Today P.B.O. got tired off everyone’s bitchery and decided to grant America a press conference—how benevolent! We asked earlier that whether The Big O supports Prop 8 seeing as he supports the right of states to decide their own marriage laws. The short answer—no, you dummies.
After declaring himself more pro-LGBT that “the previous 43 Presidents” (pretty easy compared to George Washington and Yeehaw McStarWars) and then giving a laundry list of why he rocks the LGBTs so hard—DADT repeal, hate crimes legislation, declaring DOMA unconstitutional—Obama clarified his states’ rights position with the following fresh beats:
This administration under my direction, has consistently said, we cannot discriminate as a country against people on the basis of sexual orientation…
What I’ve seen happen over the last several years and what happened in New York last week – I think was a good thing because what you saw was the people of New York having a debate, talking through these issues. It was contentious, it was emotional – but ultimately they made a decision to recognize civil marriages. And I think that’s exactly how things should work. And so I think it is important for us to work through these issues – because each community is going to be different and each state is going to be different – to work through them. In the meantime, we filed briefs before the Supreme Court that say any discrimination against gays, lesbians, transgenders is subject to heightened scrutiny and we don’t think DOMA is unconstitutional (sic – they do think DOMA is unconstitutional). So the combination of what states are doing, what the courts are doing, the actions we’re taking administratively, all are how the process should work…
I think what you’re seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays, lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers and that they’ve got to be treated like every other American. And I think that principle will win out.
Let’s parse that real quick: he doesn’t believe in discrimination based on sexual orientation—thus it figures to reason that he would disagree with same-sex marriage bans like Prop 8. He acknowledges that political change requires action on a variety of levels and then says he thinks the process will help equality win in the end.
If that’s not support we don’t know what is.
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.
Could he do more? Yeah, he could always do more. So could we. How much money have you spent drinking at queer bars? And how much have you spent donating to LGBT organizations you believe in? Be honest. Even for me it’s embarrassingly little.
Can we take a second to appreciate that none of the past presidents would have even deigned to address queers let alone have several yearly events and proclamations acknowledging them?
He’s called “No Drama” Obama for a reason and his quiet leadership and willingness to let queer activists hold his feet to the fire are arguably more effective then if he came out guns blazing with a red, white, and blue hard-on for the queers.
Yes, he can lead and use the bully pulpit on this issue, but he recognizes that the changes has to come from the American people as well. And if New York is any indication, we are winning.
Brutus
Holy shit, a Queerty post about Obama that I fully agree with.
tallest
Red, White and Blue Hard-on is my bands new name:)
jeff4justice
Great. since we LGBT people accomplish so much despite despite our infighting, fear, and apathy then perhaps we can accomplish electing 100% pro-equality candidates instead of partially supportive candidates.
Considering the growing number of independent/decline to state voters, it’s bewildering why we haven’t seriously challenged the 2party system in about a decade.
If you can vote for a 100% supportive Green, Libertarian, or Peace and Freedom candidate, why don’t you – especially in a safe blue state.
What’s more, if we don’t vote our best conscious for 100% supportive candidates, then let’s not be surprised when they only support partial equality.
TMikel
Raw Story today carried an article about the Obama Department of Justice which is once again working to defend DOMA. We are still waiting for an end to DADT, and Obama has not really come out about actually ending that. The most important thing for No Drama Obama is getting re-elected as president. His most important cause is himself. Okay, I agree that coming out and saying he approves of marriage equality might not be the best thing to do. However, why is the DOJ trying to defend DOMA again! All No Drama has to do is put an end to that sort of thing and I will believe he actually cares about us. Until then, it is business as usual in the White House. Don’t be so eager to defend him – he is a politician above all else and will gladly take our LGBT dollars and then give us the shaft once again.
Jim Hlavac
Well, other than not being for us, he’s not against us. Meanwhile, his deficits will destroy the economy — and there is no “gay” position on the deficit, mind you, but you can’t keep spending in human terms $40,000 a year and earn only $24,000 a year that’s for sure — and we won’t be able to afford a cocktail, wedding or a piece of cake, legal or not.
Not to mention, he’s all against “states rights” when it comes to health care, and so much more. And let’s not forget his “separate but equal” speech in NYC the other day, you know, “civil unions but not marriage.” And he is is denial that he was FOR gay marriage in 1996 and now is “evolving” (aka Devolving, but I like language purity) — and as for being oh so very nice to us, we’ll it wasn’t like he volunteered — we put his cajones to the fire, and what was he to do?
