Maybe it’s because President Barack Obama has done nothing for gay Americans. Maybe it’s because his fellow Democrats, who control the Senate and the House, have barely made any in-roads in securing rights for GLBTs. Or maybe it’s because the head of the Democratic National Committee, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, is letting his colleagues off the hook for letting discriminatory laws stay on the books. With all the missteps from Democratic elected officials, it’s no wonder the annual DNC fundraiser for queers is facing an uphill battle.
Invited to pay $1,000 (and up to $30,400), gays all over the place appear to be shunning June 25’s Democratic National Committee LGBT Leadership Council dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in D.C. Sure, Joe Biden will be there, and openly gay legislators Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, and Jared Polis are co-sponsoring the thing.
But with the repeated bitchslapping of the community, how can any of these folks expect us to show up and write cheques? Even prominent activists say they aren’t going. Hell, even bloggers are refusing to attend!
Until the DNC shows us some progress on gay rights — and steadfastly rescinds the horrific things Obama’s Justice Department said about us in its DOMA brief — they don’t deserve our cash.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Save your money. You’ll be doing more for gay rights if you stay home and fill up your legislator’s voicemail box.
galefan2004
Could it be, that the economy also has an affect on why people are passing up the chance to spend $1000 on a one night dinner and the chance to meet Joe Biden (I’ve met the man and quite frankly it feels kind of like meeting a local minister). I hate pay to play politics. The same people that endorse pay to play politics bitch when there aren’t enough volunteers to get the work done. Maybe if they didn’t expect their own volunteers to spend $1000 to go to a dinner then there would be more people willing to volunteer.
andy
Thanks for taking the hard line on this issue. Yes, gays tend to have a lot of disposable income and why should we waste it on a political party that seems to feel our human rights are negotiable.
galefan2004
@andy: Gay people do have a lot of disposable income, but that is in part because they have no children in many cases. However, studies have been shown that prove if you consider life time earnings the plight of gay men in the work force is actually worse than the plight of women in the workforce, and gay men normally earn from 60-75 cents on the dollar that straight men earn.
Yet another John
Please donate your $$$ to Gavin Newsome who has steadfastly supported our community! And call those attending on the carpet for doing so. This is our time to stand strong against the policy that seems to be developing out of the Obama administration. Mr. President, we did not support you so that the Justice Department could file briefs like the DOMA brief just filed!
Robert, NYC
I recently returned my DNC request to donate with a message that until the Dems do something positive in our favor, don’t expect this tax payer to send any more financial support. They want my vote and money, let them prove they’ve earned it. I also requested to have my name removed from their mailing list. That will go unheeded of course. We’re only necessary to them when they want our money, then they discard us once elected. We get the picture now!
Andrew
I’ve been vocal, here and elsewhere, over the past five months in arguing we should give Obama and Dems time to meet the campaign promises. I have to say that, after reading the DOJ brief on DOMA, I’m really running out of patience. My attitude now is that we (Queers of all stripes) should withhold $$ and our vote and let the DNC, POTUS, and Congress know the reason. I fear the only thing that will make them hear us, and do something, is if we tell them they don’t get our votes or entree to our wallets. I tend to be an optimist, but this has become depressing.
frisky
Agree with Galefan — Maybe some gay people have disposable income but most prob do not. I still don’t see how we can get any meaningful stats on gays when many if not most of them are still in the closet, in opposite marriages, etc.
Seriously thought about not paying my taxes this year since I am apparently not a full citizen of this country. Would support a pledge to withold taxes if we all did it.
Joeb1212
Every post made here so far are both valid AND accurate! No, there will be no more checks to the DNC from this guy, but there will certainly be a lot of fliers thrown in the trash after this.
Bill Reyno
I agree with the above posters. The only way we will ever get the attention of the DNC is by withholding funds. For years the GLBT community has been a cash cow for the DNC and for years they have, for the most part, ignored us after being elected. I encourage everyone who reads this to not only stop financially supporting the DNC but all companies who do not support our civil rights.
We are obviously not going to riot in the streets like African Americans did in the 60’s. I don’t believe those tactics would work today anyway. Our only recourse is to cut their funding and write letters to all of our Democratic senators and state representatives letting them know that not only will we no longer financially support them, we will also active attempt to unseat them in the next election.
Bruno
Boycott Democrats.
ChristopherM
@Robert, NYC:
It won’t go unheard if enough of us do the same thing. I got a fundraising e-mail from Obama today. I would encourage you all to do what I did. Scroll to the bottom of the e-mail, click to unsubscribe, and when it takes you to the webpage for the explanation as to why you are unsubscribing, respond something like this:
“My support of this administration is suspended until President Obama repudiates the hate speech used to defend DOMA by his Department of Justice. That was the final straw for me, and I am tired of supporting Democrats with my money and time when they in turn don’t support me. Being patient is no longer an option.”
