Comments on: Withers: Obama insists he’s a gay ally

By: DAVID

DAVID — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:52:22 +0000

The very fact that Obama must “insist” he’s a gay ally shows that there is a systemic problem in his position towards gays. Stop making excuses for a man who has already reneged on five of his major campaign promises, including, but not limited to, the closing down of GITMO and transparency in government regarding things like torture and wiretapping. Obama is a bad liar and the way he backtracked in his answer shows he’s more interested in what’s politically expedient than the real lives of gay an lesbian citizens who are currently being deprived of full civil liberties.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:13:48 +0000

And I’m sure he would have supported blacks riding in the back of the bus too. After all, they’re on the bus, aren’t they?

By: Daniel S

Daniel S — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:17:59 +0000

There’s no reason we HAVE to support Obama if he keeps stabbing us in the back. What difference does it make, ultimately, if we have a Republican president that does not support gay rights as opposed to a Democrat that does not?

Obama is playing a subtle game with us, dropping just enough crumbs in the form of minor administration appointments, invitations to the Easter Egg Roll and Pride Month proclamations full of lies to pretend that he’s a “fierce” advocate of gay rights.

But his ACTIONS prove otherwise. He’s definitely not “fierce”, nor even bold. He’s looking back to the Clinton years and using that to define the upper limit of what he feels he has to do for us, and then not going a step further.

He consciously avoids controversy, and we’re controversial. Thus he avoids actually DOING anything for our community because the Right can only get so much mileage out of criticizing the few, ambivalent, statements he makes in support of us.

Having just survived two terms of Bush I think we’ve learned that we can survive even an unfriendly president, so we should not feel obligated to donate money, time and votes to Obama.

More to the point, we should learn from the Latinos. They didn’t present him with things they “hoped” for. They handed him DEMANDS. And they made it damn clear that if he didn’t deliver they would make him pay at the ballot box. That’s why you see him reaching out more to them than he does to us.

We have the option of making a HUGE amount of public noise about not just LGBT issues, but about EVERY bad decision that he makes. We don’t need to draw all that many votes away from him in this polarized country to deny him a second term. And I for one am fully prepared to act on spite.

By: Larry Rape

Larry Rape — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:13:34 +0000

This article is almost too silly for words. First, Obama DID support gay marriage when he ran for a state job; he equivocated when he needed to to get elected! Second, he made promises to support ending DOMA–and he reneged!!! As to DADT, he could eviserate that by executive order; he lied to us before he was elected–and there’s no amount of editorializing can change that fact. I’m voting Socialist; at least they always support gay rights!

By: Truth B. Told

Truth B. Told — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:12:35 +0000

First of all, Yhitzak, it is totally retarded and self-hating to think that anyone has to “compromise” on equal rights. That is how the vile institution of racial segregation got started in the first place. It is NOT going to be OUR legacy too.

Endless transitions in creeping stages; while one injustice is heaped upon another; moving excruciatingly slow towards eventual equality.

No thanks! We’ve waiting long enough. Thousands of years too long already!

===============================

Yhitzak said: “This is truly pathetic. The maintenance of this opinion will continue to hold us and our community in legal chains. Compromise requires efforts by BOTH sides, not one. If we want equality, we have to act as equals. If we want rights, we have to act responsibly. With great power comes great responsibility, so let us accept that challenge and carry it gracefully.”

==================================

Hey, Yhitzak, what are you eight years old? “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

Sheeeesh! You’ve been watching way too many Spiderman movies. You’re even quoting them.

By: MavsFan

MavsFan — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:43:33 +0000

Obama, you’re no friend of mine!

By: MavsFan

MavsFan — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:42:13 +0000

If “supporting gay rights” = “dance” then:

We can “dance” if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
‘Cause your friends don’t “dance” and if they don’t “dance”
Well they’re no friends of mine.

Man, I love me some Safety Dance! LOL

By: Aydrian

Aydrian — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:34:03 +0000

I suppose it is better to have Obama, than someone that doesn’t support gay rights at all. Sure, we’d all like to be able to run to the alter tomorrow, but reality is, it is a state right. I’m sure our Congress and President could pass a marriage equality amendment this year, but then it would have to be ratified by 2/3 of the states. As things stand today, that would never happen. It would be political suicide for any of them. Yes, it would be morally right for them to sign on to marriage equality, but the reality is we just aren’t there as a nation, yet. We need more straight allies, which means all of us being open to all of our coworkers, friends, and relatives. How can we expect our elected officials to put their career at jeopardy for us, if we aren’t willing to do the same for ourselves?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:39:17 +0000

When are we gays going to realize it’s all BS. They just use us for our votes. I would rather vote for someone who doesn’t support gay rights then one who promises gay rights, but then flounders on it. I’d rather be hated to my face then behind my back.

By: James Withers

James Withers — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:33:17 +0000

Kenny,

The history is slightly more complicated than you are making it.

Sincerely,

James