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Loading ...PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama slow on pledge to gays
06.25.2009 6:00pm EDT
(Washington) President Barack Obama promised gay and lesbian voters he would repeal a law banning their open service in the military, would do away with a federal marriage law and would champion their causes from the White House. In his first five months, he’s taken incremental steps that have little real effect and left some people feeling betrayed.
But he’s still willing to take money from a reliably Democratic constituency – he was sending Vice President Joe Biden to a Democratic National Committee fundraiser Thursday evening with gay and lesbian donors.Some gay donors called for a boycott after Obama’s Justice Department, in a court filing, compared gay marriages to incest.
“I don’t think it’s an appropriate time to be raising money. No one is happy now,” said Richard Socarides, who advised former President Bill Clinton on gay issues and did not plan to attend the event. “On gay rights, the country is already in the age of Obama, but he’s governing from the Clinton era.”
Obama issued a presidential memorandum that expands some federal benefits to same-sex partners, but not health benefits or pension guarantees. He has allowed State Department employees to include their same-sex partners in certain embassy programs already available to opposite-sex spouses.
But that remains far short of his campaign rhetoric.
“At its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans,” Obama said a 2007 statement on gay issues. “It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”
Since then, he publicly has committed himself to repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military as long as they don’t disclose their sexual orientation or act on it. On Jan. 9, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs answered “yes” when asked whether the administration would end the policy. But as president, Obama hasn’t taken any concrete steps urging Congress to rescind the Clinton-era policy that even some former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have described as flawed.
Obama pledged during the campaign to work for repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits.
In a letter sent to gay-rights groups in February 2008, the president said “I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate.”
But lawyers in his administration defended the law in a court brief. White House aides said they were only doing their jobs to back a law that is on the books.
At the time, even Democrats in his party criticized the move.
“I was profoundly disappointed by this action, particularly coming from this administration,” said Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., the first openly gay nonincumbent to win election to Congress.
Even so, Baldwin and other high-profile gay and lesbians and their allies still planned to attend Biden’s fundraiser. The minimum donation was $1,000 and some tickets went as high as $30,400. The event was expected to draw 160 people, although the DNC was not releasing estimates on how much money the event would net, especially given some high-profile defections.
Human Rights Campaign grass-roots chief Marty Rouse, Gay and Lesbians Advocates and Defenders projects director Mary Bonauto and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe all withdrew. Several other high-profile activists also did not intended to participate, hoping to pressure Obama to make good on his promises now.
The White House plans an East Room reception on Monday for gay and lesbian advocates to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Greenwich Village demonstrations at the Stonewall Tavern in New York City. The demonstrations are viewed as the start of the modern gay rights movement.
“Unless the president on Monday articulates a strong action plan, and is willing to do it with cameras rolling, it is going to go from bad to worse,” said Socarides, the Clinton adviser.
I agree with Adam, give the president more time. Health reform, hate crime and Enda that he is pushing will help much greater numbers of Gay Americans.
I do see to a certain extent agree with Adam. It has not even been a year into his presidency, but the don’t ask don’t tell policy is something Obama can do something about. Now as far as DOMA that will take a little work and with everything else on Obama’s plate I think that we need to be patient.
I also believe that we should to a certain extent start limiting the funds that we contribute, until promises are starting to REALLY be met. I do hold out hope that he will keep the big promises on DOMA and don’t ask don’t tell, but like everyone else I am sure I am getting a little nervous. I think all we can do is keep our fingers crossed, besides what are we going to do all become gay republicans. Ya, let’s see how far that would get us. As my mother would say “patients is a virtue.
Obama is quite willing to cram bills down Congress’s throats on virtually every issue except us. In actual fact, there is a bill already in Congress for the repeal of DADT but you won’t hear Obama mention it specifically, or call on Pelosi to get it out of committee.
He’s avoiding the issue so as not to get dragged into the so-called “Culture Wars”. Indeed, I suspect that he’s actually grateful Clinton signed DADT and DOMA because now he can use them as excuses to avoid taking any substantial pro-gay actions that would really rile up the Right.
RE: (Washington) The White House will be hosting a reception for LGBT people Monday to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Pink News reports.
