THE SHOT — GLAAD chief Jarrett Barrios kicks the Equality Forum panel in Philadelphia, whose guests are are: Jeremy Bernard (a director at the National Endowment for the Humanities, and big-time Obama campaign fundraiser), Brian Bond (the White House’s Office of Public Engagement deputy director), Jenn Jones (an adviser at the Department of Housing and Urban Development), and Kevin Naff (DC Agenda/Washington Blade owner-editor). Follow along!
• Bond, who says Obama deserves credit for getting a DADT repeal moving forward, reveals the president will issue another LGBT memo
• Naff insists Obama, unwilling to take major risks, doesn’t get to call himself our “fierce advocate”
[photo via]
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randy
Repealing DADT is not a major risk. Far from it. About 70% of Americans support it’s repeal, and even a majority of conservatives support its repeal. That’s about as close to a consensus as you will ever get in America. Not only is there no risk in repealing it, with that sort of support, he will actually GAIN political capital.
The problem is that Obama and his circle have convinced themselves it’s too big a risk because they listen to the scary Republicans who say that they will get really really angry if he does something for the gays. “Why, they might rise up and vote against Obama in the next election! And we don’t want to awaken that sleeping giant. No, if we just ignore this issue and kick the can down the road a little further, we’ll get those nasty Republicans to really start liking us and making our life so much easier.”
So both speakers are wrong, but Kevin Neff is at least is closer to the truth.
AndrewW
@randy: There are 45 US Senators against DADT Repeal because the majority of their constituents are anti-Gay. A “National Poll” doesn’t account for the likes of Alabama and Oklahoma.
James Davis
ohhhh, another memo. I can’t wait.
Please read with all the sarcasm intended.
randy
Perhaps 45 Senators are against DADT. That leaves 55, which is a majority. IF you want to make the bill filibuster proof, you just need five more, which, considering the fact that we have almost that many Democrats, shouldn’t be too hard.
And if the worst comes and the Repubs filibuster, so what? It will just make them look very very bad with the majority of Americans.
AndrewW
@randy: We have 57 Democrats, but 7 or 8 of them are conservative. Which means we really have only 50 that are liberal/progressive and supportive of the LGBT Community.
With mid-terms approaching Republicans would love the opportunity to filibuster – it virtually guarantees them re-election (this time or next). In their State’s any opposition to gays is welcomed and even celebrated. (Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama etc.)
WiseUp
Randy : Obama and Rahm are more afraid of pissing off African-American Democrats. That’s why he left us out of that speech. He knows they don’t want to be associated with gays, and his team needs AA votes this next time around.
Ronbolina
“God is in the mix” is proof positive that Obama is truly a Bigot towards GLBT Americans. When was the last time God was consulted about equality? Slavery was also cited in the Bible – Would someone please ask Obama to surrender his rights as we know this bigot believes that “God is in the mix”.
Queerty is obsessed with Jarret Barrios. ZZZ. (John from England)
@Ronbolina:
Well his white mother’s ancestors were slave owners…..and his African dad? Nope.
We’re not Slaves. Think he only lived in American for a few years when he went to Harvard.
He’s also from East Africa and AA are descendants of West Africans.
Africa is HUGE.
East and West are v different people…say like Italians and Norwegians-VERY different temperaments..