The Obama-Biden campaign is ramping up its offensive on the gay vote aggressively—and we kind of love it.
Above is a screenshot from the campaign’s new “Progress for the LGBT Community” webpage on BarackObama.com. Is it just us or does it kind of resemble a lot of sideways wieners?
Besides splashing phallic rainbow iconography on the president’s official webpage, what else is this administration doing for the gays, quite notably on the national LGBT Day of Silence? So much!
- Screening Bully! White House spokesperson Inoue Shin tells us: “Today, the White House Office of Public Engagement is holding a screening of the documentary BULLY at the White House with bullying prevention advocates from a wide range of communities.”
- Supporting two important pieces of anti-bullying legislation! Says Shin: “The President and his Administration have taken many steps to address the issue of bullying. He is proud to support the Student Non-Discrimination Act, introduced by Senator Franken and Congressman Polis, and the Safe Schools Improvement Act, introduced by Senator Casey and Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. These bills will help ensure that all students are safe and healthy and can learn in environments free from discrimination, bullying and harassment.”
- Hosting an HIV/AIDS conference! From a press release on the event, held yesterday: “The White House was in Atlanta on Thursday, April 19 to host the fourth White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS at Morehouse School of Medicine’s Louis W. Sullivan National Center for Primary Care. The conference provided advocates, community leaders, and members of the public an opportunity to engage with the Obama Administration on issues related to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the LGBT community, with a specific focus on the National HIV/AIDS strategy.”
- Decorating the White House pink in June for Gay Pride Month! JK.
What’s next—actually supporting MARRIAGE EQUALITY?!?
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.
1equalityUSA
I googled strap-the-dog-to-the-family-car-Romney a couple of weeks ago. He was doing David Letterman’s Top 10 piece. When he emerged on stage, he gave this sort of smiling, almost apologetic look that gave me shivers. I hope I’m wrong, really, but for an instant, I flashed on him giving this same look as he was giving his acceptance speech after having won the election. I can’t get that gooney expression out of my mind. He CANNOT win. It’s so upsetting.
JAW
Prez Obama HAS to win… but it will be close. He has done more for GLBT people then every other President combined. Yes he needs to do a LOT more for us… espically for the Trans community.
Unless we all do not get behind him… as well as the Democrats running for the House and Senate we will end up with another disastrous election like we helped to cause 2 years ago in 2010, when Republicans took over the house and lots of races throughout the states.
1equalityUSA
Jaw, as much as I agree with you, I cannot donate one dollar to the Dems. They are dangling our rights out in front of the LGBT community and coercing our votes for, yet, another election. The dems need to put up or shut up. Of course, I would not vote for that dirt-bag-dog-abuser-from-the-planet-Kolob-Republican, but I cannot give money to a party that doesn’t stand up up me. My disappointment in the process is mighty.
JAW
@1equalityUSA:
I too am not happy… I would have liked to have seen Doma gone, work place security and a few other things… But if we sit back like you suggest, we will have only ourselves to blame when Republicans take even more control, of not just Wash DC… but of more States.
Anyone that lives in a swing state or district should really give time and if possible money to get more GLBT friendly people in office
No-Obot!
Obama and his in-Justice Department fought to uphold DOMA and DADT for over two years — even with a super majority in both Houses of Congress. Only after federal courts repeatedly struck down DOMA and DADT did Obama give up on defending them. Obama is a scumbag. He did nothing that a Republican wouldn’t do to us during his first two years in office. And after losing the House and nearly the Senate, only then did our “friends” in the Congress (during a lame duck session) repeal DADT when they had two years beforehand to do so, as well as get rid of DOMA which Obama was actively defending comparing our Marriage Equality to incest via Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder.
No, Obama is not afraid of the white liberals and blue collar Union voters on GLBT issues in the Democratic Party, he is more afraid of alienating the Black and Hispanic Homophobic Evangelical and Catholic minority voters. What a profile in “courage” our chicken-shit, good-for-nothing President Obama is!
