“Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was poised to receive the backing from the National Stonewall Democrats Thursday when the organization planned to announce its endorsement for the candidate… The board of directors for the National Stonewall Democrats unanimously decided to support Obama with a voice vote about three weeks ago, according to John Marble, spokesperson for the organization.” [Washington Blade]
Shocking!
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CHURCHILL-Y
http://musing85.typepad.com/blog/2008/01/obama-on-gay-ri.html
“Obama on gay rights: Just what HAS he done?”
“Now let’s look at Obama’s record in the Illinois legislature. Obama was elected in 1996 and took office in 1997 as a member of the 90th General Assembly. Insofar as I can tell from the archaic printouts available at the General Assembly’s archival section, Obama neither introduced nor co-sponsored any legislation pertinent to gay rights during either of his first two terms in office (1997-2000, 90th and 91st General Assemblies). In the 92nd General Assembly (2001-2002), he signed on to a House bill (HB101) in April 2001. That bill died in committee and expired when the legislature adjourned sine die on January 7, 2003.
On January 21, 2005, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed into law Senate Bill 3186 which, according to the bill’s synopsis on the General Assembly’s page:
Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed as requiring any employer, employment agency, or labor organization to give preferential treatment or special rights or implement affirmative action policies or programs based on sexual orientation. Provides that discrimination against a person because of his or her sexual orientation constitutes unlawful discrimination under the Act.
Also according to the General Assembly’s bill summary page for SB3186, Barack Obama did not introduce, sponsor, or co-sponsor this bill, despite having been a co-sponsor on two previous draft bills (SB101 and SB2597) in the very same session of the GA that appear to be virtually identical to the one that actually passed. SB101 was introduced by State Sen. Carol Ronen on January 29, 2003 and died in the Rules Committee that summer. The bill expired when the Senate adjourned at the end of the session on January 11, 2005. SB2597 was introduced, also by Sen. Ronen, on February 4, 2004, and referred that same day to the Rules Committee, where it likewise died. That bill also expired on January 11, 2005. SB3186 was introduced in the Senate on February 6, 2004, two days after the bill that Obama eventually signed onto as a co-sponsor. Obama did not resign from the General Assembly until November 2004 when he won election to the U.S. Senate. For the whole of his final term in the General Assembly, the Democrats were in control of both houses of the legislature, after trouncing the Republicans in the 2002 elections (largely due to the disgrace of indicted and now convicted former Republican Governor George Ryan on influence peddling and campaign finance charges).
In other words, in four terms in the Illinois Senate, Obama co-sponsored (but did not introduce) three bills that would have added sexual orientation as a protected category under the Illinois Human Rights Act. None of those bills passed, all of them dying in committee and then expiring when the session adjourned. From what I can tell online, Obama’s involvement with the bills seems to have been minimal. He does not appear to have argued for their passage, urged their consideration, or done anything other than to put his name onto someone else’s bill. Moreover, the language of the bill he supported, like the one that eventually passed without his involvement or support, while it did extend protection on the grounds of sexual orientation, also made it quite clear that there was to be no “preferential treatment” or “special rights” for homosexuals under the bill. That’s what I’d call a left-handed compliment–or a backhand to the chops. What the bill gave with one hand, it took away with the other–and appealed to decidedly right-wing framing and language to do it. If I were Senator Obama, I don’t think I’d be holding up this bill as anything to be particularly proud of. I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to list it among my accomplishments.”
Add to this these fine points:
CHANGE #1: Barack Obama says he’s against The California Ballot Measure Banning Gay Marriage Despite His repeated Assertion That Marriage Is Between A Man And A Woman.
“I still think that these are decisions that need to be made at a state and local level. I’m a strong supporter of civil unions. And I think that, you know, we’re involved in a national conversation about this issue. You know, I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman”
Despite his so called ’support’ for GLBT rights he’s on record for also saying that a second class citizen status such as a civil partnership a la Vermont is his preferred resolution for the issue and goes beyond and says that the issue should be left up to individual States to decide upon. We shouldn’t be entitled to the same rights and protections his family has but he’s Okay with the California Supreme Court decision. Until it gets voted down in November by the public then another flip-flop on the making.
CHANGE #2: While Obama says he will support a repeal of DADT once he’s president as a senator he hasn’t co-sponsored MREA ( The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.â€) in both the 109th and 110th congress.
CHANGE #17: Barack Obama has come out in full support and expressed his desire to expand on Bush’s faith based initiative programs although he has said previously that he values this Nations principle of the separation of church and state.
Take notice I’m leaving out his McClurkin an James Meeks episodes.
reversion
Like I’m actually going to bother reading a block comment.
TL;DR: Moving on…
chandler in lasvegas
Wow, Churchill-y, you have reached a level of renown I offer few other commenters; I see your name, I skip your post. Now THAT takes some doing.
emb
You ‘n me both, Chandler; it’s just easier that way. Besides, you know what it’s going to say anyway.
Thank you, Stonewall Dems. No surprise, but it’s the thought that counts. Pity the Log Cabinettes will probably not comprehend that mccain represents geriatric confusion, intellectual befuddlement, and generally utter hopelessness, for homos and everyone else.
Mr C
Chandler and EMB I will join you on this one!
Vinman
I learned to just skip over any comments by Church Hillbilly a couple months ago. That and any comments on interracial dating services.
Alan down in Florida
Latest poll shows Obama has a 46 point lead over McCain amongst voters who identify as GLBT. Who the hell cares what the National Stonewall Democrats have to say at this late date.
Oh and don’t think Obama doesn’t assume that, like the African-American vote, that he has us in his hip pocket in November.
emb
I think it’d be OK to be in Obama’s hip pocket…
Dilroy
I thought this election was supposed to be about change in politics yet we’re still voting for the lesser of two evils.
Oh well.
Mr C
Dilroy,
Then sweetheart you run and tells us your platform. I’d love to hear it!