Frank Discussion on the New Gay Agenda in Washington
Congressman Barney Frank talks to our Ross Palombo about his hopes for the Obama presidency and the issues facing our nation.
November 8th, 2009
Congressman Barney Frank talks to our Ross Palombo about his hopes for the Obama presidency and the issues facing our nation.
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What a disappointing interview.
New gay agenda? Did we complete our old gay agenda of equality?
I believe that the LGBT community is fortunate to have a person such as Rep. Barney Frank who can articulate the cause of fairness and equality in congress and before the President. However, the problem with our LGBT community is expecting change to happen just because there are people positive to equality in positions of power. The fact is that opponents of equality, including, but not limited to the religious right is very active and very loud. Right now, they are the voices that are heard the clearest.
The fact is this. IT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR LGBT PEOPLE TO BE VISIBLE AND TO PRESS THE CAUSE FOR EQUALITY AND LIBERATION WHEN WE HAVE SYMPATHETIC PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF POWER. They will keep their promises, but only if we hold them accountable for doing so and make sure our voice is louder than the voices of intolerance and fear.
LGBT people must take responsibility for winning our own liberation just as African Americans did in the 1960s. However, we also need to make sure we have our allies on side. For example, there are Christian and other religious leaders and groups who are very supportive of our cause. We need to make sure they are at our rallies, kept informed on the work we are doing for our equality right and help them get their voices heard in halls of power.
One question to those who complain the President, congressional representatives and Canadian political representatives have been too slow in keeping promises to the LGBT community. Have you taken the tIme to write a well-reasoned letter to a political representative (either supportive or expressing a concern in the past month.
The only thing uplifting in that interview was hearing Barney Frank call Justice Antonin Scalia a homophobe. Aside from that, it was pretty depressing.
Barney is a big wind bag. All hot air and no action. He doesn’t respond to the plight of those of us who are getting sodomized financially by the big banks and credit card companies who got the golden parachutes and bailouts. Barney must have his eye on Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat if Ted has to resign because of his poor health.
Ted is so right. Barney wants to be Teddy K. and he can be! except he doesn’t dress as well and well…he’s not Irish. lol. It was a disappointing interview. Too calm, too predictable, too Washington. Frank is grateful to the system that saved his fat ass from the whore he..er..supported. And so is Wayne grateful. Where I come from, visible means ‘arrested’. Although at least in my town they insisted it was pc!
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. Click on the photo to enlarge it. Then please tell us all in the GLBT community how virtuous and irreproachable this man is.
This is the link: http://rainfish2000.blogspot.com/2009/03/from-our-commander-chief-hypocrite.html
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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Wayne Madden Said: March 20th, 2009 at 5:05 pm — “The fact is that opponents of equality, including, but not limited to the religious right is very active and very loud. Right now, they are the voices that are heard the clearest. ”
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My Take On It:
Yep, and Obama just had a meeting with a group of anti-Gay, religious bigots at the White House recently (Read Wayne Bensen’s insightful article — “Obama’s Evangelical Problem” — which could have been more aptly titled: “Obama is an Evangelical Problem“). And he is not even at Evangelical. The stench of mendacity at the current White House is starting to smell a whole lot like the last pile of human excrement which fouled the place.
So, where was Obama’s meeting with GLBT representatives — you know, the people who actually voted for this charlatan?
Also, where was the KKK and the American Nazi Party ministers at Obama’s cozy little meeting with the rightwing haters? And still, Obama sycophants believe that Obama’s only motive is to reach out to extremists in a gesture of unification. Then I put it to you: Where was the “spiritual” arm of the KKK and the American Nazi Party at this meeting? Why weren’t all the hate groups represented?
Could it be that only those religion-based hate-groups, as it particularly relates to us, is ok with Obama to embrace, and yet, where are those other groups who are personally offensive to him? Why are they not represented in the “spirit of inclusion“ and “as an out-reach to different points-of-view“?.
Obama is a f*cking manipulating, self-serving amateur. He stupidly signed off on TARP money for AIG knowing full well that the $165 million was in the works for so-called “retention rewards“, and yet he could have withheld the money until that was off the table. Now he invites our enemies to the White House who voted against him, yet he has ignored our civil rights leaders and the millions of us who vote for him. What an a**hole! He is weak and untrustworthy.
