start using their political clout with the Democrats and in particular with President Obama. We need to play the game thwe way that the Democrats and Obama play and that is to WITHOLD giving any donations or support to the Democratic Party and President Obama UNTIL we get the Federal legislation we need to have EQUAL righs, not seperate but equal rights. This goes for nancy pelosi and Harry reid as well. The House of representatives and the Senate are controlled by Democrats and neither House is doing anything for Gay Americans.
Gay Americans represent 5-7% of the electyorate (conservative estimate). Any politician will be concerned with such a large voting and donating group. Look at what the democrats are doing for Hispnics and they represent only 15% of the elctorate. Lets start using our clout and stop making apologies for President Obama and the Democratic Party. We must stop being their patsies. We must have the repeals of DADT, DOMA and full access to Federal benfits for Gay civil married and civil union couples. Do your part and send President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Senate leader Reid the message, NO MORE DONATIONS OR SUPPORT FOR THEIR PROGRAMS UNTIL WE GET THE ABOVE ACCOMPLISHED!
I give Obama a pass for supporting civil unions rather than marriage. After all, he told us that. But he does absolutely nothing to further civil unions. He has done nothing to further the passage of ENDA or to repeal DADT, actions which he promised to do. As far as I can tell, the only thing he has done is to issue a Proclamation. Not so fierce an advocate after all.
Obama is dead wrong and disengenous when he states that the federal government should not be in the business of defining marriage. It IS. Then how does he explain the federal rights conferred only by marriage? Why does the federal government bother if its not involved? That alone proves that the federal government to some extent IS most definitely involved in the definition thereof.
Obama is not a full ally of the LGBT voting bloc. If he were, he wouldn’t be supporting legal segregation via civil unions and that is exactly what they are. God is in his mix unfortunately and he’d rather kow-tow to the religious voters rather than alienate them at the expense of losing our full equality. That’s no true ally of the LGBT community. We’re used only for our votes to get these people elected, nothing more. He of all people should know better than to resurrect segregation as a legal method to give a handful of rights that are less than the 1324 marital rights afforded by the federal and state governments. He now subscribes to separate is equal, the antithesis of the Warren court decision in 1964 that ended segregation. How much clearer does it get? We’ve been shafted, yet again!
Everyone who believes Obama will come out fighting for us stand on your head…
You sure are willing to cut him a mile of slack. Why is that, anyway?
Why We Are Not Winning:
We must remember who founded this country and who still runs it. Fundamentalist Christians. The overwhelming and vast majority. Anti-gay and homophobic bible quoting, self-righteous, holier-than-thou moral majority people are very much still in control of the votes and the popular opinion. Organized, well-funded, supported by thousands of Puritanical church groups, with huge following and money flooding in, they are determined to keep us down and punish us for being true to ourselves. For each small victory, they put us down, take away more rights and chastise and we keep on, like the ant against the elephant. This wall of bigotry and intolerance, hatred and malice towards us because we are “different” and a “threat to their way of life.” Outnumbered, out maneuvered, outdone on all sides and counting, what is our alternative?
For our part, we are at least somewhat to blame. There is one key ingredient lacking. This keystone for victory is evident, due to so many special interest LGBT groups, all going it alone without any backing from any other association. Far too many chiefs, or organizations, all working separate and alone, with special interest agendas. That is never going to win any decisive victory. What we need to do it forget our egos, never mind who gets the credit and UNITE, SOLIDIFY and WIN! Each and every other minority has done it, except we LGBT. Alone we cannot and will not win, but together, cemented and working together, it is inevitable that we shall have our human rights and dignity and marriage equality once and for all times. No one group can achieve what an army of like minds and purpose can. Remember that “elephant”? Well, what if all us ants got together and brought this giant of oppression down to its knees and proceeded to stand up and be counted for – together, united and solid? I say, Unite to fight for out Basic Human Rights’”, while my partner of thirty years says, “Alone, we March – Together, We Conquer!” Food for though.
Mike McDonald
NYC, USA
Viet Nam Veteran
9/11, Ground Zero Survivor
Lover/Parther Thirty Years