Robert, NYC
@ChristopherM:
Christopher, I did just that, all of us should do the same. Thanks.
Robert, NYC
@Bruno:
Ditto the republicans for those so inclined to support a party that clearely doesn’t want them either.
SM
Support the President and the Democrats and grow up. Do you all know anything?
Hate Crimes Legislation is set to pass this week and you all better PRAISE OBAMA BIGTIME. It’s passing Legislation like this that will allow you all to claim a suspect class and start stricking down things like DOMA with a defense!!
InExile
NO EQUALITY = NO CASH
BOYCOTT DEMOCRATS!
SM
@InExile:
My straight dollars can stop supporting your stupidity too.
RM
I still want names of the people still planning on ATTENDING this fundraiser. They need to be shamed.
Republican
No problem with withholding funds from Dems here. 😉
I get requests from the RNC all the time for extra donations (unrelated to normal membership dues) . When they send such a request via mail. it’s always fun to stuff the prepaid envelope with junk, glue it shut, and send it back.
SM
@RM:
Post your own name. It’s cowards like you costing gays equality.
SM
@Republican:
Wow…You all act like straight Democrats have not donated MILLIONS to your equality causes.
InExile
@SM: Go ahead! I’m tired of sending my hard earned money to people that forget their promises once elected, this is not the first time! Politicians understand 2 things, votes and money.
Andrew
@Republican:
Something like 160 or so GOP House members voted against the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. I think maybe 10 or 15 voted for it. The Dems have much to improve on, but I still can’t understand how a gay person can be a member of the GOP in the face of votes like that.
edgyguy1426
SM, while we do appreciate your hard work on our behalf, and I’ve seen some posts that have thanked you for such,(for truly without people such as yourself, we wouldn’t be as far as we are today) I can understand your frustration on the perceived inaction by some in our own community.
That being said, I don’t think constant self-back-patting and labeling people as ‘stupid’ or ‘cowards’ is doing much to rally the troops alongside you.
Robert, NYC
@Andrew:
Andrew, I’m not exactly enamored of the Dems either being a diehard Green. The problem I have with gay republicans, an oxymoron if ever there were…is this. Why would they support a party that has neither authored, co-authored or sponsored ONE piece of legislation favoring LGBT rights and protections? It calls itself the party of inclusion, inclusion of what exactly? What is the big tent they’re speaking of? Is it the one in their pants when a Log Cabiner sees a hot number passing by? Where were they at the GOP convention in 2008 and years prior to that? Gays weren’t mentioned once. I didn’t hear John McCain mention “gay” once in his campaign, did you?
Bob R
@ChristopherM: I did exactly the same thing earlier today. I made it perfectly clear I would support no Democrat unless there is action on DOMA, DADT, ENDA and the Matthew Shepard Bill. No money, no support, no votes to the Democrats. Remove me from your DNC list now. I’ll vote Green or stay home. The Obama stickers are off my cars and I no longer defend him and his administration. It appears we’ve become nothing more than an obscenity to Obama. I think we’ve been betrayed and have elected nothing more than an improved, English speaking version of GW Bush.
schlukitz
@ChristopherM:
@Robert, NYC:
@InExile:
I just did also!
SM
@edgyguy1426:
I have every right to be offended at how the gay community lashes out at Obama like they are in preschool.
You see I campaigned for No On Prop 8 in California….I campaigned in areas where gays are not accepted. I talked to the religious people myself as a Democrat and Obama supporter. Your damn community was too lazy too ever take their equality issues seriously. Having fun rallies in West Hollywood and the Castro while you bash Obama is a joke.
I stood out in the cold and rallied for No On Prop 8 on a flipping streetcorner dodging bottles until late on November 3 while the gay commuity blew it off…I’ll be as critical as I want.
Joey
awe buyers remorse. It sucks when you buy something that never does what it says. Obama is like a bad infomercial that makes promises it can never keep. All excited you got your package on Jan 20. Shiny and new. Come to find out it doesn’t work, it doesn’t do what it says and it doesn’t make you bigger…you know down there. On top of it…It’s gonna cost you another 3 trillion dollars just to keep it going for the rest of the year. DAMNIT i bought another bad QVC, late night, juicer that i thought would change my life forever and all i got is the lousy t shirt with an O it. So let me scoop all my money again and pour it in to the company DNC that made that product and image. Or will i stop giving money to those who never return the favor.. Would you buy another juicer or some extenze pills. The DNC doesn’t care about us they care about our money. Were black, women, and etc. etc. not important. When did war and money problems come before human rights. Are you racist or a biggot because you were laid off. Are we allowed to let hate continue because we are at war. Also to all those who bring up John McCain and Bush and talk about there view on gay rights or lack there off, don’t you realize your comparing Obama to them a DEMOCRAT. The excuses are getting old and McCain is longer running for president and Bush as we all know is retired somewhere on a ranch trying to lasso something. If something pretends to do something is it worth buying.
