Barack Obama may not support gay marriage, but he’s certainly not backing a potential ban in California. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee this weekend penned a letter in which he voiced his opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment restricting marriage to heterosexual couples:
…I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states.
For too long. issues of LGBT rights have been exploited by those seeking to divide us. It’s time to move beyond polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect. This is no less than a core issue about who we are as Democrats and as Americans.
Yes, that’s true, but wouldn’t it be more “Democratic” to just come out and support gay marriage?
CitizenGeek
“Yes, that’s true, but wouldn’t it be more “Democratic†to just come out and support gay marriage?”
No, it would be politically suicidal. Why do so many gays refuse to accept the reality that no one who supports full gay marriage will be elected as president anytime soon?
CHURCHILL-Y
“‘cause we are afraid our answers won’t be popular just won’t do. That’s why telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won’t do. Triangulating and poll-driven positions because we’re worried about what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won’t do. If we are really serious about wining this election Democrats, we can’t live in fear of losing it.
Because I will never forget that the only reason that I’m standing here today is because somebody, somewhere stood up for me when it was risky. Stood up when it was hard. Stood up when it wasn’t popular. And because that somebody stood up, a few more stood up. And then a few thousand stood up. And then a few million stood up. And standing up, with courage and clear purpose, they somehow managed to change the world.”
-Barack Hussein Obama Des Moines, IA | November 10, 2007
I call bullshit on jell-Obama and Obamatons like CitizenGeek who constantly contradict themselves.
CitizenGeek
Do you think you’re clever including the “Hussein” middle name of Obama all the time? Do you think it makes you look like anything other than a simple-minded, fear mongering Republican when you do that?
Obama wants to get into government so he can work to the best of his abilities to make law many of the rights us gays are deprived of. Marriage is not the be all and end all, you know, there are other things us gays care about too.
RyanInSacto
CHURCHILL-Y, I was about to respond to you and explain, yet again, that political martyrdom will not advance the cause of GLBT equality. But then I remembered that you’re one of those odd cases of a person who is only half-illiterate. You can write, yet you cannot read.
fredo777
What No. 1 said.
John Lumea
Surely, the most telling and important line in Obama’s letter is one you don’t quote:
Given Obama’s previous repeated insistence that he favors civil unions but not marriage for lesbians and gays, the language he uses here suggests a softening of his resistance to gay marriage, does it not?
Bob
He talks out of both sides of his mouth. He preaches equality, but endorses a separate but wholly unequal key civil rights issue. Yeah, whatever. Blah, blah, blah. More hot air.
lj
The reality is that if gays want the government to recognize gay marriage, it has to be a movement that comes from the bottom up and it will only receive support from other politicians if there’s a groundswell of support from the public they serve.
You may not like or appreciate this answer, but we’re (gays) responsible for our own destiny and we need to stop waiting on others (Obama, Supreme court, etc…) to come out on behalf of us. Gays need to be active in writing their local legislatures and we need to rally up our straight allies who could help.
Until then, politicians will not touch this. After all, politicians ARE politicians (including Obama, who I support BTW)!
Brian Miller
Isn’t it sad that gay Democrats are so self-loathing that they describe simple, proud proclamation that all humans are equal to be “political suicide?”
No courage. No backbone. No principles. Just jellyfish spines and quisling whimpering.
Brian Miller
if gays want the government to recognize gay marriage, it has to be a movement that comes from the bottom up
The problem being that once said movement gets critical momentum (and it is gaining critical momentum rapidly), the same useful idiots will pop up to whine about “political suicide” and “there are more important things.”
It’s a bit like telling black people to vote for George Wallace, because there are more important issues than sitting at the front of the bus, and Wallace will let you sit in the middle and give you a totally equal separate black school, restaurant and voting booth.
It’s bullshit. Enough is enough.
RyanInSacto
Brian – Using hyperbolic examples like “telling black people to vote for George Wallace” is really not helpful at all. There is no such situation here. Actually, I’m pretty sure that George Wallace didn’t offer any advancement from the back of the bus. Not being able to see the difference between no advancement, some advancement, and everything-under-the-sun advancement is problematic at best. Being able to distinguish between the three is vital for functioning within a democratic society.
Brian Miller
I disagree completely.
George Wallace advocated segregation. Separate but equal.
That’s the same policy Barack Obama and the Democratic Party is standing for today, vis-a-vis gay and lesbian Americans.
It was immoral in the 1960s, and it’s immoral today.
The difference is that black Democrats in the 1960s didn’t make excuses, and instead demanded actions. Whereas apparently, most Democrats are happy to sit at the back of the bus and talk about how exciting it is that in 10 years or so, they’ll be able to move up a row or two.
fredo777
Self-loathing, my ass.
It’s just the reality of the situation. Feel free to convince McCain to openly support gay marriage, though. Since I’d like to see his campaign derailed.
Flex
The only people against marriage for everyone, are right-wing Christians. The democrats won’t lose anything, politically by supporting marriage for everyone. That belief is a republican built box to keep gays and lesbians in their status quo. Rise up, and support marriage for everyone, and rise up against the pigheaded, religious right!
RPCV
He doesn’t know what he stands for. Depends, I guess, on the audience or the political action committee. John Kerry redux – FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP
Brian Miller
Self-loathing, my ass.
And the rest of you too, by the looks of things.
McCain is irrelevant to this discussion (and in general).
