Just because Obama promised to keep “low-priority” bi-national gay couples out of the deportation process doesn’t mean he’s stopped deporting legally-married homos—especially since the Defense Of Marriage Act doesn’t allow the federal government to treat married same-sex couples the way they would straight couples.
So as early as this coming January, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could deport Indonesian-born Anton Tanumihardja even though he has no criminal record, has lived here for almost a decade, had close ties to his community and legally married his American spouse, Brian Andersen, this past June in Washington, D.C..
Has Obama reneged on his promise?
Tanumihardja narrowly avoided deportation this last February when LGBT advocacy groups got his deportation deferred just hours before his flight to Jakarta.
But today the ICE office in Philadelphia denied Tanumihardja a deferred action request which means he’ll have to return to the ICE office in January and either make travel arrangements back to Indonesia or go into custody for a proper kicking-out American style.
Matt Chandler, deputy press secretary for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says that the case-by-case review that Obama promised to help sort bi-national gay couples into “low-priority status” has not yet begun. And that as a result, many local ICE offices continue enforcinng immigration laws without any clear guidelines on how to exercise the prosecutorial discretion that would allow them to defer cases like Tanumihardja’s until the courts and legislature figure out DOMA’s constitutionality.
In the meanwhile, Tanumihardja and Andersen cling to the hope that the government will figure out how to treat legally-married gay couples come January rather than tearing the men 10,000 miles apart at the start of 2012.
fredo777
Oh, here we go again…
kawneekwa
Obama, he a pussy.
Michael
@kawneekwa:
Why is he a pussy?
FYI
@Michael: who asked: “Why is he (Obama) a pussy?”
——————
Simply this, as written above in the article: “Matt Chandler, deputy press secretary for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says that the case-by-case review that Obama promised to help sort bi-national gay couples into “low-priority status” has not yet begun. And that as a result, many local ICE offices continue enforcing immigration laws without any clear guidelines on how to exercise the prosecutorial discretion that would allow them to defer cases like Tanumihardja’s until the courts and legislature figure out DOMA’s constitutionality.”
——————–
Because, as usual, we are a very, very low priority on Obama’s “to do” list. Why should we put his skanky ass re-election high on our “to do” list? So we got the repeal of DADT — that is, after a federal court already struck it down as unconstitutional (which, Obama by the way, fought tooth and nail to uphold).
Every Obot talks about how “gay friendly” (gag!) Obama is…but, truth be told, even as much as a repulsive homophobe George Bush was during his two terms in office we still got all consensual anti-sodomy laws struck down nationally by the Supreme Court (Prevailing Opinion written by Republican appointee, Justice Anthony Kennedy), and we even got some of our first state marriage laws passed. So, you see, dear Obots, some things do get done and progress on their own even without the assistance of some lying, hypocritical, fake-liberal, self-serving, incompetent asshole like Obama. Oh, and don’t forget how the fully Democratic-controlled both houses of Congress totally ignored us like a crazy uncle for the first two years they actually had to get things passed, like ENDA and repeal of DOMA, for instance.
[Footnote: The majority leader, Sen. Harry Reid, and majority party of the Senate sets the rules of the Senate. The filibuster could have been done away with on day one the Dems took power — but Sen Reid, another pussy, refused to make that important change. If he had, we all would have universal health care, DADT, DOMA, ENDA, proportionate tax increases on the wealthy, a jobs bill, control of Wall Street and banks… all a done deal in the first two years. And most certainly a Democratic majority still in both houses].
So, in short, a plague on both parties. The Republicans are robber barons, mob inciters, and hate us, as well as all minorities, to their face, while the Democrats use us all like cheap whores for their political ends and then hate us behind our backs while sipping tea with their same Wall Street masters as the Republicans.
Find a decent third party candidate, put them on the ballot in 2012 and take back your country from the one percent. Vote your conscience, not your fear.
drums
Aside from being gay, this guy is the American model minority wet dream–he’s married, assimilated, clean-cut, educated, not looking to cause trouble. Just the kind of foreigner that the American government wants to accept, in order to keep their facade of being a country that welcomes immigrants who come to build their dreams. Shouldn’t they be busy deporting all the people they xenophobically despise for more overt reasons? Why target people like this guy, who can be easily whitewashed? Just because he’s gay?
fredo777
@FYI: The “Obots” talk about how gay-friendly Obama is because, hate him or love him, we have had the most progress + inclusion under his administration. Despite the fact that he has back-pedaled + dropped the ball on some matters, that is undeniable. Enough progress? No, we can always progress more. What I don’t understand is why you can’t hold him accountable for his shortcomings while still giving some credit where credit is due. You even just gave Dubya credit + we all know he was an ass-clown. Politics, like most everything else in life, isn’t an all-or-nothing situation. It’s not rational to say “if you don’t do everything right/the way I want/when I want it, you’ve done nothing at all”.