SM
@Joey:
Can you have buyers remorse for supporting gay rights organizations because you all are the idiots costing each other equality.
Straight Democrats should start learning this BULLSHIT!
SM
Proposition 8 LOST because the gay community BLEW IT OFF and let their people run a horrible campaign. OWN IT.
Support this Administration. Let them pass legislation that will put you in a federally protected suspect class with laws making it easier to build a defense and strike down things like Dont Ask Dont Tell and DOMA.
Like it or not….Obama has to walk a political tightrope in Washington and he needs POLITICAL CAPITAL to help issues like yours. He is not a GOD.
Keep lashing out at him…I’m sure Republicans love it…It’s not like you all could be using your time educating people on your issues and holding REID AND PELOSI accountable. Obama says he wants this dealt with in the legislature…DUH!!
DO NOT PUT YOU ENTIRE EQUALITY MOVEMENT ON HIM!
Andrew
@Robert, NYC:
You’ll never find me defending the GOP, that’s for sure. And I’m with you on gay Republicans, Log Cabin members, etc. I just can’t understand how a gay person can defend the GOP, let alone be a member of the party. Oh well. The Democratic party sucks too. I’m an independent, whatever that means. lol
Joey
@SM:
Really the gay community blew it off. Not the last time i checked and Obama still has to play sides bullshit he is the president with a pretty much democrat controlled congress. By the way he didn’t have much of a problem shoving a trillions of dollars of spending down our throat. Also SM not everyone is asking for Obama to just come out and change everything but some support would be nice. How about not have a briefing saying gay marriage is like marring your uncle from the justice department. If you noticed this is about the DNC not getting cash from gays so some of us are withholding. You need to come back to reality and stop treating Obama like a GOD.
InExile
@SM: I appreciate all you have done to help our community. Is there a lot of anger here? Yes. Is it justified? Absolutely. But many of us have been dealing with our politicians doing nothing for us for years. I have always been a democrat, volunteered to help democrats get elected and donated money. Many have made promises and not kept them so if people here are loosing faith in President Obama it is his fault. He is a smart man, he has met and spoken with many gay people, I think he knows what he is or is not doing and is well aware of the consequences. Maybe he will keep his promises and maybe not, time will tell. But if we sit here silently, he might just do nothing.
Not all gay people just party in the Castro and West Hollywood and care about nothing. Many of us write endless letters to our representatives about various issues and more times than not receive no response. Many of us get involved in politics and many of us do not. Please do not lump us all together in one group.
Bill Perdue
@SM: Prop 8 passed for one reason and one reason only – Obama the bigot galvanzied the other bigots when he said ‘gawd’s in the mix’. He wanted their votes and ran over us with that damn bus of his. The Obama campaign and the Obots/Democrats in EQCA and No on 8 destroyed our chances for same sex marriage in California.
Giving money to the DNC or any Obot group is aiding and abetting the enemy. They’ll just use it to buy a heavier bus. Ouch!
Matt
Glad to learn today from SM that we are all one monolithic group of idiots. And then I stopped reading SM’s comments.
edgyguy1426
Obama has or will never have as much political capital as he does right now. How he is spending or not spending it is our concern.
Bertie
My reply : “Go fuck yerselves DNC – I am now a socialist.”
Sick of Whining Bitches
@Bill Perdue:
Hey fucktard- remember when Obama came out in writing AGAINST Prop 8? Of course you don’t, yeah, he “galvanized” the bigots, who were all planning on voting to remove Prop 8 until Obama sent them the magic encoded message, and activated the “chip” in their brains to go out and vote against us…
Visit Earth sometime, wingnut..
And yes, boycott the damn useless HRC bash until they deliver something real.
emb
@ChristopherM: I’ve been doing that for all the Obama/DNC solicitations in my inbox. It’s the only way, I’m afraid. More people need to withhold more money until President Obama follows through on his campaign promises to get rid of DOMA and DADT. Then I’ll be back on board.
Bill Perdue
@Sick of Whining Bitches: is a lying puke. But what choice have Obots but to lie. They have to do something to defend their loser strategy.