Meanwhile, he hasn’t had any one of in to the White House for a beer with the gay-hating Democrat NY State Senator Ruben Diaz, no. And his wife just said to Ex-Gov. McGreevy (Gay-Jersey) “I don’t support gay marriage.” Yep, he’s for us, when he’s not against us.
Meanwhile, how many gays are unemployed due to his less than fine stewardship of the economy (I’d rather have cash than a presidential smile to get my vote.)
Ah, but I’ve been voting Libertarian all these years. So I guess I’ve never been for the Democrats at all.
Meanwhile, Republican Gary Johnson is working on winning the nomination for president as the rest of the dwarfs of that party self-destruct — and Johnson is FOR gay marriage. Oh well, things are not what they seem.
Jim Hlavac
Oh yah, and Obama hasn’t told his African-American supporters whom vote 95% Democrat and 85% anti-gay to shut up and get with the gay love. But he’s for us! Yah. Hahaha.
Elloreigh
Translation: “I believe in equality, but not same-sex marriage equality, which should be up to the states, except when their decision is to ban same-sex marriage equality.”
Confused? Is Obama talking again?
*yawn* Wake me when he comes up with a coherent policy position on this and starts telling us what his administration is going to do, instead of touting what they’ve done.
tjr101
And here we go with the usual crowd of gay Republicans looking to shoot down Obama’s record. No we will not vote for Gary Johnson (who doesn’t have a chance in hell) or Mitt Romney!
EdWoody
No, I think I get what he’s saying. He’s saying that he wants every state to have these debates, because people need to talk about this stuff to grasp what the issues actually are. He agrees that LGBTs deserve equal rights, but he wants people to come to that realisation themselves via discussion and debate, rather than imposing it from on high. And he wants to do it on a state-by-state basis because different states contain different kinds of people who handle things in different ways, and they need to do this in a way that they can understand and relate to. Presumably he expects that all the states will eventually come to their senses on their own accord, which seems a little pie-in-the-sky, but apparently he trusts in human beings’ better natures.
TheRealMannequinAdam
@tjr101: Yeah, seriously.
These people need to just vote for their goddamn Republican candidate or (non-homophobic) write-in and shut their mouths already.
Politically Incorrect Thug
You can’t blame him for the way he feels — he is what he is. Some people just don’t like gay people — it’s a fact of life. Some people don’t like blacks. Some don’t like fat people. Some don’t like the rich, some don’t like the poor. Obama, he don’t like no ‘mos. So what? Who cares? (frankly, I’m amazed at how many people on this site actually expected him to be our ally, when he’s continuously proven himself to be a typical politician in every respect, including gay issues. Evolving? No. More like, Election day’s coming and I need every vote I can get, so let’s pacify the gays)
Riker
So who should I vote for? I approve of 90% of the Republican platform (nearly everything except their stances on gay rights and abortion. I approve of 10% of the Democrat platform. Because I’m a gay man, i’m supposed to ignore my conscience and turn my back on the 90%? No, I don’t think so.
Greenluv1322
@Jim Hlavac: Get a life. He doesn’t tell European Americans what to do so why on earth would he “tell AA’s” what to do. He has two kids.
CJ
Riker, good for you. Unfortunately there is a litmus test for LGBT people – you’re either 100% Democrat or you’re a self-hating traitor. This all-or-nothing political bigotry is destructive. Each person should vote according to their conscience and not just get sucked into ONE item on the political priority list.
That being said, I don’t see much on the Republican platform that I currently agree with. Republicans seem to NOT want to raise any taxes on even the most rich of Americans. Yet, we’re trying to fund something like 3 to 5 wars?
I’m pro-life, pro-LGBT equality, anti-death penalty, believe that we’re spending too much on wars, believe that NO one is doing anything about the outsourcing of US jobs (including local governments who buy bridges made in China), etc. So, I am conflicted in many ways.
As it pertains to Obama, he’ll “evolve” into a “fierce advocate” once he leaves office OR once he gets into a second term. He’s not a leader like we recently saw of the governor of NY. Obama follows the polls and he didn’t even get into the healthcare fiasco until after the Senate and Congressional Democrats wrote much of it. Few jobs have been created and his stimulus package on “shovel ready” jobs was a joke.