What’s more, while I agree that we LGBT people shouldn’t settle for being at the bottom of the to-do list, we also have to understand that it’s a pretty fucking long list (even if things weren’t so jacked up when you stepped into office). I’m disappointed that Obama hasn’t done more for our community, but I don’t think it’s necessary to vilify him in order to make our voices heard or to call him to action on our behalf. We should be expending more energy on something productive that furthers our own LGBT-centric causes than we do on bitching the president out via blog posts.
the crustybastard
@Michael: “Why is he (Obama) a pussy?”
Within days of taking office Obama halted the deportations of not-yet-naturalized spouses of dead servicemembers.
It was a terrible law that required injustice, so of course I had no problem with Obama’s decision to suspend enforcement of it. It’s an example of the sensible, decisive executive action I expected from him. However, three years after taking office he continues to refuse to make the same blanket accommodation for an identical injustice suffered by gay people under another terrible law, one that by his own admission is unconstitutional.
Consider it this way: when Obama protected foreign-national military spouses, he was protecting non-citizens. Shouldn’t the President of the United States protect the rights and interests of American citizens like Brian Anderson at least as diligently as he protects the interests of aliens?
But Barack Obama refuses to do that because protecting the rights and interests of gay American citizens is always Obama’s absolute lowest priority.
We’re behind non-citizens.
the crustybastard
@fredo777: We should be expending more energy on something productive that furthers our own LGBT-centric causes than…blog posts.
Says the guy with “2907 comments.”
fredo777
@the crustybastard: “Says the guy with “2907 comments.””
Good eye, smart-ass. My 2900+ comments have been about various + sundry topics, most of which have nothing to do with Obama as the bulk of my political efforts aren’t on this site. To be fair, I don’t care how many times you’ve posted here, HuffPo, PerezHilton, or squarehippies. What I’m saying is that we (yes, I said “we” in the first comment) should not only be spending our energy griping here but also in doing things with more actual impact. If we’re not doing all that we can to help change the situation, then we don’t have as much right to just b**** + moan about it. I never excluded myself from that number.
the crustybastard
@fredo777:
Your complaint is that people shouldn’t be criticizing the Dear Leader.
Shove it.
fredo777
@the crustybastard: My complaint is that people shouldn’t ONLY be criticizing the dear leader, which I made fairly obvious. By all means, criticize away.
FYI
@fredo777: “You even just gave Dubya credit…”
——————–
Uh, really? Show me where I gave “Dubya credit” in anything I wrote. I did, however, state the fact that some positive changes happened when the first village idiot was in office (marriage equality in some states, sodomy laws struck down by Supreme Court, etc.) IN SPITE of Bush. That is a helluva lot different than saying it was due to him and any pro-LGBT efforts on his behalf. What a dishonest idiot you are to twist someone else’s words.
Try being a little less illiterate (or Obotish) next time and read correctly what is actually written.
PS- Obama fought to uphold DADT and DOMA (until recently) in the federal courts every step of the way. Obama is still fighting Gay and Lesbian service members, in the courts, from receiving full discharge pay (instead of the half pay they received as a penalty for being discharged for being Gay or Lesbian) when they were unconstitutional thrown out of the military. Try treating any other minority like that in the USA.
fredo777
@FYI: Ah, you didn’t give Dubya credit after all. You just acknowledged that some positive things took place during his presidency. In spite of him? Ok. This isn’t even a significant part of my argument, but by all means, toss a bitch fit over it. Truth told, I usually just skim whatever you write. My bad!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, under Obama’s administration MORE positive things have taken place for LGBT persons. Not enough, but more than any predecessor. I’m sure it’s all coincidence, though, in that he hasn’t really contributed directly or indirectly to any positive change. After all, only an Obot would think as much. Instead of focusing on any of the positive moments for LGBTs during his admin. (for fear that it might somehow reflect well on The Big O), let’s take every opportunity to hate on, fellow haters.
In closing, you are precious.
FYI
@fredo777:
Sorry, Obot, you can pretend his scat don’t stink, but it does.
In closing, you are pernicious…uh, I mean, precious too.
————-
PS – LOL at Crustybastard who responded to fredo777’s hypocritical admonition that: “We should be expending more energy on something productive that furthers our own LGBT-centric causes than…blog posts.”
To which Crustybastard causally replies: “Says the guy with “2907 comments.”
————–
ROTFLMAO!!!! ….Good one!!!! It’s so hard to take the Obama-zombies seriously isn’t it?