Obama the bigot went on naitonal TV several times to say that ‘gawd’s in the mix’ on big venues like MTV and at
Rick Warrens Saddleback southen baptist bigotfest (for which Warren was amply rewarded). That gavlvanized the bigot vote that came out in droves to pass Prop 8 and elected the Bigot in Chief. The letter our little puke refers to was a letter the Obama campaign sent to be read at a breakfast meeting of the Alice B. Toklas Club in SF. Not exactly the same impact as his appearences on MTV and elsewhere.
Kurt
Nothing would be better for our community AND the Democratic Party than to wean it off the checkbook activism that has so skewed politics.
It has been destructive for both sides for the political face of our community to be a wealthy gay banker from Manhattan (while whispering on the side opposition to capital gains tax), a wealthy doctor from Marin County (while whispering on the side the AMA position on national health care) or some rich guy from Los Angeles (while whispering on the side some interest of the film industry).
Gay voters in coastal metropolitan areas should certainly expect high standards from their elected officals. But they and thier money (for those who have it) should not be the basis of winning OTHER PEOPLE’S elected officials to our side.
The glbt communities in Montana and Tennessee and Indiana have to do their own work of building political support and make their own judgments as to what level of support they can accept or not accept.
If our political support in Indiana is based on money from the Upper West Side of Manhattan, we have built a house on sand.
charlie-o
The honored guest will be Vice President Joe Biden. Here’s a list of Senators (many since retired) who voted against DOMA:
Senators Voting “No”
No Republican Senators voted no. All were Democrats: Akaka (D-HI), Boxer (D-CA), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Inouye (D-HI), Kennedy (D-MA), Kerrey (D-NE), Kerry (D-MA), Moseley-Braun (D-IL), Moynihan (D-NY), Pell (D-RI), Robb (D-VA), Simon (D-IL), Wyden (D-OR).
See Biden’s name? Well, that’s because he voted for it. But still he’s the “honored guest.”
As politicians go, Biden’s probably better than the vast majority. But as they say, politics is the art of compromise, which means it’s OK to compromise your principles (if any) to further your primary goal – to collect cash and get votes and to feather your nests for your future post-political lives.
You might wish that Frank, Baldwin, and Pollis will take a stand and not attend this event, but that’s a wish that’s unlikely to come true. They’ll all come up with some justification that their attendance is really furthering the cause. They’d like to boycott the event to show their disgust with the DOMA brief and complete betrayal on DADT, etc., but they’ll be holding their noses and sacrificing themselves for the greater goood, ya-da, ya-da, ya-do. Or maybe Barney will just say “F you! I’m a very smart and important member of Congress, and I know a lot more about this than you common, unimportant gays could ever know.”
Sick of Whining Bitches
@Bill Perdue:
And with his statement, he “brainwashed” millions of people who would have otherwise voted FOR gay rights into becoming evengelical gay rights haters? My, you must find him very powerful and persuasive.
I AM NOT giving Obama a pass on gay rights issues, but you are seriously brain challenged if you blame the majority of homophobia we face in this country on Obama…Slow action, and indifference on Obama’s part, yes, actively encouraging gay hatred? Delusional.
Andramata
@schlukitz: @Robert, NYC: @Robert, NYC:
I just did the same thing! I remember the speech on Equality. Hmmm someone should remind his writers what they wrote on the subject.
and what happened to this Obama?
“In 2004, after hearing from gay friends and supporters about the hurtful impact of DOMA, Barack went on record during his U.S. Senate race calling for its complete repeal. And as a U.S. Senator, he voted to protect our Constitution from the stain of discrimination by voting against the Federal Marriage Amendment.”
hmmm
Bill Perdue
@Sick of Whining Bitches: is a lying puke. He invents straw men and then burns them.
What other choice does an Obot, someone who voted to put that lesser bigot in office have. Sick of Whining Bitches is a shill for bigots. Who pays him? How much does he get paid?
Bill Perdue
@Bertie: Join the crowd.
timncguy
@SM: why should we praise Obama for this? He had NOTHING to do with it. And, its pasage was just “rushed” to this week in hopes it would calm down the anger over the DOMA brief.
TADPOLICUS WEX
OUR GLBT DOLLARS SHOULD FUND A COMMERCIAL CONTRASTING OBAMA’S PROMISES WITH THE HATEFUL RHETORIC IN THE DOJ BRIEFING, YOU KNOW THIS ADVERTISEMENT WAS PAID FOR BY “QUEERS AGAINST HYPOCRITICAL DEMOCRATIC DOUCHEBAGS WHO CONTROL ALL THREE BRANCES OF GOVERNMENT”!
Bill Perdue
@TADPOLICUS WEX: Not a bad idea, but the Republicans have to be mentioned as well.