Obama may be the better choice for LGBT issues – but I’d almost rather the courts take it from here. He and congress can do the best they can until the election, which won’t be much. After that, who knows who will be in office. I really don’t see ANY good choices right now, even though the pro-LGBT Republican candidate does intrigue me. Honestly, however, he may be just like everyone else.
christopher di spirito
DADT and DOMA should’ve been repealed during Barry’s first hundred days in office.
He needed to call Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid into the Oval Office and tell them, “Get me the repeal bills to sign. I don’t care what you have to do — just do it.”
But instead, Barry squandered all of his first year in office on a single issue: national healthcare. The effort sucked all of the air and energy out of his administration and nothing was left to fight other battles. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking.
Had DOMA gone away, individual states who passed constitutional amendments outlawing marriage equality would’ve had no standing. No wonder Barry hides behind “states rights” as the remedy for marriage equality.
CJ
@christopher di spirito:
He wasn’t ready to repeal DOMA then. He hadn’t evolved enough. Remember – he supports “traditional marriage” and he made that very clear during the election. Nearly every democrat and republican were on the same page: “TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE.”
Only now is Obama backing off of DOMA. Even then it is marginal and inconsistent.
But, I agree, it would have been GREAT for him to have done that during his first 100 days.
Red Meat
@Riker: Well if you actually set down and analzyed Obama’s last 4 years you will find that everything he has passed is very moderate and in some cases right out conservative (like extending Bush tax cuts which did noting to create jobs like the real economists know). So, it is the liberals who should be unhappy because quite frankly all he has done for them is Health care improvements which has not yet come to implementation, and DADT repeal. The far fights denial of this is racism, they created the tea party because they are angry at the black man, not their own policies.
Miu
@Jim Hlavac:
Oh come on…this is exactly why it’s quite erroneous to declare “gay is the new black” when clearly some gays (who still have agency and privilege) have latent issues with blacks.
Casey
I think Obama is mad at the gay community because they’re a bunch of backstabbers. He’s done so much for gay rights and they continue to criticize him for not doing enough. Gay voters probably don’t even make up 1% of the voting population, yet they’ve received more attention than any other group that elected Obama into office. Young voters have 20%+ unemployment and have college debt burdens and Obama has done nothing to ease their pain and they will vote for him next election. Hispanics decided the election in North Carolina and Virginia, yet no immigration reform has been presented, the DREAM Act was only introduced into Congress because they helped get Harry Reid reelected, and Obama has had the highest number of deportations of any presidential administration. Progressives haven’t received any support from the president either, he refused to walk the picket line in Wisconsin and refuses to raise taxes and wants spending cuts, and his core constituency, black voters have received no political support either, yet all these groups that actually matter will vote for him next fall. But what about gay voters? He used up all his political capital helping them and they refuse to support him, but he doesn’t care. Even if all the gay voters in San Francisco voted Republican he’d still win by a 40% margin.
QJ201
Translation: I still have to run for my second term. I can’t support marriage equality and drive away potential votes from blacks, white working class people, and other democrat turn coats.
Pete n SFO
Remember when gay people were completely invisible in the media?
Imagine how f’n empowering it must feel for trans-people the hear the PREZ say things like,
“I think what you’re seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays, lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers and that they’ve got to be treated like every other American. And I think that principle will win out.”
Quibble all you want, that is HUGE.
Bob Smith
Yep. You win. I drove to Reno/Sparks from SF to help President Obama win in 2008, I’ll be doing it again for the NV-02 special election, and I’ll be there again for the President in 2012. For two reasons; I’m good at running campaigns, and SCOTUS hangs in the balance.
Yes, the President could do more on issues that I care about, but the Overton window has shifted so far to the right that the proponents of the Right are certifiably insane. I am not happy with a lot of what President Obama has done, but he’s facing literally, mentally ill opponents and they can stop any rational thought from occurring.
|
Thank you for pointing out how much we spend in bars, and hey, a bottle of Stoly in the freezer, with the rest contributed to individual races (not the DNC, DCCC, DSCC, HRC, et al…) is a better deal.
(Commercial interruption: if you haven’t been to ActBlue, https://secure.actblue.com/ go now.)
randy
BUT — Obama can lead the discussion on gay rights. He can frame it. He can use the bully pulpit to affirm the our dignity. He can start the dialog that he claims he wants.