DOMA will eventually be struck down by the federal courts — many Republican judicial appointees have sided with us on several GLBT issues that have come before them in recent years — remember the so-called “Sodomy” laws were struck down by a Republican dominated Supreme Court during another village idiot’s term in office by the name of GW Bush.
No, Obama should not be rewarded for his treachery. He is a backstabbing homophobic pig — plain and simple. No different than Bill Clinton. When are people going wake up and smell the bigotry in the White House? If you reward them, they’ll laugh at you and after they’ve taken your money and votes, they’ll kick you in the ass again.
The Romney “boogie man” does not offend me as much as a deceitful, hypocritical bigot like Obama who pretends to have your best interests at heart while he’s working against those very same interests in order to avoid standing up for anything on principle. What is afraid of, the homophobes who wont vote for him? They wouldn’t anyway, they hate Black people too.
What a evil swine, Obama is! Great way to alienate and to disrespect your friends. But then again, if they keep crawling back after repeatedly being kicked in the teeth, perhaps the GLBT community doesn’t deserve respect. They have nothing to fear from us, so why shouldn’t Obama and his cronies in the Democratic Party not take advantage of the GLBT community’s cowardice? We should be demanding equality instead of begging for it.
..Disgusting.
FYI
If Obama does not actually become the “fierce advocate” for GLBT rights he (dishonestly) claims to be and if Obama does not unequivocally support our full equality as human beings and as American citizens, then he does not deserve a second term. No other constituency in the Democratic Party would tolerate as much betrayal as we have.
Enough is enough. Obama and the Dems must EARN our votes and work hard for it — just like they do for everybody else’s vote. No more free rides for the Democrats and for Obama. Pay like everyone else. Work for it. If they didn’t need us, they wouldn’t even bother with us. Now, make them tally-up or tell them to shove off.
No marriage equality in the Democratic Platform at the DNC Convention should equal NO vote for any more blue-dog Democrats or any Dem who does not support us fully.
No statement of full marriage equality from Obama at his acceptance speech this time — then just say “No vote for you” to the lying bastard. Adios…you’re on your own…just like you’ve said to us after we put you in office.
Ask yourself this: when they say NO to us, (just like the Dems did when they had majority control of Congress for the first two years), then don’t we have an obligation to our own personal dignity as human beings to say NO to them in return? Where is our leverage otherwise? There is no incentive to change unless you force the issue. That’s a fact.
We have to stop acting like mindless lemmings and frightened rabbits. I am not going to let the Democrats use the Republican Boogie Man to scare me into voting for them again. Never again. The Democrats have to earn my vote and earn my support by demonstrable and tangible legislative action and unabashed support, from the President on down, with utmost respect for my inalienable rights of citizenship. How can anyone ask for less?
They had that opportunity (2008-2010), and they just took us for granted. Now, it is up to Obama and the Dems to convince me and my partner of over 37 years (as well as the millions of my brothers and sisters in the GLBT community) that Obama and the Democrats deserve a second chance. The burden of proof is on them.
jason
This is yet more political posturing from the Obama administration. Don’t fall for it. If the Obama administration was serious about GLBT issues, it would have put this legislation through when the Dems had a majority two years ago. Obama knows that this is not going to get through but is cynically manipulating the useful gay idiots for their votes.
Also, this AIDS thing. Since when is AIDS a gay rights issue? If AIDS is not a gay illness, as many liberals keep insisting, why do liberals like Obama keep using it to advertise their supposed gay-friendliness?
Ronbo
Obama claimed to support GLBT equality BEFORE he ran for the Presidency. Now Obama does not support our equality because “God is in the mix”. None of his EO’s or actions grant us any form of equality. Any President can un-do his actions. Any President. Any time.
Obama evloved and our community failed to catch it. It’s time we wise-up to the reality of the situation. Obama evloved anti-GLBT.
Michael Bedwell
I believe he must be reelected because the alternative is so much worse. However, here are just a few FACT CHECKS about this “Rainbow Road.”