They’re as bad as the Democrats. And they comprise the majority of the Supremes.
BrianZ
I received a call from the DNC some time ago requesting additional donation dollars … the poor dear got tired of waiting on me to stop laughing and hung up.
I do wish that some of the hotter tempers could cool a bit, especially on the name calling. The message certainly becomes dilluted at some point.
By the time this president leaves office the terms “bigot” and “racist” are sure to elicit little if any reaction at all.
wondermann
This is scary because you see how informed folks are. People, please learn about policy, politics and procedures.
The lack of this knowledge proves that we are not that ready for a movement.
Lance Rockland
@SM: Shove your Hate crimes bill where the sun don’t shine. We want more!
EE Keller
@ChristopherM: Thank you…I just did what you suggested.
SM
Sarah Palin cannot even support Pride in Anchorage.
Everytime Democrats can make a small victory like the Matthew Shepard Legislation with FEDERAL protection it will chip away at bigger issues for you and help give you a defense aganist stupid laws like DOMA.
Washington is not as easy as you all think~
mb00
FUCK THAT SHIT MAN!!! I wouldn’t attend if THEY offered me a free dinner. Not until we see results.
I hate that “wham-bam-thank you-man” feeling the Obama administration has left us with. I, for one, feel like a jilted lover. It’s like before we helped get him elected, it’s like Obama was wined & dined us, then he fucked us and didn’t call the next morning like he said he would.
I’m done with this mess and am moving on to find a new lover. I think allot of us are moving on now.
Steve
Obama has not just failed to do anything for gay people. He has actively, willfully, and intentionally worked against us. A couple of omissions could be forgiven as omissions. But filing court briefs that read as if they were written by the Mormon church is not an omission or an accident. It is active, willful, and intentional. There can be no excuse.
If he wants my money, he will have to start earning it.
Some of the Republicans have been making noises recently about gay rights as equal rights. If they keep that up, and the Democrats keep doing what they have been doing, the Republicans might just get my contributions next time.
Cowboy359
I am gay. I donated the maximum legal amount to Obama’s campaign. I will donate to anything that promotes his goals and objectives while the rest of you rant about useless, meaningless shit – talk about drama queens!
wunderlusting
Isn’t this just another case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t? [I’m going to say this somewhat inartfully, so apologies.]
Look, so you withhold your cash, the DNC sees that “catering” to the gay community, whatever the hell that means, isn’t getting them the money/votes they need, they still don’t support queer rights and we still get screwed, but at least we keep our money?
I really don’t get it, this seems too passive. If we bypass the schmoozy gay lobbies [that really aren’t doing much to advance queer rights aside from what’s on paper and frivolous media scandals] and combine to put people in office that actively have our interests at heart and build that political support, will that be a better strategy?
Oh, Countdown covering this…how lovely.
michael
Until a few weeks ago I used to get the constant Democrats abroad e-mails. Singing Obamas praises and how everything is going along swimmingly. I wrote them back and gave them an earful. I don’t get them anymore.
While the election was going on I told them to go away as Obamas stance on marriage being between one man and one woman was appalling to me as a gay person. The chairman responded that he/she, I forget their sex, wasn’t a one issue voter. I wrote back and told them I bet if your marriage, your parents marriage, the marriages of other friends and families were at stake then you would sing a different tune. No response.
But now we can see that Obama is not really any different on other issues, not just gay ones. He is just the same bullshit wearing a different mask. I am starting to wonder if he is the anti-christ.
Cowboy359
57 comments to this post – wow, a tidal wave of anti-Obama sentiment!
Bill Perdue
@Cowboy359: @Cowboy359: If, as you say, you’re gay, why didnt’t you donate you money to reasearch or treatment of HIV/AIDS. Or to aid GLBT youth tossed out by their parents. Or to maintain shelters for Iraqi GLBT folks hunted down and murdered because Obama si maintaining the occupation.
Giving money to a tawdry, Clinton-Bush clone is not just a waste, it’s aiding and abetting the enemy.
schlukitz
@Steve:
I am not a religious person and am not given to quoting bible verse.
However, you mentioned the word “omission” in your post and it made me think of the sin of omission as referred to in the New Advent, a Catholic Encyclopedia.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11251b.htm
An excerpt from the New Advent on “the sin of omission.”
“Omission” is here taken to be the failure to do something one can and ought to do.”
Since “Gawd is in the mix” for Obama, would he not be guilty of that sin and accountable to his God for it?
Just sayin’…..
schlukitz
Oh…I almost forgot.
One of the ten commandments is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
Saying that same-sex marriages are akin to incest and pedophila is NOT bearing false witness against thy neighbor???
