Equating this year’s election to that of 1992, journalist Wayne Besen urges queer voters to turn out for Barack Obama this November. If not, he says, we’re in for some serious trouble. And, to illustrate his point, Besen offers this stark contrast:
In November, we can wake up to a new day where job discrimination is outlawed, openly gay soldiers are able to serve our nation with the dignity they deserve, LGBT people are finally included in hate crime laws, our families are offered a measure of protection and America will have a moderate Supreme Court for years to come.
Or, we can rise to a dark November morning that ushers in four more ugly years of persecution, right wing demagogues on the president’s speed dial, invisibility for our families, Arabic translators kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation and a retrograde and a reactionary Supreme Court that sets our movement back decades.
Um, well, we’d much rather have a bright future than a return to the dark ages. But, you know, that’s just us…
CitizenGeek
“But, but, Hillary lost! And Obama doesn’t support full marriage! So I’m either going to vote for McCain or just stay at home instead.”
What’s worrying is the amount of gays that actually think that way!
Dubwise
CitizenGeek
Hillary did lose. Her view on gay marriage are more harsh than Obama’s. Obama has come out AGAINST an amendment to the constitution banning gay marriage. Hillary supported such an amendment.
“Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the group, the Empire State Pride Agenda, said Mrs Clinton was “a complete disappointment” over her opposition to same-sex marriage and her support for a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.”
CHURCHILL-Y
The only thing that should worry you Geek is that you fail to see that’s precisely the reality we have with Obama.
Not that it matters anymore but this whole storm could’ve been avoided had he shown to people he was really prepared for the Presidency by making his first correct decision – choosing Hillary instead of Macaca moment waiting to happen Obiden.
John/Sarah Palin ’08
Stand up and be counted
I can’t believe gays are even considering voting for mccain/palin who oppose every form of gay rights, be it job discrimination protection, hate crime protection, marriage – you name it!
Let us not forget that the Supreme Court is only one judge away from overturning Lawrence v Textas, which is the only reason being gay is legal in 14 states, including my home state of Florida.
The difference between the parties is so obvious and those who don’t see it are being sulky whiners. Look at the two conventions – in the DNC we were mentioned positively in every major speech including Obamas. Do you see that happening at the RNC?
I’m tired of being treated like a second class citizen. I’m tired of the government blaming the countries woes on my sexuality. And most importantly, I’m tired of people discriminating against me and justifying hate speech by calling it ‘traditional values’.
I think it is time for LGBT people in America to once and for all stand up and put an end to state-sponsored discrimination by swinging this election.
Robert
What I find ridiculous is that the gay movement is pinning all its hopes and politics on one person. Wayne Besen seems to be under the impression that with the election of Sen. Obama, we’ll be nearing our “journey’s end” — which is clearly bullshit. While Obama/Biden is certainly a better choice than McCain/Palin, let’s not be delusional about this.
Anonymous
Hillary supported such an amendment.
Stop lying, you stupid bitch.
Bill Perdue
Stand up and be counted says
Really, SUABC, you ought to sit down, shut up and catch up on the facts. Who do you think gutted ENDA and accepted every Republican amendment to the bill until it became such a feeble sham that even the Chamber of Commerce is smiling? It was the Democrats. The Republicans were just along for the ride when bigoted Democrats pushed us under the bus.
SUABC, were you in a coma last year or what? The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes ACT passed both houses of Congress but guess who tossed it overboard so no one would think they were pro-LGBT? It was Kennedy and Pelosi, that’s who. And they are? Democrats. Republican bigots in the other bigoted party went along with it but Democrats were in the driver’s seat again. And we were? Under the bus.
Who do you think voted overwhelmingly for DOMA and boasted about it to get bigot votes? Democrats. DOMA was Republican bill but virtually all Democrats supported it. Obama supports most of it but wants our marriage rights decided on the basis of ‘states rights’. If that rings a bell it ought to, it was the same formula proposed by Democrat George Wallace for civil rights. (Hillary is not only adept at playing the race card but she’s but loyal to her bigoted husband, fully supporting the worst parts of DOMA and Obama’s ‘states rights’ betrayal.) Obama himself, like his platform, is totally opposed to marriage rights, as are the Republicans. He says so every 10 minutes.
SUABC says that even if the Democrats and Republicans are otherwise equal then at least there’s a difference between them on the courts. Sit down again SUABC while we figure this out.
The US Supremes were nominated by Republicans 7-2. They struck down sodomy laws not because they walked by a burning bush that told them to stop oppressing gays, but because we put pressure on them for decades and because the US was/is considered retarded by EU countries. What party had the majority in the Massachuttes and California Supremes when they struck down bigoted same sex marriage laws? Republicans. And they did it because of the presence of a large GLBT movement that wouldn’t take no for an answer.
The only thing that sways conservative judges, and that accurately describes all judges, is massive, consistent, militant, pressure. We shove hard and only then do they back down. That’s the way it gets done, but it certainly doesn’t by voting for centrists like McCain and Obama, who are both dues paying members of the worlds second oldest profession, a profession not nearly as useful as the older one.
greybat
Well, I guess the lesson here is no matter WHOSE in office, KEEP SHOVING! good advice.