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Loading ...Ask Barack about gay issues
03.25.2009 11:29am EDT
(Washington) President Barack Obama will hold an online town hall-style meeting on the White House’s Web site on Thursday.
The White House said Obama will answer questions at WhiteHouse.gov. Visitors to the Web site can determine what questions the president will answer.While most of the questions are expected to be about the economy, the president also can be quizzed about when several pieces of LGBT legislation will be advanced by the administration.
Among them are the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act and passage of an inclusive ENDA.
The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was enacted by Congress in 1996 when it appeared Hawaii would soon legalize same-sex marriage and opponents worried that other states would be forced to recognize such marriages.
The act bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex couples. During the election campaign, Obama called for repeal of the law. Legislation is expected to be introduced in the current session of Congress, but since the election the President has not mentioned it.
Earlier this month, more than a dozen same-sex couples legally married in Massachusetts filed a federal lawsuit claiming the act discriminates against gay couples and is unconstitutional because it denies them access to federal benefits that other married couples receive, such as pensions and health insurance.
Obama has said that he supports civil unions but not same-sex marriage. This week, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) became the highest-ranking US Senator to support full marriage rights for same-sex couples.
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. Since DADT was enacted, more than 12,000 servicemembers have been dismissed when it was learned they are gay.
Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher, a California Democrat, earlier this month reintroduced legislation to repeal the ban. The Military Enhancement Readiness Act (MREA) would replace it with new provisions prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the Armed Forces. Last year, the MREA had 149 bipartisan cosponsors.
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) has reportedly been working on a Senate version of the bill to be filed this year but wants a Republican to cosponsor it.
The President has said that he supports repeal of the ban but he has called for a study that could take up to a year to determine the effect of allowing gays to serve.
The Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act is named for the 21-year-old college student who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998. It would add sexual orienation to the list of categories covered under federal hate crime law.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, also passed the House in 2007 but without protections for the transgendered.
The legislation would have made it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in hiring, firing, promoting or paying an employee.
When ENDA returns it is likely to include gender identity protections.
ENDA, originally introduced by Sen. Barney Frank, included transpeople, but Frank removed those protections in committee, saying it would be impossible to pass.
More than a dozen LGBT groups immediately distanced themselves from the legislation. Frank later reversed himself and said he would fight to ensure an inclusive ENDA is passed.
While the White House says there is no guarantee what questions the President will answer, it is expected at least some LGBT concerns will be addressed.
During his campaign, Obama used the Internet to connect with voters, mobilize supporters and raise a record-shattering amount of money. He has used that online approach during the first months of his presidency.
Oh. An online podcasty like thing… for lil’ old us? Will it be him or a card board cut out with some words being read?
Someone should ask him about his affair with Larry Sinclair.
Or why he never goes to Chicago Gay Pride.
Less than 5 hours left. Please go there, type GLBT under search and VOTE FOR YOUR LIFE! Most of the issues link finance to equal rights because there are no social issue as topic to pick from (Sad). Please do your part!!!
I believe Uniting American Family Acts should be put into serious consideration cause our bi-national LGBT couples are seriously torn apart. Can u imagine how heart broken would be if your love one can not live with you because of the unfair immigration policy to LGBT? We can sponsor our love one to live in USA legally as the straight couple. Please help the bi-national gay couples and keep their family in USA “INTACT”
Don’t Forget About The UNITING AMERICAN FAMILIES ACT!!! Allowing same sex couple the same immigration rights as straight couples. It affects many thousands of bi-national couples lives!!
Sorry to see that in your article, like in the general political discussion, that same-sex partner immigration rights are ignored, even though there is currently a bill passing through Congress.
“So it doesn’t appear that White House is entertaining any questions other than those on the economy.”