Someone please help me. I am very confused here! *sarcasm font on*
schlukitz
@Cowboy359:
Just keep on sipping that Kool-Aide and every will be just fine in no time.
GayGOP
@Andrew:
Those of us who are Republicans, most often, look well beyond issues we disagree with our party on. I am a Republican because I believe in an hawkish foreign policy, less chatting with illegitimate regimes like that in Iran and that in North Korea, pro-life politics, large spending cuts, elimination of many federal programs, returning as much money to people as possible, de-centralizing the government as much as possible, and so on and so forth. Really, the only reasons I have for supporting the Democrat Party, and not really ever, are a) marriage equality (It’s certainly not Democrat Party making these decisions, most often, only VT, NH, and ME, where Dem. legislatures passed the right equality bills. It’s the courts, packed full of Republicans) and b) ending DADT. Given that, even with my rights on the table, there’s still a hell of a lot more weight for the GOP.
hand
Queerty, get the story on Obama looking to extend federal benefits to same-sex couples up!!
Michael W.
@hand: Those bread crumbs got you excited?
hand
@Michael W.: i mean, it’s not good enough and i have hardly been supportive of obama on this web site. but it deserves a story.
also, today eric holder called for stronger hate crime laws that protect gays and lesbians (among others)
SM
Stop expecting Obama to pull off in a few months what you all have constantly FAILED at. Politics is not that simple in DC~
Every single victory from hate crimes legislation to federal benefits builds your case for bigger issues on a Federal level.
You all are fools not to support him and keep pusing forward for full Equality.
getreal
This fundraiser is horrendously ill-timed. Until the President shows the equality community some real results the idea of donating money seems a sick joke. For the do nothing, apathetic non-activist who doesn’t even live in California who is constantly spouting misinformation about Prop 8 stop trying to ride the coattails of the people in this state actually doing the work. Prop 8 passed because the opposition had an ingenious smear campaign targeted to each community and the No on 8 campaign did not adequately address their lies and misinformation. It is troubling that certain people on this site who have done zero work on either the no on prop 8 or the repeal prop 8 campaign fake their involvement to try to win the same silly arguments they start every day on this site. If the blowhard having arguments about the evils of religion on this site actually got off their ass and worked in their congressional district instead of attacking other gays that would put us one step closer to full equality for lgbtqi people. How pathetic that someone who is always pointing the finger and blaming others for his problems does NO work for equality whatsoever.
Dennis
If the risk of a “public shaming” turns this event into a DEMAND FOR ACTION, rather than the typical ass kissing BS, then it could be valuable to our cause. Baldwin and Polis have put in writing their disgust/disapproval related to the outrageous DOMA brief.
If they stay in that spirit, and use this event as an opportunity to announce sponsorship of actual legislation, or some plan to move things forward, this could bring about some good for us. If not, good luck to any of them getting gay support next election time.
SM
@getreal: @Bill Perdue:
You are so full of shit. The No On Prop 8 Campaign had a letter from Obama supporting No On Prop 8 and congratulating people on their marriages. The campaign did not use it.
Obama was at Saddleback Church 2 months before the election, right down the street from me. The gay community DID NOT CARE!
You all had rallies in West Hollywood and the Castro…but your asses should have been on the road consantly in other communities once you saw your civil rights on the chopping block. You all just made a donation and counted on stupid commercials.
You all expect straight people to take your civil rights issues seriously when you all don’t? GOOD LUCK!
getreal
@SM: How am i full of shit? I didn’t design the campaign. The no on 8 campaign made a lot of mistakes. For the record I am an African-American that did outreach in the black community and no one wanted to do outreach there which was a huge mistake. What exactly did you do to stop the passage of Prop 8?Maybe you should channel that anger into some positive action instead of calling out people who are actually giving their blood sweat and tears to this fight. There is nothing more tragic than people who criticize those doing work as they sit behind computer screens too lazy, apathetic, or scared to act themselves.
getreal
@SM: Oh and by the way presumptuous person I am a proud straight ally so when you say “You all” know that a lot of people fighting for equality are straight people. Maybe you need to check your self, to quote Julian Bond chairman of the board NAACP “black people of of all should not oppose equality and that is what gay marriage is”. The legalized discrimination of LGBT people is not a “gay problem” this is every Americans problem and any person particularly a person of color who is not outraged and trying to help should be ashamed of themselves. Step up to the plate and be a good person people are legally being denied rights it’s a fucked situation be part of the solution of shut up and disappear.
Vanhattan
@SM: If you were not such an asshole and an obamocan’t braindead groupie your posts may even be taken seriously.
