Comments on: Michelle Obama speaks to GLBT delegates

By: Jasmin Lind

Jasmin Lind — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:42:10 +0000

Ok, let me start by saying Tuesday night was the single happiest moment of my life. The level of grief and despair I felt on 9/11 was exactly opposite of the level of joy and jubilation I felt on 11/4/08. My only wish was that my mother who passed away at the turn of this century could have seen this with me.
My world was brightened and saddened the next day…How could the same people who received, and I might add, sometimes without request, the assistance of other minorities. Then turn around in the very same breath of celebration, take a vote that deliberately discriminates another American minority. It defies all I ever believed.
I am an African born, American raised LESBIAN. So unfortunately I’m a dual minority. So while I revel in the victory that epitomized the ultimate dream that the Rev. Martin Luther King had for my people. I weep at the opportunity that those same people, swiftly swung the hammer of discrimination at my ‘other’ people, the proud yet persecuted LGBT community. Bayard Rustin had to divide his loyalty equally. I do not have to, do not mistake my skin color with where my loyalty lies. My humanity says I’m a LESBIAN who happens to be ethnic.
So “Black America” I’m done fighting for your rights. The only category I will lend my loyalty to going forward will be HUMAN RIGHTS. Since you’ve announced loudly your decision to seperate yourselves from the notion of all humans getting freedom, you now have joined the equivalent of those that kept you oppressed and persecuted. I weep for “Black America’s” demise, while vowing the rise of my own commitment to seeing the rights of the LGBT communities be elevated to where we should be and not where we are.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:19:30 +0000

“Barack Obama has said that he supports civil unions, but believes marriage is between a man and a woman. ‘Discrimination has no place in a nation founded on the promise of equality,’ she said, receiving a standing ovation.”

Does this woman and her husband understand the words “honesty” and “integrity”? It is deeply disgusting to hear, especially from her, yet another promotion of “separate but equal”. Shame on her and her husband! Barak Obama so far has come across as fiery, but shallow and insencere.

By: Dee

Dee — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:21:30 +0000

Did she even mention the word “trans” ? WHy not just speak to GLB delegates than?

By: mona

mona — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:13:00 +0000

The acceptance speech is online. Visiting my partner in the hospital and not being discriminated against is all he thinks I deserve. BULLROAR. That is crap. McCain will go that far.

By: sls

sls — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:17:08 +0000

I want to hear OBAMA say it.

Both Clintons did. Gore did. Michelle did. So what. I want to hear OBAMA say he would’ve let me serve, will repeal DOMA and recognize my Canadian MARRIAGE, will enact ENDA. I want to hear OBAMA say I am equal.

By: Chris Sullivan

Chris Sullivan — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:20:05 +0000

The fact is that all politics is incremental. Being too idealistic and inflexible is a roadmap for consistent failure. When our GLBT “leadership” pushed too aggressively for gay marriage without the incremental growth from domestic partnerships/civil unions into marriage – dozens of states adopted anti-gay marriage laws. Talk about cutting your nose to spite your face. The same thing with ENDA and the trans community. Change and growth can happen, but you have to be smart about how you got about it as well.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:49:15 +0000

Bud Evans needs to sit down and shut up. Obviously history means nothing to him. Civil rights do not come all at once – they never have. While we all want full recognition and equality, if he would educate himself with the true stance of Obama/Bidden he will see that they are offering full recognition – you know the 1200 rights we are denied…we’ll get them, we’ll get fairness in the tax laws we are denied today, we’ll get medical, social security and other righs denied today. Does he endorse calling it Marriage – who really cares if it carries the same weight. He needs to bridge the gap and whether you like it or not, we still have a large portion of the population that do not feel we deserve to be equal and if calling it Civil Unions gives us the same rights that too eventually will change and no one will care because we’ll be equal.

By: Gerry Fisher

Gerry Fisher — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:07:01 +0000

What we are highly likely to get with an Obama presidency and control of Congress (we need a filibuster proof 60 in the Senate) is *NOT* *CRUMBS*: ENDA (possibly with transgendered protections…Barney Frank’s working on it), an end to DADT, repeal of DOMA, and support for states to continue the civil-unions/marriage experiment unimpeded by federal interference. And quite possibly more.

If you must have gay marriage, then please vote for someone else (but not McCain!); I support you in your right to do that. But it’s very disingenuous to describe Obama’s gay-rights platform as “crumbs” just because one item that you want is not on the list and you think it should be.

I object to the extreme rhetoric (on both the right AND the left), because it distorts facts and makes having a constructive dialogue almost impossible. As we used to say in a company I used to work for: it generates more heat than light.

By: Jerry in Tucson, AZ

Jerry in Tucson, AZ — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:16:35 +0000

Here we go again! I cannot understand why some in the LGBT community want EVERYTHING now. We first must work for those things that we know are attainable and then move on to the next step. That’s exactly how I worked with my parents and siblings to get them to understand why LGBT Americans want the same things that they take for granted. Believe me, my family and straight friends have become more aware of our issues. Open dialogues with others on why we need job protections and passage of hate crime legislation. Having lived through the sixties and seventies, the last thing we need is an “in-your-face” confrontation on issues of concern to us. Standing our ground we must but we must always listen to what others have to say.

By: Lisa B

Lisa B — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:59:25 +0000

That’s right Ari R…. This year is all about the swing vote. Yes Obama is a gamble… but that is MUCH better than the sure thing the fundies want. I would much rather have Dennis Kucinich on the ballot but hey he is not a choice anymore. Sure I could write him in to prove my point to Obama. In the end we can all protest, vote for whoever we want (isn’t that the great thing about this country in the first place). We cann cast our vote for whoever will NEVER throw us under the bus. But, at the end of the day, are we cutting off our noses to spite our face. Don’t get me wrong, I’m gritting my teeth and holding back most of my thoughts when I show support for Obama. But I feel like the LGBT community should not have to wait 4 more years to get our crumbs so that I can prove my point. I’m with you Bud on the 1M 1W thing and the questionable associates… I would have rather had Obama say he was my friend in spite of his views than say I didn’t know. But I would rather take a gamble with him than leave it up to everyone else to decide. Unfortunately, we are yet again a pawn in the chess game of politics.
Yes, I have thought about not voting this year. But, after much thought, I realized I would only be hurting myself. Even if Obama looses, he is still married to the one he loves, with full protection for his family under the law… and here I am in NC and I can visit my partner in the hospital (as long as she is conscious to put me on the list). BTW… My partner is in the military…. scary