Gay marriage is very much about the economy! Two people setting up house together, funishing it, paying the rent and/or mortgage, buying insurance, improving the interior and exterior, setting and complying to community standards of ownership, creating long-term inter-neighborhood relatinships, volunteering for public and private charity groups and causes…and the list goes on, not the list of which includes having and raising children, involvement in relegious groups and church sponsored events and activities, AND creating disposable wealth, contributing to joint retirement accounts through spound investments, property ownership, and savings funds. Gay maarriages, if granted the same benefits of federally recognized opposite sex couples, i.e., hererosexuals, would contribute exactly/equally to national short and long-term economic stability stewardship for no greater reason than a comitted couple has a greater vested interest in doing all that is possible to insure their own collective financial security and welfare. How could anyone possibily fail to see the connection between granting full marital/head of house hold status (IRS tax code rights for legally married couples and family units) to same sex couple and thus inhance added benifits that will fulfil Obama’s goal to grow the economy, stablilze society, and contribute to the national wealth?
Same sex couples, with their combined income less the existing unequal burden of taxation levied against non-married, non-blood related individuals living to gether, are just as likely to spend and buy in the same, if not greater, porporiton as straight legally married couples whether it be by paying cash or by using credit. Oboma is asking American citizens to grow the economy by spending and buying consumer goods. What better segment of society is willing to do just than than same-sex couples, especially if, once legally married, go out and begin the process of setting up house and home. Damn, politicians are so short sighted! Same sex couples are the better part of the solution. How can we get that idea across to the numb-nuts in Washington?
I’m asking Obama when he plans to deal with his own issues regarding sexuality, since he obviously has them. I don’t appreciate his deafening silence and he should pass all this legislation while he can.
Obama says he supports civil unions but wont come forward and make them legal for all of us I supported him and voted for him but unless things change and he starts showing some support for us beyond empty words I wont be doing it again hell, maybe i’ll even vote republican next trip around currently in our country he’s allowing states that hate to write ignorance into constitutions,allowing California to do what they did to the LGBT community was inhumane and while i realize he wasnt president when it passed he hasnt talked to his LGBT supporters since taking office. Left to their own devices humans can be heartless against people or things that dont agree with their thought processes and it’s damn time our federal Gov. grew a pair and protected everyone from this crap
Regarding Our Commander & Chief Hypocrite …
Twelve years ago Obama answered a questionnaire regarding his political positions when running for state office in Illinois. On the questionnaire, Obama emphatically stated his beliefs and told what he would do in regard to civil rights legislation for the GLBT community.
Click on the link below and read what he said. Pay close attention to question number six.
Then please tell us all in the GLBT community how virtuous and irreproachable this man is.
For the full story go to:
http://www.queerty.com/obama-supported-gay-marriage-12-years-ago-today-not-so-much-20090113/
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RE: “Obama has said that he supports civil unions but not same-sex marriage.”
…But that not what he used to say.
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…When a state senator he went on record as fully embracing marriage equality for Gays and Lesbians. When running for national office, Obama opposes marriage equality for Gays and Lesbians. Will the “real” Obama please stand up!
Can you say: Flip Flop Obama, anyone? IS this just another typical political whore who will say anything to any constituency in order to get elected?
Q: Is this the “CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN” promised by Obama?
A: Yep, if anything, Obama is “changeable”. What a scumbag!
Employment discrimination is an economic issue. Go search the forum for questions on ENDA and vote them up.
I went to the website. The questions appear to be limited to the economy.
Why would I want to talk to this homophobe who thinks we are second-class citizens. He spends more time picking out a puppy than on the needs of 5 to 10 percent of his electorate.
Unfortunately for equality issues, the White House website states in their basic guidelines for submitting questions for this online town hall-style meeting: “You agree to post only questions related to the economy (including topics essential to long term economic growth, such as education, fiscal responsibility, green jobs and energy, health care reform, and home ownership).”
So it doesn’t appear that White House is entertaining any questions other than those on the economy. Unless we can get them to see the economic benefits of equality.
sad… we have to legislate kindness and love… what a world.
Interesting idea, but already over 500,000 have joined with over
50,000 questions or so. And LGBT are not on list unless you want them under Health Care.