I’ll bet that most of the posters here voted for the guy, myself included. We have every right to be pissed off at Obama. For one, he is a liar….not a very good trait for anyone to have. Gosh, I grew up believing the story about George Washington and the apple tree. While it may be a work of fiction, it still remains an ideal one should hold up. Too bad Obama has failed multiple times with these early tests of honoring the promises he made to the GLBTQ community and I must say after the latest DOJ brief, irrevocably.
He has lied to us, stayed silent where he shouldn’t, and now he and his administration are bashing us. No, he does not deserve our support and admiration. He does not deserve our dollars and he does not deserve our respect.
Robert, NYC
@Steve:
The GOP claims its a party of inclusion. If that’s the case, can you name one piece of legislation they’ve ever authored, coauthored or sponsored in favor of LGBT rights? John McCain didn’t invite one gay republican to speak at the convention last year.
Robert, NYC
@GayGOP:
The republican mantra and only message is cut taxes, something that they believe solves much of what is wrong with society. We’ve had eight years of tax breaks for the rich, jobs shipped overseas while American workers lose theirs.
Since your party doesn’t like government that much and believes that privatization solves a lot of problems….why isn’t it advocating the abolition of all federal and state programs that the party now describes as socialism such as the military, police and fire departments, social security, medicare, medicaid, FAA, FDA, FCC, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, the public school system and public libraries that many children of republicans utilize, the VA among many others and can it explain how it would pay for those services? I would hope that every republican refuses medicare if and when they ever need it since its not privately funded.
So you think we should have NO dialog with illegitimate regimes? What about China? The worst violator of human rights with the highest execution rate of any nation. We talk to them and trade with them, a communist state. It now owns a HUGE chunk of our economy. Pick up any product you buy today and 99% of the time you’ll find its made there. So much for not talking to illegitimate regimes.
Andrew
@GayGOP:
Thanks for your post and outlining what you see as worthy objectives. I even agree with some of them. However, you make my point for me in a way: The GOP, in reality, does not stand for any of the things you outline. They do in rhetoric and hyperbole and bluster. But in practice, they are “big-government” — they just give money away to different sectors. I don’t see much difference, in end result, between the two parties. Both parties long-ago lost their way.
BTW, there’s no such thing as the “Democrat Party.” Using that terminology just undermines your credibility. I suspect you are way above that kinda nonsense. IMHO.
SM
@Vanhattan:
Obama has worked on gay issues since before he took office. You just sit behind a computer and bitch.
Idiot
Bill Perdue
@SM: Why not tell the truth instead of lying, SM. The truth is that “Obama has worked against gay issues since before he took office.”
Shill.
Who pays you to make up this merde. Do you people still get paid in pieces of silver. Twenty at a time.
SM
@Bill Perdue:
Maybe the Democrats SHOULD drop all the gay issues and heat they take for it. I’m starting to regret every single time I have stood up for your community and taken heat for it in real life.
The Democrats dont need gays and we LOSE votes DEFENDING YOU.
Fight your own fucking battles then.
Bill Perdue
@SM: We will fight our own battles and independetly to the twin parties of bigotry.
The Democrats did drop all GLBT issues in 2007. They gutted ENDA and dropped it and the hate crimes bill and refused to repeal Democrat bigot laws like DADT and DOMA. And they’ll do it again in the next election cycle, and the next, and the…
Buh bye. And don’t slam the door on the way out, shill.
SM
@Bill Perdue:
ohhhh….the raging gay…fuck off loser.
I’m showing all your supporters just how people who want civil rights in this country behave.
Bill Perdue
@SM: Lying, simpering, sucmbag shill. You promised you were leaving.
Oh well, another Democrat promise broken.
Brooke
Although SM’s tone is very abrasive, I think he (she) does have a valid point about collective small victories. I have been extremely disappointed by the lack of movement by the Obama administration, and became furious last week after the DOJ brief. However, every victory, like the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill, is vital. And SM is right in the fact that every one of the LGBT victories on a federal level brings the LGBT community one step closer to enjoying full civil rights.
Staying hopeful and optimistic while keeping active, loud pressure on Obama is necessary to win the fight. I am not going to allow myself to lose faith in Obama. And what about Congress! They could repeal DADT SO much more easily, forcefully, and permanently than Obama. They are our lawmakers!!!
getreal
The homophobic tone of SM comments are what I find disturbing. All Americans deserve the same rights and I’m sure politicians that stood up against segregation lost votes. I wouldn’t lose any sleep losing the votes of bigots. I think your points are confused and seem to cover an anger against gay people. You should be able to make your points without gloating about the legalized discrimination of American citizens it is not gay people’s fault (they are only 10% of the population)it is the fault of every non-gay person who has not stood up and demanded an end to these discriminatory laws.