1. Obama did NOT lift the HIV+ traveler’s ban. CONGRESS did in their session the year BEFORE he took office, and even heinous Shrub signed it. It was waiting for him on his desk January 20, 2009, yet it inexplicably took his peeps ANOTHER YEAR to implement it, during which time, e.g., some 60 HIV+ Canadians were needlessly turned away from our border when they tried to attend an AIDS conference in DC in Summer 2009.
2. RE deporting gay “family” members: They have a lot of nerve still claiming this given that, again and again, we still see stories of couples having to fight to stay together, and at a January 30th meeting between some of the highest representatives of the Administration and LGBT groups, despite the group’s legal case to support it, Obama, Inc., refused to agree to put on hold green card adjudications involving married, binational gay couples. According to “The Advocate”: >>>Steve Ralls, [gay] spokesman for Immigration Equality, said of the administration’s response, “This is not about enforcement. It is about whether the president supports a legally sound, interim measure to keep these families together, or whether he believes they should be forced into legal limbo. Americans and their families, who want to follow the letter of the law should be supported, and not discouraged, in that endeavor.” Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights who also attended the January meeting, agreed with Immigration Equality’s assessment. “To hold green cards in abeyance simply maintains the status quo and is not inconsistent with the administration’s decision to enforce DOMA,” she said. … “Nobody has offered a legal basis as to the decision that’s been made” by the administration, said Crystal L. Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “All they’ve said is that they’re not going to [hold the green card petitions in abeyance]. So it has to be a political decision. How can they say that DOMA is legally indefensible, yet proceed to deny married couples the legal right to be together in the United States?”<<<
2. He SIGNED the hate crimes bill? WOW! What a hard thing to do—NOT. The larger point is what he FAILED to do, for on what planet would keeping his promise to, “place the weight of my administration behind [its] enactment” solely encompass posing for a photo with Judy Shepard and sending a THREE SENTENCE statement to Congress a few days before it was voted on?
3(a). He SIGNED the DADT repeal bill? Whoop-de-do!. But, OOOPS, that fails to note that it was only after he NEEDLESSLY shitcanned some 800 more gay and lesbian troops at the same time he was smilefucking us about how such discharges “weaken national security.” If the Repugs didn’t hate us MORE than they hate him, they would have gone after him for, in, again, HIS OWN WORDS “weaken[ing] national security. And thanks SOLELY to him, repeal ended up being only half a loaf. The original version of the repeal bill included the creation of a NEW FEDERAL LAW that would have banned discrimination against gays IN the military—something its wise drafters realized was necessary as racially integrating the military in years past did not, by itself, create equal opportunity for African-Americans. Mr. Obama repeatedly promised that he would personally fight for its passage but he did the opposite: he backed the Pentagon’s demand that the original bill be gutted. Obambots claim deleting the nondiscrimination clause was necessary to get the basic bill passed but I’ve never seen them present the name of ONE member of Congress to back that up. And even if it had been, now that repeal is law and practice, WHY is Mr. Obama refusing to issue an Executive Order—as SLDN and others have begged him to—that would give gay and lesbian service members the same protections that blacks, women, et al. have, AND require the Pentagon to extend to gay military couples ALL benefits NOT banned by DOMA such as access to military family housing?
3(b). Much has been made about how Repug Troglodytes would try to bring back the ban if they became president or controlled Congress. But the fact is that they COULD only do that because, inexplicably and unforgivably, Mr. Obama continued to fight to overturn the ruling in the Log Cabin case that such discrimination by the military is illegal AND succeeded. WHY?
4. Appointed out gay federal judges? Clinton did it first EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO!
5. He spoke at TWO HRC dinners??? WOW! Stop the presses—and try to use THAT item to stop yourself from being, e.g., fired by a federal contractor if your LGBT. President Clinton did that TWELVE YEARS before Obama did. [And, yes, Madame First Lady, we're still waiting for you to march in a Gay Pride Parade as First Lady Hillary Clinton did in 2000.]
