“No country should deny people their rights — the freedom of speech and freedom of religion — but also no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.”
– American President Barack Obama speaking to the UN General Assembly today.
Atlas
Still no evolution on same-sex marriage, though. Assuming he’s re-elected, that better be one of the first things out of his mouth.
Jack E. Jett
He is starting to do all the things I wanted him to do….but it all seems so late and weak. It may be hard for him to pull his head out of the tea baggers ass at this point.
Cam
I like that he said this to them. I still wish the U.N. would be more aggressive on calling out it’s members that have horrible human rights records for women and gays.
But, as somebody who has been very critical of Obama, nice job on this.
ewe
@Jack E. Jett: It’s all for himself i regretfully feel. Just a political ploy. Any statement that the world needs to respect LGBT people is like saying the world needs to respect each other. What the fuck is going on with everyone? Have we come to the point where we need to thank people for being respectful of us like they are somehow being progressive? I expect people not to persecute me and i am gonna slap you down if you do. That is the attitude we need to have. Instead of gloating over anyone who is gay friendly we should say “yup that’s right!!!” Put all the open haters on trial. Sue them in Court. YUP THAT’S RIGHT!!! Elected officials are legally responsible to represent ALL of their constituents.
the crustybastard
FTFA: “…no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.”
Awesome.
When are you going to start, Mr. President?
CBRad
It’s better than not that he said that, though. He could have omitted it. Give credit (even if yoyu think it’s miniscule) where it’s due, guys.
ewe
@CBRad: You don’t read do you? What credit is deserving of anyone who says to respect LGBT people when it is a given that heterosexuality is automatically respected? What would the reaction of everyone including you be if Barney Frank went around saying “…no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of heterosexual men and women everywhere.” It is bizarre and your tongue lapping is even stranger.
ewe
“…no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of interracial couples everywhere.” It is a strange statement now and so is saying “…no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.” Gay people are not searching for a heterosexual savior!!! We are going to enjoy the rights everyone else does and if someone of an elected position gets in the way they will be dragged into court and forced to testify. If the bigoted religious get in the way they, too, will be directed to stay in their temples and jerk off in there out of our sight.
Emmalee
As someone who was never a big fan of obama I am surprised that he would say this at all considering one of his election speeches he states that “same sex marriage is wrong”. Now I’m confused. However his message is not lost on the LGBT supporters who now want to see real progress. Let’s keep moving forward!
CBRad
@ewe: But isn’t Obama addressing the subject of those countries that don’t respect homosexuals at all, in any way?
Jake
And now Palestine, known for it’s gay-friendliness, wants to join the UN.
Steven McCarthy
Seems to be more talk. No action. Do I say, not as I do. What does he not understand about discrimination?
Chad
I have to say Prez Obama is not the greatest president we have had. I am not worshiping the man but he has at least acknowledged the gay community in a good way.
Sure it may be a little to late. But I never saw Dubya say anything good about the gay community. I believe he is just playing the GOP, being wishy-washy on the gay issues just to get reelected. Once reelected I truely feel he will do more for the gay marriage issue.
Let’s face it ALL politicians lie to get in office. Yes he is using glbt at our expense but seriously you think the DADT would have been repealed if we had an elephant in office instead of an ass.
ewe
@CBRad: yes he is. you are right. I am just angry. There is a difference between being angry and being defensive. I don’t feel we should defend ourselves. We need to be angry and make the haters defend themselves.
ewe
Make Obama defend his religious stance on opposing marriage equality. Make him admit what he is saying and then throw him to the wolves. We do not need a liar or a patsy for a president that is willing to throw LGBT people under the bus. It is either one of two things: being gay is a non issue or being gay is an issue. You either are equal or you are not. And we need to stop distorting the “it gets better” campaign. Now we have gay people putting fullfillment and quality of life off for a future date and applauding straight people all too willing to say yes to that.
Isaac
I’m getting bored of the haters out there. Yes, Obama could be more “evolved” on gay issues, but I think many of you aren’t giving him any credit for what he’s done. DODT is done, the administration is not defending DOMA, which is the ONLY thing that can be done at the moment, administrative changes like hospital visitations and housing oversight have occurred, and the Matthew Shepard Act was passed. Yes, more things could theoretically have been done, but given that the haters had already given up on him, they let the Repubs take the House last year, where we’ve seen absolutely NOTHING happen since then. In fact, we may be on course to seeing a rabid right wing president and congress take over in the near future. Will you have as much venom for them, or will you still be blaming Obama for losing your “support?” We can often be our own worst enemies!
ewe
@Isaac: You got some nerve accusing gay people who are fed up of being the haters. You are seriously confused and demented putting down gay people and calling them haters.
Rainfish
Let’s just take a look at Obama’s record so far:
* Obama supports George W. Bush-style Military Tribunals for foreign war detainees (he was against them as candidate Obama).
* Obama has expanded (not limited) Bush-style warrantless wiretapping; adding special guarantees of government immunity and expanding his “special powers” (without Congressional Oversight) of the Executive Branch.
* Obama has stifled government investigations into Torture and the Human Rights Abuses of the former administration.
* Obama gives away hundreds of billions of tax-payer’s dollars to Wall Street, and then he just turns his back on the union workers who supported him in Wisconsin and in Michigan.