One term Obama. Sadly (for some), but true. We need to start looking really hard for a third party alternative along with the millions of other disenfranchised Americans who are fed up with being used like a twenty dollar whore on election day and then tossed aside in disgust afterwards — that is, until the next election when we become “useful“ again.
Wake up people, I’m afraid this is only a hint of worse things to come from this clown.
And please (you know who you are) don’t run that silly-ass comparison game on us about McCain and Clinton and Bush and Satan and Darth Vader all being “worse” than
Obama. That is like saying that at least one of the persons who raped you didn’t have bad breath, and he was kind of cute, so he wasn‘t quite as evil as the rest who participated in the gang bang.
Geez, grow a f*cking pair already! If this guys is an a**hole, call him out on it and stopping being such weak-minded Obama zombies. The campaign is over! Only results count now. Hold his feet to the fire. You owe it to your brothers and sisters in the GLBT community and you owe it to yourself.
Don’t be an enabler of bad behavior like an abused housewife who thinks she can‘t do any better than continue to live with an abuser who still brings her flowers after he knocks her teeth out. Demand respect or let them know that there will be consequences — especially on the next election day.
© “Bud” E. Lewis Evans, 2009
http://rainfish2000.blogspot.com
It was helpful to hear Frank’s candid assessment of the state of the legislature on LGBT issues, and on what he believes he and other allies can currently pass: an inclusive ENDA, an inclusive hate crimes bill, and the repeal of DADT, all by the end of session in 2010. I could get fired because of my sexual orientation, so ENDA is most important to me personally – and I think it could pass this year. It sounds like civil unions are uncertain, but I would have liked to hear directly about that issue. While most Americans support either marriage or civil unions, what’s needed are votes in the legislature, which is finally majority democratic but includes several conservative democrats.
This was an informational interview, and that in itself is valuable. If I were Ross Palombo, I would have asked more questions about what pro-LGBT laws we can expect to pass, and when. Frank seemed honest, even blunt, and I was glad he didn’t exaggerate our prospects or aggrandize his role. I would have liked to hear him say that he’s fighting for our rights. I understand from other coverage that he is, but he didn’t convey that in this interview.
I think what Wayne Madden is saying is that we can’t just assume we’ll get our rights because we have supportes in high places. I agree with Wayne that we’ve got to keep fighting for our rights and keep pressing the people in power to do the right thing. We’ve got to get the truth out to counter right-wing lies, and we’ve got to hold the media accountable. When a right-winger makes false statements about LGBT people or LGBT rights, and the media let it by, we need to call them on it. Finally, we need to support the people who support us.
People who know an LGBT person are more likely to support our rights. So, it’s important to come out if and where you can. Once ENDA passes, more people will be able to come out at work.
Is Antonin Scalia so blinded by his religious zealotry that he is prejudiced toward a fair, common sense, challenge to discriminatory, anti-gay, laws?
How can we tolerate someone who maybe wholly incompetent to sit on the highest court in the country, and world?
If he had his way, we could be arrested for having sex with our partners, husbands and wives. How can we get him off of the court?
I left the Democratic party two years ago after realizing they only care about gay people come election time, i.e. when they need money or time. The gay community makes up a larger voting bloc than the Jewish community yet our issues are always ignored. Big deal we might get ENDA only 30 years after most companies put GLBT non-discrimination policies.
Wow, what a low bar of expectations. A hate crimes bill is a bit after the fact. Equal rights granted to all will lower hate crimes against gays.
Anti-discrimination in employment for transgender and gays is great but what a low bar. We need health care benefits and the ability to protect our families.
Clearly, we need to keep hitting the streets for equality.
Exactly: Why the low bar for equality? We have so much to accomplish, why not try?
LET THE MAN SPEAK!!! This thing was so chopped up and short, it didn;t really illustrate anything at all, except an over zealous editor…
gays give it up, 98% of the country does not support your views
Barney is such a pervert,so disgusting not to mention dishonest and corrupt as a public figure. The people in 11 states have voiced there desires therefore, keep it out of the courts.