6. Taking bows for all those LGBT federal job appointment… Okay, EXCEPT many of the most senior positions have been filled by people, sorry, that CLINTON first appointed to other jobs such as John Berry.
7. White House meetings with LGBTs….. Okay, except, sorry, again, Clinton held the first WH meeting NINETEEN years ago. And, as that one demonstrated, meetings are only as important as what comes out of them. And what has most come out of meetings with Obama himself or his shills have been lists about what they AREN’T going to do.
AGAIN, yes he must be reelected—but that doesn’t require any self-respecting LGBT person willingly deepthroating distortions, outright lies, or paved-over broken promises and betrayals. We COULD be MUCH farther along TODAY had LGBT, Inc., "leaders" not repeatedly bent over and spread their cheeks for him everytime he F-ed up…going all the way back to "McClurkingate" even before he won the Party's nomination. For those who've forgotten, lets revisit the kind of President he promised to be:
“Equality is a moral imperative. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of a fully inclusive Employment Non Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership.” – Barack Obama, Job Application, February 28, 2008.
PR
Cheney would have been a fiercer advocate of LGBT rights. Obama is merely an advocate today… but not tomorrow… but then back again in 3 days.
PR
Candidate Obama in 2008: I oppose same-sex marriage. Candidate Obama in 2011: Silent.
Ramsey
Lol at the gays who keep pointing their fingers at Obama. If you don’t think he is working on any LGBT issues or isn’t the best possible ally in presidency then just vote for Romney and shut it! You don’t know how politics work!
jason
Ramsey,
Obama has been playing politics with our lives – don’t deny it.
Patsy Stoned
Candidate Romney: donated money to NOM, signs NOM’s anti-gay hate pledge, promotes an anti-gay amendment that will ban any and all legal gay marriages across the country. Tried to use a racist 1913 law in Massachusetts to prevent gays from any other state marrying in Mass. Flip-flopped on a massive scale on gay rights (to the wrong side). Will quite likely stack the Supreme Court with more Scalia-like anti-gay religious extremists, barring any progress for generations for gay people.
Chad
LGBT issues are not the only thing I think about when it comes to which candidate or party that I support. There are other social and economic issues that are important to me as well. When it comes to those other issues, my opinions side mainly with Democrats and often with Obama. Even though Obama has not lived up to some people’s expectations when it comes to LGBT rights, I will still be voting for him in this coming election. I will still be placing my votes for the local Democrat senators and representatives when the time comes.
OF COURSE he is using this all to play the political game. EVERY candidate has used or is using current issues in a way that will help them get elected. There’s not much that one can do when not holding a position of power/influence. I actually do believe that Obama supports gay marriage and I do believe that he is not coming out and stating that at the current moment for political reasons. Do I like that? No. Is that the way of politics (and public opinion) in this country? Unfortunately, yes. I hope that the Democrats are able to win more seats and Obama is re-elected. If so, I do think we stand a really good chance of DOMA being repealed. If LGBT sit on their butts, don’t vote out of frustration, etc and more Republicans are voted into Congress and/or Obama doesn’t win re-election, then you can bet your ass it’s going to be loooooooooooooooooooong before we see a chance of DOMA being repealed.
Also….think of it from a Supreme Court standard. Chances are Ruth Ginsburg will be stepping down from her position within the next few years, and if a Republican president is in office and another conservative Justice is appointed, then we are royally fucked.
MikeNYC
Obamabots are having ejaculations in this thread!
Despite the GLBT rainbow chart Obama is NOT a fierce advocate for LGBT rights and never has been. No other president has defended DOMA more than Obama, and he didn’t actually end DADT since the top military officials had to since Obama and his administration conveniently edited out the non-discrimination clause in the bill therefore making it pointless for bisexuals, lesbians, and gay men to serve in the military. Trans people still can’t serve openly in the military.