* Obama allows his minions in Congress to conduct hearings on Health Care Reform where they invite profit-driven vultures and profiteering extortionists from the Insurance Industry to sit at the front of the table when formulating Health Care Reform — while they simultaneously arrest and expel single-payer National Health Care advocates from the hearings.
* On civil rights, Obama de-prioritized repeal of DADT which has destroyed the military careers of over fourteen thousand loyal, patriot Americans (even as Candidate Obama campaigned to push Congress to overturn that odious Jim Crow-style affront to human dignity). Only after a federal judge strikes down DADT does a Democratic Senate move on repeal. As of Sept. 20, 2011 Obama and his DOJ are still fighting the federal court decision which declared DADT unconstitutional on 1st and 5th Amendment grounds.
* Obama (and Pelosi/Reid) during full Democratic control of Congress expressed no interest whatsoever in overturning DOMA so that those of us who are legally married (or partnered under some other kind of quasi-marriage-like legal arrangement) can receive federal benefits — as Obama promised. They didn’t even form a committee to draft a bill or even have public hearings.
* Obama’s apologists say that he is too busy trying to save the nation and the economy and jobs — so, then why didn’t he push for job equality and protections (ENDA) for the tens of millions of GLBT citizens who do not have the same level of job protections as ninety percent of the population?
In the final analysis, the Democrats and, especially Obama, are NOT “The Change You Can Believe In“! As bigoted, odious and villainous as the Republican Party is, at least they are upfront about hating us. Whereas, the Democrats, along with their lying segregationist, bigoted demagogue, Barak Obama, are master deceivers who troll the GLBT community for money, political volunteers, and votes — only to slap us all in the face with either that tiresome mantra of “the time is not right” excuse or just an outright “get out of my face” avoidance of us after an election — that is, after they have exploited us repeatedly in order to grab political power.
The Democratic Party un-official motto: “Hey, just because they took us to the prom, it doesn’t mean we have to dance with them — right?”
So, Obots, if you don’t demand you don’t get. Asking nice doesn’t work. The Dems have to realize that there will be a price to pay at the ballot box if they betray their core supporters. The Republicans have always known that to be true. Too often Democratic politicians are really arrogant and like to forget who actually put them in power — of course, at their own peril (witness Nov.2010).
Sometimes “Tough Love” is necessary to spur to action and to get a reaffirmation of “commitment”. Just playing patty-cake doesn’t work.
ewe
@Rainfish: Thank you. The truth is out there.
R.A,
No. 18 · Rainfish,
When you’re trashing of Obama has helped put Perry in the White House, I hope you will accept your part in creating that misery.
Had the left not trashed Al Gore and helped elect Bush, we would not be in Iraq today, and a hundred thousand innocent Iraqi civilians would still be alive.
CBRad
@ewe: I really don’t criticize those who are angry and/or disappointed with Obama. I just meant that this one U.N. statement he made is still- whatever you think of him- a good thing basically.
Pep, Italy
@ No. 18 – finally someone putting things into perspective…
Dum Dum Diddle
Me thinks he keeps the subject alive with a few quips here & there. As most of the political pundits predict (if/when)he wins a second term he will push the agenda with a strong force. Clearly at this point his priority is JOBS, ECONOMY, IMMIGRATION are his priority and rightfully so.
Gregory
WAIT A MINUTE…….. “IS SO GAY” are we not trying to fight homophobia? Yet we use the same phrases that we find offence in……
Rainfish
@Dum Dum Diddle:President Lyndon Johnson still made time for Equal Rights for African Americans during the Vietnam War while pushing through Congress the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Don’t buy the BS about everything else but Equal Rights should come first. Without Civil Rights Protections what does having a job matter if you can be fired at anytime (or even denied employment) because of your sexual orientation; what does the Economy mean to you when you are denied basic employment benefits and federal benefits for your family simply because you are a GLBT American; how important is Immigration reform when you and your foreign-born spouse are kept apart (unlike bi-national heterosexual married couples) simply because you are Gay or Lesbian?
Sorry, that dog wont hunt. Human Rights and full equality in all things should be the number one priority for anyone with even an ounce of self-respect. America fought a Revolutionary War over such a thing, so it must be important.
ewe
@R.A,: and we are supposed to believe you know what would have happened had Bush not been appointed? What an ego you have.
ewe
@CBRad: i get that but sometimes empty words are like those who repeatedly apologize and continue doing the same thing. It means little. Actually it rings hollow most of the time and means nothing.
ewe
@Dum Dum Diddle: AND if one believes in equality they do not go around saying their religion permits them to discriminate. That is no different than a nine year old saying “it’s not my fault.”
ewe
@Gregory: The truth is that homophobia is so straight.
nerdwhowatchestrolls
Ah queerty were the troll queens roam free
The only question that really has any point of being asked is which is the leser evil
B
No. 11 · Jake wrote, “And now Palestine, known for it’s gay-friendliness, wants to join the UN.”
Sarcasm aside, why not let them join with (of course) preconditions necessary to both join and stay in? For example, recognizing all current U.N. members and providing rights for LGBT Palestinians – the U.N. can impose preconditions because they are not asking for full membership, at least not at this point.
ewe
@nerdwhowatchestrolls: Ah a dumb narrow minded nerd with only two options. How progressive.