“Next Monday’s event is a chance for the White House to recognize the accomplishments of LGBT Americans,” White House spokesman Shin Inouye said. “Invited guests include families, volunteers and activists, and community leaders.”
My comments: A reception is window dressing– it would be very possible for this president to do away with DADT and not hurt his more preferred initiatives & goals. All of a sudden, what does, apparently, hurt his more preferred initiatives & goals, is the loss of support from the GLTB community & the money that this support has provided to the Democratic Party. Again, his reception, window dressing. With this administration, our community is long past the value of this kind of token move/bone. Didn’t he also parade around the acquisition of the first family’s first dog(?)- window dressing/ public relation niceties- big deal. “Blue” in a blue state.
I am a locally elected Deputy Mayor (& Democrat) in a small southern N.J. borough in a largely republican controlled County- Cape May. I wish that I could say that your visit to N.J. this election cycle would help Governor Corzine with his re-election, who I do support. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure. He, at least, has the courage to speak out about supporting government recognized marraige equality, even when in a tough election campaign. YES WE CAN is more like NO WE WON’T
Wash, rinse, and fluff dry. We’re the fluff.
Here’s a pledge for Pres Obama: Until you show serious work towards repealing DADT and DOMA, don’t expect me to support you with works or funding.
From Rick Warren at the inauguration to your DOJ defense of DOMA your works have been AGAINST equality. I expected better and will settle for nothing less than an apology to the community and positive action from your administration!
Adam: I understand what you are saying. I just disagree with you. THe political calender dictates that a new president has to push all of his agenda in the first 6 months. Why?
After the first six months:
1.Both the president and congress go on vacation.
2. After the Vacation comes the majority of holidays.
3.After the Vacation, people start announcing their intention to run for congress or senate.
4. After the Vacation the 2010 campaigns are in progress and The President is Campaigner in Chief, trying to hold a majority. And minority rights fall to the wayside.
5. THe day after the 2010 election starts the Presidential election, and he won’t do anything so he can win a second term. Gays get to the back of the bus.
And after that?
Wash Rinse Repeat.
This fundraiser is for the Democratic Party as a whole, the House, Senate and Presidency. So boycotting this and demanding action from HomophObama AND congress is actually smart politics and it’s shown to be working, although not enough. Idiots like Adam who would rather wait until HomophObama’s hypothetical 17th term before demanding action should be taken out, tortured, have their eyes ripped out while alive and burned ALIVE. I can understand heterosexuals being igorant to gay rights issues, but the idiots among us and the partisan appologists need to get out of the way or die!
The DNC is a JOKE. If not now WHEN?
What do they want 90 votes in the Senate?
They have 59 there – the control the House, and the White House.
They are completely impotent.
It is absolutely not true that he has done everything he can within his power. He has the largest governing majority of a President since the 1960s. If he cannot prod the Congress to fulfill promises that he (and most of them) ran on, then he doesn’t deserve to be President. My checkbook is closed to the Democratic Party and to Obama until tangible progress is made on fulfilling this country’s promise of equal rights under the law.
It’s politics and politics are LIES!
“But he’s still willing to take money from a reliably Democratic constituency”
And what constituency is that? Obama isn’t getting a penny from me, and nor is any other Democrat, until action is taken to repeal DOMA, end DADT and same sex partners of federal employees have access to ALL the benefits available to their heterosexual counterparts.
If Obama and the Democratic Party want my support, they need to show me they deserve it. Until then my money will be going to charities and organisations who are genuinely working to make a difference, not to politicians who will basically say to me “thank you and fuck you”.
Adam: You’re a retard. As commmander in chief he can stop the firings. As chief executive he can stop the solicitor general from advocating against equality. He can do a lot more. It musdt suck to be so dumb, self-hating and blind to the world you live in. Enjoy running through life fat dumb and happy and donating to the democratic party as they laugh behind your fat ass.
What kind of self-loathing gay man or lesbian would give this jerk money after everything he’s done so far?! Oh yeah, he gave federal employees who are gay benefits. Except helath insurance. Huh? All I can say is the lgbt person who donates to the democratic party now instead of a marriage equality group is a retard.
People are so dumb. He’s done everything he can within his power (sans Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) he can do for us. Everything else is up to Congress.
Srsly, get over it and don’t expect miracles 5 months into a presidency.