Obama has NEVER been for same gender marriage at all. I remember when he was campaigning someone asked him and Biden if they supported same gender marriage and they both gave the canned answer that “Marriage is between a (hetero) man and woman!” then when Obama became President he did his whole “If you’re hetero Gawd’s in da mix when you get married!” speech which was a slap in the face to everyone that’s LGBT and to LGBT youth.
LandStander
@MikeNYC: “Obama has NEVER been for same gender marriage at all”
This lets me know you have no idea at all what you are talking about.
“No other president has defended DOMA more than Obama”
Yeah, that is a whole 2 presidents. And I beg to differ, I think Clinton has defended DOMA over and over again, and still to this day defends himself enacting it. He also refused to defend DOMA in the courts last I heard. So wtf are you talking about yo? Please watch public access and C-SPAN not fox news ! 🙂
PR
I agree, voting for a president or candidate includes looking beyond LGBT issues. Obama has been a disaster for this country in numerous ways. Transparency? Yeah, that’s a joke. Closing Gitmo? Another failure. Running up the spending levels and debt to 2x what it was in all of history? Yep on that one too. Double standards when it comes to raising the debt limit? Yep. Firing 1 BILLION dollars worth of bombs into Libya and yet it isn’t a war? That’s Obama. Continuing GWB policies when it comes to Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, etc? Yes, AGAIN. Winning the Nobel Peace Price for giving good speeches without any action? Obama again. Killing an American citizen in another country without a trial or without a court order? Bush? No, that’s Obama.
Most of all when it comes to LGBT issues, Obama is NOT showing any guts in standing up for full equality. Past presidents have stood up for their convictions, even GW Bush. When slavery was ended and civil rights were given to blacks we had leaders that stood up and took risks. Obama is playing it safe – always. Nothing but a Chicago politician. Obama may be inching us towards equality but he is refusing to push for ENDA, immigration equality or marriage equality. His stance on DOMA means nothing if a Republican gets elected. He did NOT push to end DOMA. An Executive Order can be changed in a minute. So can all of his other Executive Orders. We needed laws changed and he was weak and standing up as a leader. I’m not saying that we should vote for Romney. I’m just saying that Obama is NOT an ally. He is a politician.
Uh, no
No marriage equality. Still officially a homophobe as a result. I’m voting for Gary Johnson.
val
Wow. I can not believe the criticism I read about Obama. I hope you realize that if he does not get re-elected and that a Republican became a President (or strengthen their position) that you are prepared to lose some of the rights you have today as LGBT people. For they will take away as many rights they can for LGBT people. And you can forget to get any more rights.
Obama has done a good job for LGBT people, but I only hear people criticize and say they want more. If people are patient, then you will get more and more rights. Alternative is republican who do not care of you at all, but many of them think you are “sinners” and not equal to them. Think about that before you vote.
Michael Bedwell
@val:
Wow—I can’t believe how naive you are, as well as willing to see DOCUMENTATION above of how he has NOT simply “done a good job for LGBT people.” Which makes you, My Dear, a part of the problem not the solution.
REPEAT, yes, he must be reelected—but that doesn’t require any self-respecting LGBT person willingly deepthroating distortions, outright lies, or paved-over broken promises and betrayals.
Let's be real here
I agree Uh, no. Obama is a smooth talking politician and can claim he’s a “fierce advocate” for LGBT rights all he wants but he’s not for same gender marriage, hasn’t passed DOMA, didn’t really end DADT, and is as homo phobic and bi phobic as he was during his campaign and with his whole “Gawd’s in da mix in a marriage between a hetero man and woman!” speech.
Red Meat
Regardless of what any of you queens say right now, Obama will go down in history as the first most gay friendly president in history. The details, the time it took between actions won’t matter because that will not be discussed 10, 50, 100, 1000 years from now.
jason
That rainbow trail is like the path of betrayal.
Gus
It is silly for anyone to expect DOMA to be repealed with the Teavangelicals voted into Congress in 2010 and the rest of the Republican majority in the House scared to dealth of the Teavangelicals in primaries back home.