And there are hundreds of things he could do quietly through executive orders that would materially help us and require no dialog. Prevent deportation of legally married gays, for instance, and for those who are civil partnered and domestically registered. If he really believes that we are entitled to be free of discrimination, he can require all government contractors must have prohibitions on sexual orientation discrimination in their HR book.
Sorry, but he is leading from behind. He wants everyone else to do the heavy work and then claim credit for it. Like what he is doing on the DADT issue.
tinkerbell
No one is equal until we are all equal. There is no “more equal” as the part of this speech that was edited out included. We are either equal or we are not. He cannot say that he is in favor of equality for gays and lesbians all the while he sings the song that he is in favor of marriage being limited to “one man and one woman.”
He can’t have (keep) his cake and eat it, too.
Gay Veteran
@QJ201: Why do you guys insist on making this a blacks vs. gays issue. Do you ever consider those who are black and gay? Where do they fit in with your little debate?
Mark
I think maybe ENDA is the issue we really need to be pressuring him and the democrats on at this moment – it’s just so logical to say people shouldn’t be fired or not hired because they are LGBT and most Americans don’t even know that discrimination even exists. Here we are trying to force him to say yes on marriage when we don’t even have employment nondiscrimination for our families.
Cam
“This administration under my direction, has consistently said, we cannot discriminate as a country against people on the basis of sexual orientation…”
1. Being against gay marraige, as he states he is…IS discrimination based on sexual orientation.
2. I LOVE people who have never stated something specificly, then pretend to get angry when people force them to actually specify their exact opinions. Gee, sorry we didn’t except your bland platitudes.
Obama has had to be forced to deal with gay rights every step of the way. He is truthfully much better than the GOP that actually wants to harm our rights, his do nothing attitude, who can be forced to act on our behalf, is preferable. But his attitude of irritation is not nearly as gay supportive as he would pretend.
Matt
@Brutus: I thought the exact same thing. I had to read it twice before I believed it.
CHYKOLAETHAI
@Miu: Cosign 100%.
CHYKOLAETHAI
Cumplain,Cumplain,Cumplain. I guess that’s all gay people can do these days, ain’t happy with anything, all or nothing I guess, so I hope you gays get EVERYTHING yall hoping for in 2012. peaces
the crustybastard
If you judge Obama on his words, he’s very supportive. If you judge Obama on his deeds, he’s basically a wash.
Every step forward comes with a step backward. Every good speech on behalf of our rights comes with a legal battle against our rights. Every new trifling benefit comes with the vehement denial of a critical benefit. Yes, healthcare reform, but not for gays. Yes, immigration reform, but not for gays. He called for DADT repeal, then had Lieberman hijack the very good House bill in favor of a repeal keeping antigay discrimination in place. He insists he’s doing us a favor by relinquishing the DOMA appeal to Republicans, notwithstanding the fact he shouldn’t have brought the appeal in the first place. Merely filing that appeal put that legal victory in peril.
That’s not support, it’s antagonism.
The only thing Obama’s gotten done to benefit all LGBT citizens is the EO for hospital visitation. Seriously, that’s all we got in exchange for giving Democrats the presidency and majorities in both houses — a revocable order allowing for hospital visitation.
It’s 2011. That’s not enough for an industrialized first-world country.
It just isn’t.
TheRealMannequinAdam
@the crustybastard: You have yet to give me an answer on who your pick would be for 2012, or even which party would accommodate a more pro-GLBT platform, so your criticisms of the Dems aren’t moot. No offense, but until you provide an alternative, you are just another angry queen who should be doing more within the Democratic party instead of complaining about “politics-as-usual” when all you did was cast a vote. When has one vote ever been good enough to advance civil (gay) rights?
TheRealMannequinAdam
@Jim Hlavac: Why would he talk to black people like that? You think that just because he’s half-black, that they’ll listen to him and be on board with everything he says?
the crustybastard
@TheRealMannequinAdam:
I don’t owe you anything, chump. But I’ve tried to explain that neither the candidates nor their positions on the issue are settled, so I couldn’t give you an answer if I wanted. Too bad you’re too dense to understand that, but I don’t know how to dumb it down any further.
Rest assured, by the time for me to vote, I’ll vote for the person who represents ME. Not the person you want me to vote for.
Don’t like that? Well that’s just too damn bad.