Bill Perdue
@Brooke: Dream on.
schlukitz
@Bill Perdue:
“Do you people still get paid in pieces of silver. Twenty at a
time.”
Love it. SM certainly does come off sounding like a Judas Iscariot to the lGBT community! No doubt about that.
getreal
@Brooke: I absolutely agree. Organizing, phone banking, showing up for the movement,working within our congressional districts, AND putting pressure on all our elected officials is what is going to work. I am very disappointed that DADT has not been repealed particularly since a friend of mine LT. Dan Choi an exemplary solider has been dismissed and many soldiers much serve in silence under war time conditions. That being said this President will do the right thing unfortunately it will not be on our timetable it will be on his. I am interested in the work the equality community can do to aide him in making these stands sooner rather than later. Public opinion is something that we can do something about if we are all willing to get out of our comfort zone and talk to the moveable middle the large group of Americans who could be swayed to support equality if educated with the facts. I say as activists put pressure on the President but more importantly work our asses off. What we no longer have time for is the petty squabbling of apathetic do nothings who muddy the water and try to prevent real constructive political dialogue with the daily temper tantrums. This isn’t therapy and this site is not here to work out your childhood anger or trauma if you can’t have a civilized political debate you don’t belong here.
Bill Perdue
@schlukitz: Thanks. There’s no way of knowing if they are or not but a lot of these people do sound like paid shills.
It wouldn’t be the first time. When the DNC and Leah Daughtry, an ordained pentecostal bigot and SSM foe were being sued for anti-GLBT discriminatory practices every story about it featured comments that involved personal attacks on folks who agreed with the lawsuit (filed by the one-time director of GLBT outreach).
The same commentator time and time again made wild personal attacks against any GLBT folks who had anything negative about bigots like Leah and Obama. I always figured the shill was a DNC staffer. Personal invective against gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and especially transfolks and atheists has become a trade mark of Obot shills and DNC shills trying to stem the rising tide of disgust with bigots like Obama.
Brooke
Everyone seems to forget that (very soon…) we should officially have a Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate. That on top of a Democratic executive branch is like the stars aligning. Yet, why is no one talking about putting pressure on Congress?
I think it’s clear that Obama is not the advocate we all hoped for. But I honestly think it’s realistic looking back on civil rights movements of the past from the women’s suffrage movement to the civil rights movement for African Americans in the 60’s shows that once the social tide begins to turn, there is an inevitability that change will happen. I think that’s the point that SM (although offensively…) was trying to make.
I think it’s vital we all keep pressure not just on Obama, but on ALL our lawmakers of BOTH parties, because those are the men and women that we have voted to represent us.
Grassroots momentum is very powerful- just look at Iran this week. I think the key is to stay hopeful and keep working.
Cam
@SM: You said “Support the President and the Democrats and grow up. Do you all know anything?
Hate Crimes Legislation is set to pass this week and you all better PRAISE OBAMA BIGTIME. It’s passing Legislation like this that will allow you all to claim a suspect class and start stricking down things like DOMA with a defense!!
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Hate crimes legislation was a meaningless toss away that cost congress nothing to give to us. It doesn’t give us any additional civil rights, it doesn’t guarentee our partners insurance, death benefits, decision making etc… It is a red hearing that HRC has been pushing for because if we ever actually got real civil rights, HRC would cease to exist.
Rainfish2000
@ SM
SM said: “I have every right to be offended at how the gay community lashes out at Obama like they are in preschool.
…Your damn community was too lazy too ever take their equality issues seriously. Having fun rallies in West Hollywood and the Castro while you bash Obama is a joke…I stood out in the cold and rallied for No On Prop 8 on a flipping streetcorner dodging bottles until late on November 3 while the gay commuity blew it off…I’ll be as critical as I want.”
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Hey SM, I don’t believe a lying, manipulating homophobe like you for a minute. You are either a shill for the Homophobe-in-Chief at the White House or a zealot Obama-zombie who drank the Kool-aid.
Either way, no honest supporter of equal rights would claim that they “sacrificed” so much for the GLBT community and then turn around and attack them as a monolithic group, to be condemned en masse, as if you knew for a fact how each and every one of them felt about that Obamanation in DC. Not to mention your dishonest and revolting attack on the entire GLBT community (again tarring with a wide brush) claiming that you were the lone supporter of our rights while we played the fiddle as Rome burned. …Bull “F-king” Sh*t!!
SM,You’re NO friend of the GLBT community. You’re a fraud and a troll. Quit trying to work people. You suck at it!
Now Shoooo, you Obamatron!
//// NOT ONE RED CENT TO THE DNC!!! NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!! ////