They’re like the TeaBaggers, but with less intelligence — which really puts them into the negative zone obviously.
fredo777
@FYI: “ROTFLMAO!!!! ….Good one!!!”
Seriously impressed by that one? I guess it’s hard to take a “zing” like that seriously when it’s something you’d read on any given forum site, anywhere, ever. Besides which, it was even less of a zing because I had already included myself in that group by saying “we” need to do more than just bitch via blog posts. Not a condescending “we”, a we “we”. Tsk.
“It’s so hard to take the Obama-zombies seriously isn’t it? They’re like the TeaBaggers…”
What’s really funny is that you are much more like the TeaBaggers, what with your almost-obsessive Obama-hating. Plus, you literally have a set of balls resting on your forehead as I type this. Adorable.
P.S. Yes, I said we we.
FYI
Typical troll response from an Obama-rimmer like “fredo777”. Had enough Uncle Tomming in your life? If not, be a rabid Obama-nazi and attack others who point out the truth about your fake wizard behind the curtain while you simultaneously lick the sh!t off Obama’s boot where he just kicked you in the a$$ as you plead, “Please sir, may I have another!”
Pathetic.
fredo777
@FYI: Yes. Pathetic. Yes, you very much are.
FYI
@fredo777: What are you, five years old or something?
Such a rapier-like wit you have. What’s next? “I’m rubber and you’re glue…what bounces off me, sticks to you! Nah, nah, nah, nah, nu, nu!”
…Damn, what a mental midget you are! Just try keeping your tongue firmly implanted between, your hero, Obama’s butt cheeks and out of grown-up conversations, and you’ll do just fine.
fredo777
@FYI: “What are you, five years old or something?”
Old enough. Ah, but you asked because only a child could call a pathetic person pathetic (when it genuinely applies)? Makes sense.
Welp, this conversation is going nowhere + you are boring me now. But we should do this again real soon…
I’m just kidding, by the way.
I hope to never lay eyes on you again for the remainder of my life.
Michael
@fredo777:
The sad thing is if you look at this site alone we can see where the real problem is… within this very community.
Let’s face it if we can’t respect one anothers opinions without being hateful vile mean crass snarky or just flat out cruel.Then its hopeless. We have to start finding a way to find a common ground with one another that way we can come together find a way to respectfully agree to disagree with one another without CONSTANTLY insulting and mocking and putting down one another.The more we come together in this community the better off we will be ultimately in the end.The REAL haters are the ones that want us dead the ones that would rather kill us or destroy our rights as Americans then let us live freely and openly as they do.Rick Santorum Michelle Bachman Marcus Bachman ( who IS gay closet case preferably)Rick Perry Herman Cain Ann Coulter Sean Hannity Bill O’ Reilly Sarah Palin Christine O’ Donnell Maggie Gallagher Brian Brown Focus on the Family National Organization for Marriage etc….They are the ENEMIES they are the HATERS not people from our OWN community.
Us being against one another will never help in the long run… thats exactly what the haters want us to be AGAINST each other and at each others throats.
The more division they can create within the gay community the better.
fredo777
@Michael: As romantic as the idea is, the entire LGBT community will never be completely unified + on the same page about everything (anything?). That’s just not the reality we live in. Which is not even exclusive to our ilk. And, unfortunately, being gay doesn’t exclude one from being a hater. Even in our respective families, there are going to be divisions + arguments when you bring human beings together with different goals, different outlooks, life experiences, social standing, religious beliefs, subcultures, etc., etc., etc. Jealousies, egos, grand-standing, + so on. The key isn’t necessarily making everyone hold hands as much as it is living your life + letting others live theirs, surrounding yourself with the people you wish to be around, + working with those people to achieve your common goals.
FYI
@fredo777: Only someone as blindly insipid as freedo777 would think that they are “lay(ing) eyes upon” someone they stalk like a mentally deficient troll on a gay website. Now buzz off Quasimodo and pester somebody else in order to satisfy your pathetic need for attention.
And yes, miscreants like you ARE the problem in our community.
…Get a life or, at the very least, some mental health counselling.
Michael
@fredo777:
Ugh I give up.
fredo777
@Michael: That’s a shame.
fredo777
@Michael: Seriously, though, there’s no need to give up. My point was that there are always going to be folks you don’t get along with or ones you think are dickheads (gay or otherwise), but that shouldn’t stop you from working toward the kind of life you want, on your own terms.
Wellsir, you kinda caught me on my way out of this particular thread/topic. See ya ’round, pardner.
*moseys along*
fredo777's an Angry Bottom
@fredo777: Good riddance, you troublesome bore. Don’t let the door hit you, where the good lord split you, on the way out.