TheRealMannequinAdam
@the crustybastard: I never said you owed me anything, and I don’t “want” you to vote one way or another. But I am left to assume that you do not have *any* viable candidate on your mind, but continue to air grievances. That says it all right there.
Queer Supremacist
@TheRealMannequinAdam: Have you seen how much support Obama has in the black community? I haven’t seen the figures, but I can’t imagine it being lower than 90%. Many blacks, too, say “vote 100% Democrat or you’re a traitor”. I have no respect for that attitude. Just because I agree with a lot of Democrats on ONE issue and ONE issue only does not mean I should have to vote for a candidate who supports things I don’t believe in. I’m pro-choice, pro-death penalty, pro-war, militantly pro-gay, pro-drug legalization, believe that everyone, whether rich or poor, should pay the same tax rates (in which case the rich would still pay more than the poor in terms of actual dollars, which should still make lefties happy), and against government seizure of private industry. I roll my eyes when I hear anyone call themselves “progressive”.
I knew this would happen after McClurkingate and Warrengate. This man is Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Herbert Hoover all rolled into one.
@Gay Veteran: I don’t want it to be a blacks vs. gays thing. I want gays of all races, religions, and nationalities fighting for gay rights. But white homophobes can’t hide behind 400 years of oppression as a shield against criticism of their bigotry and to marginalize our ongoing oppression, as black homophobes do. They call us racists for pointing out their homophobia. Talk about blaming the victim for the crime. And breeder supremacist hate groups are trying to turn blacks against us by actively going after the heart and soul of their community: the church. They realized that white Christians and black Christians draw their homophobia from the same source: Christianity. Now they want to create a rainbow coalition of hate. Oh well, even Jesus didn’t get gratitude from most of the lepers he healed (How they can worship a Jew and hate all the others is another issue altogether). That some gay blacks would pull the race card and defend a homophobic wannabe Dixiecrat against criticism of his epic failure as a “fierce advocate” makes them Uncle Toms in my book.
All oppression of innocent people for a state of being is equally wrong.
OrchidIslander
@Queer Supremacist: As a black gay person, I wish blacks had the power and influence that you assign to us. We are, what, 12% or 13% of the population. Conservatively, perhaps 50% or 60% of us vote on a consistent bases. We don’t have many viable well-financed, well-connected, media-spotlighted and major political party supported based organizations whose sole agendas are to gin up a particular voting block by demonizing and denying gay people equal rights.
The black church is indeed mostly conservative, and many of its members are what one would call homophobic. But probably no more or less – on a relative bases – to the far more numerous white churches and white church members.
I have a difficult time being objective when white gays harangue black people about homophobia. While there is no doubt it exists, it is no more virulent and far less organized and effective than homophobia among whites. White gays never mention race when major media homophobes like Santorum, or Perkins are the perpetrators. However, sometimes it seems all black people are suspect when a black rapper or black comedian says something inane, dumb-assed and anti-gay.
I am a bit of lurker on Queerty. I don’t post much, but I do read the comments. Consequently, when I read about perceived enemies of gay people who also happen to be white such as Mehlman, Craig or Foley – I rarely come across posts by black gays denigrating the white race because of the actions of some its members. It could be my perception, it could be there are not many black gay posters on Queerty or it could be true.
If there is homophobia in the black community, there is certainly racism in the gay community. Those of us with a foot in both camps, as well as honest members of each group, know this to be true.
I know plenty of white gays who also pull the race card to defend the “homophobic wannabe Dixiecrat” because some whites (and probably some blacks as well) have issues with a black man being POTUS. One cannot seriously deny that inescapable fact.
I really don’t get your Uncle Tom reference as it applies to black gay men. Are you saying that if they support Barack Obama, they are being Uncle Toms to the gay community?
An Ella Fan
@Jim Hlavac: “Oh yah, and Obama hasn’t told his African-American supporters whom vote 95% Democrat and 85% anti-gay to shut up and get with the gay love. But he’s for us! Yah. Hahaha.”
Jim, you’re wrong. I’m guessing your wrong on the 95% voting percentage, and I know you are wrong on the 85% anti-gay figure. But I’m sure that matters not a whit to you.
Obama has chastised black people – in church no less – about the homophobia present in the black community and its projection from black people to gay people.
You may not like the man, but he has indeed spoke up for gay people in places where it was not politically convenient to do so.
So, do you do the same when the shoe is on the other foot?