Obama Had 1 Minute for Judy Shepard
After an 11th hour urging of “members on both sides of the aisle” to pass the Matthew Shepard Act — in what is arguably Barack Obama’s only semi-meaningful contribution to the gay community since taking office — the president met with the Shepard’s mother Judy in the Oval Office to discuss the legislation, which passed the House but now sits in the Senate. So how did things go? Well, there’s not much that can happen in 60 seconds. Judy tells the Advocate:
Upon arriving at the White House on Wednesday, Shepard first met with the president in the Oval Office. The meeting was short — “It was supposed to be 10 minutes, but his meeting beforehand ran long and I only had a minute or so with him,” Shepard said. But it was long enough for Obama to assure Shepard that he was still a supporter of the hate-crimes bill named in honor of her son, a gay man who was murdered in Laramie, Wyo., in 1998 at age 21.
She was then ushered to a luncheon hosted by Michelle Obama. “It was me and about 80 other people,” she said, adding that she wasn’t able to speak one-on-one with the first lady.
Although she understands that many activists, like Mixner, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the White House, Shepard encourages people to be patient when it comes to LGBT legislation.
“We are victims of our own hope,” she says. “These bills are going to get passed, it’s just going to take time and work.”
Yeah, that whole Gitmo thing, the Middle East, Darth Cheney, and that governing thing.
Maybe he should have let Michelle sit with her for an hour like Bush?
·
Agree with both above comments. It’s starting to get a bit concerning as it is a pattern.
·
He only gave Judy Shepard 60 seconds of his time??? Disgusting but not surprising, he has no time for us and could not care less!
·
Bush’s government released studies in 2007 on actual crimes based on hate, how can churches continue to be threatened by this bill? It’s not like people make this stuff up.
All hate is bad. Keep your promises. It’s elementary, as in you’ve known better since pre-school, keep your word, Obama.
·
Thanks Judy for the untiring efforts on our behalh.
·
What a self-important douchebag Obama has become.
·
Judy Shepherd is a saint. Truly. Who else could work and fight so tirelessly, never being strident or angry, always loving and forgiving, never losing faith or hope.
·
thank the lord i didn’t vote for that douche
i just wish more people would’ve voted for hilary
*sigh*
·
Guys, I think you are digging too deep into this. He does have other things to do during the typical work day than to meet with someone related to a bill that hasn’t even met his desk yet for him to sign.
It’s a bit far fetched to extract from this any kind of sign that Obama doesn’t have gay issues as a top priority, when they are so many more obvious examples.
Finding time to fit a meeting, even if it just for 60 seconds, is a hard thing to do when you are running a country. You guys should really stop trying so hard to find things to get upset with Obama.
·
You guys should really stop trying so hard to find things to get upset with Obama.
You don’t understand. President Obama is the antichrist of queerty. Everything bad that happens is attributed to him. And when there’s not a legitimate anti-Obama angle, one will be invented.
·
Apparantly, Judy Shepard still likes Obama and encourages us to have some patience…hmmmm…and Obama reassured her that he supports Hate Crimes legislation…hmmm…Yup, I can make no other conclusion…OBAMA IS A BIGOT AND A VICIOUS HOMOPHOBE…thank God I have Queerty to show me how evil he is.
·
I’m so tired of the way the gay community–and liberals in general–puff their candidates up like saints, and then are horrified when they don’t meet their exact expectations once they’re in office.
I voted for Obama because I liked his approach to the issues facing this country–the economy, the war, the infrastructure. I also felt he was basically gay-friendly. I DIDNT think he’d drop everything and make gay issues (which most likely affect 5-7 percent of the country’s population) his number one priority. He’s been in office less than 130 days! And we’re already eviscerating him for not repealing Dont Ask Dont Tell and ordering gay marriage by presidential fiat.
We are in a global recession, with massive upheaval in many corners of the world. If Obama actually made gay issues his number one priority, he’d be one of the worst presidents on record.
·
I’d really like to know what the preceding meeting was about. If it were something important that would be ok, but if it’s just another photo-op style glad-handing w/ some PAC or another I would be seriously offended.
I don’t mind entirely that GLBT issues aren’t #1 on the docket right now, but I do mind that they don’t appear to be on the schedule at all. It’s all well and good to offer nice words and placations but when you can do something major for our community with a stroke of your pen (referencing DADT & a stoploss order) and you point-blank refuse so to do, then I think it’s very fair for our community to wonder if you are really a man of your word.
·
I hate to be the one to say, considering its bush, but Didn’t Georgies wife meet with Judy for an hour, one on one???