Obama’s lack of backbone on this issue — and his supporters’ willingness to lower themselves to less-than-equal access, with excuses — underscores his and their lack of moral character.
Full equality now. No excuses, no compromises, no pointing and whining that “the other guys are even worse.”
fredo777
blah, blah, blah…
Jaroslaw
Like it or not, the times somewhat dictate what politicians do. Gary Hart tempted the press to “follow him around” they did, found out he was having an affair and his chances for political office evaporated as supporters and the party dumped him. A number of years later, Bill Clinton had numerous “bimbo” eruptions even a charge of rape levelled against him and was re-elected in a landslide.
So, Obama is not perfect, but knowing how many people can’t stand the thought of Gays getting married, I can’t blame him for straddling the fence. Frankly, George Bush bankrupted this country with that war and letting the Republicans in the chicken house weakening social programs, conumer laws and regulations on corporations and the stock market. The country is in the toilet economically and whoever gets in has an impossible job ahead.
The question is will we Gays be better off with McCain and the Supreme Court justices he will nominate? I can’t believe that, even if you don’t like Obama.
CHURCHILL-Y
“The question is will we Gays be better off with McCain and the Supreme Court justices ”
So this is going to be a never-ending situation. Every four years we (GLBT) are going to allow ourselves to be cornered by candidates with whatever leftovers they can spare for us.
Some of you Obamatons, “Self-loathing, my ass”,
“blah, blah, blah…” are not fooling anyone. Everyone knows why you are on that boat.
fredo777
Don’t quote me, idiot.
CHURCHILL-Y
This is not Zimbabwe dear.
RPCV
Fredo777: Don’t you have any friends you can call up and have dinner with? You know, sort of like giving your computer a rest for awhile??? You’re like a silent-but-deadly one in church – foul and lingering…….
fredo777
lmao
Zimbabwe. Cute.
fri
obama aint shit but hoes and tricks.
RyanInSacto
CHURCHILL-Y, Asking if it’s going to be the same “every 4 years” suggests that you deny that any progress has been made. Is that a fair assessment of your position? If it is, what are you, twelve?
Brian Miller
I think his point is that politicians who patronize LGBT people have done nothing to contribute to “progress.” If it wasn’t for lawsuits initiated by LGBT Americans in Hawaii, Vermont, Massachusetts, California and other jurisdictions, there would not be marriage equality now facing a challenge from the far right.
Federal politicians contributed literally nothing to this progress. Obama is continuing that long tradition of doing nothing.
RyanInSacto
OK, so why vilify him? Expecting federal politicians to be at the forefront of movements for equality has always been a dicey proposition. Somehow, Obama is supposed to be all things to all people including the grand marshall of our pride parade. As we’ve discussed before, though you may not have been here for it, Obama makes a point of talking about our issues in front of hostile audiences – evangelicals, for example. In addition, going back to his speech at the Dem Convention in 2004, he always speaks of us. I can’t really remember a presidential candidate being so vocal about GLBT issues before this round (and I commend Hillary Clinton for being vocal as well). Anyway, I wouldn’t really call that doing nothing and I wouldn’t call it “the same every 4 years” because I voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 even though I don’t remember him calling for legalization of gay marriage. Was that a mistake on my part? I don’t think so, but using the standards you and CHURCHILLY-Y are putting forward, no major presidential candidate in history has been worth voting for.
Mr C
You tell me one Congress Person who will risk their seat in Congress for LGBT issues. You will not find 1 not even Queen Mother Hillary, or Barney Frank. Remember there will always be a compromise where we will always be unsatisfied with the results.
LGBT issues are not the #1 issue for them. Might be for us. But not for them. Obama, Clinton, and even McCain cannot do anything.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE can as a unit.
And once you all realize to pester your congress Men and Women about passing these legislative issues for the LGBT community it will surely fall of “DEATH EARS”
So stop criticizing Obama for alot of things you all know he couldn’t do alone.
But we all know that Churchychicken will keep commenting with Rabid comments about Hussein Obama and talking about
“This is not Zimbabwe…..EH’
We all know that.
This is America and not AmerKKKa
You are such an idiot.
Lawrence
If anyone ever suggested that marriage is between two white people only, they’d be laughed out of town–no one would ever stand for it.
The fact that even gay people themselves are ok with Obama’s bigoted statements with regard to marriage is very sad.
I just can’t wrap my mind around it.
RyanInSacto
The fact that you can’t “wrap your mind around” what you see as “bigoted statements” may mean that you’re not prepared to function as a citizen in a democracy. It’s not all cotton candy and unicorns, buddy. The work of democratic politics is twisted and difficult. Deal with it. To quote Winston Churchill:
“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
Lawrence
It is sad but not surprising that you see my refusal to let a Democrat get away with such bigoted and narrow-minded statements as an indication that I am not prepared to function as a citizen in a democracy.
It really is very simple–if he said any such things about any other group of people, the public would be up in arms over it and he’d be laughed out of town.
I’m sorry that you do not value your civil rights or take gay and lesbian people seriously enough to hold a politician to a higher standard.
Brian Miller
OK, so why vilify him? Expecting federal politicians to be at the forefront of movements for equality has always been a dicey proposition.
I’m not vilifying him. I’m just pointing out that he’s yet another politician who doesn’t deserve our support — not the “change agent of revolution” that Democrats try to sell him as.