What’s the timeline of Barack Obama repealing the Defense of Marriage Act? Sorry, but Press Secretary Robert Gibbs doesn’t know. He has to get back to you, probably because it hasn’t actually been discussed at the White House yet.
Robert Glib
The White House Isn’t Even Pretending It’s Paying Attention to Gay Issues Anymore
Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...
We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?
Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated
dgz
apparently he’s not going to do anything socially liberal until his fiscal liberal policies have been implemented. does he think he’s going to win over conservatives with this? Mr. Prez, everyone who’s ever going to like you already does. Now you’re slowly losing your liberal base.
alex
I think it is dissappointing that Obama’s team is not being more forth coming with their gay agenda plans. However, I believe that minus minor wording changes their goals have remained unchanged on their official website and they met privately with GLBT leaders about their plans and they all left that meeting happy.
I think that Obama knows how to work the media, public and politics to get what he wants. They are already making progress on the Hate Crimes bill. I believe that his goals are still in place and that he is laying his ground work methodically working in the right direction in ways that aren’t meant to incite the opposition.
I am still comfortable letting things progress even if they feel like they are moving slowly.
Dabq
@alex: Thank you, a rational post here for once on Obama!
wondermann
@Dabq: Agreed
DCPoster
Kerry Eleveld of the Advocate asked the question. Keep it up, Kerry!
Jeffrey
@Alex “…they met privately with GLBT leaders about their plans and they all left that meeting happy.”
Yeah, they left happy cause they will get to keep their well paid jobs and keep attending black-tie dinners and the occasional private meeting with the prez for several more years before we get any real action on equal rights….
Gary
@Jeffrey: just another hrc coctail party/fundraiser.
John
I hope President Obama soon realizes that a person’s inaction to an injustice also makes him partly responsible for it. He can make claims about how much he cares about treating gay Americans in his speeches, but unless he actual proves that he will do something about it, then his words in his speeches about us are pretty much worth zero!
I do realize that there’s a lot on his and his administration’s plate right now, but with all of the gay marriage discussions going on lately, the discussions about “Don’t ask, don’t tell” – we are also nearing the apex of this civil rights fight, and his time to step up for us is coming up.
For two years, I helped work to get you elected. Don’t turn your back on us now, Mr. President. I dare you to be a man of your word, and follow through with your promises in treating us equally!
Hopefully, you’ll become known as a president that sided on the right side of history, and not as one that cowered when the debate for our rights heated up!
Lee
@alex:
Jesus Fucking Christ, Alec. Is it impossible for you to defend your Dashboard Jesus without functionally lying?
“Obama knows how to work … politics to get what he wants. They are already making progress on the Hate Crimes bill.”
Where the hell, other than that limp dick paper airplane someone sent out in his name, do you find EVIDENCE that HE is any part of THEY?
As for little Kerry, it’s far too little far too late. For two years she worked so hard, so eagerly, helping sell the Obama Messiah myth to other gays, even letting him get away with lying to her face and her readers about having “passed” the Illinois gay rights bill.
“Hello, Ms. Eleveld. This is the front desk with your wakeup call.”
[img]http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/advocate/editorial/exclusive_detail/200804/kerry_obama.jpg[/img]
John
@alex:
“I am still comfortable letting things progress even if they feel like they are moving slowly.”
With all due respect Alex, but for the last couple of decades, this has been the stance of the gay community when it comes to fighting for our equal rights – be patient and let things progress naturally. It only progressed for the better in the last few years (especially post-Prop 8), when people in our community and our allies really started pushing for things to happen.
We can all wait patiently for things to progress until we are blue in the face, in retirement age, or even dead, or we can actually push for things to change, just like many other oppressed groups have done in the past.
Lee
NO NEED TO RUSH—THERE’S PLENTY OF ROOM UNDERNEATH:
[img]http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02ed1V18Jk210/610x.jpg[/img]
Mark M
The more Robert Gibbs speaks, the more I miss Margret Tutwhiller (sp?) who would just look you in the eye and say “I am not going to answer that.. next”
atdleft
@John: Thank you, You said it so well. We helped put President Obama in office because he promised not to ignore us. It’s time for him to stop ignoring us.
Juanita de Talmas
Disappointing, yes. But does anyone seriously believe McCain/Palin would’ve been better?
Lee
@Juanita de Talmas:
Irrelevant who would have been worse, who would have been better.
I don’t seriously think my life would be better if I were in a plane crash either. Conjecture, fantasy, what ifs…..
Obama is president and he will only change if we demand that he does by refusing to give him and the DNC our votes or money in 2010 and 2012.
denguyfl
One day soon, we are going to wake up and see that we have passed him by our own. He has not been a part of any of the decisions for marriage equality since he has taken office; has only acknowledged only one, even. The two bills (ENDA & Matthew Shephard) They pre-date his presidency.
We don’t actually need anything but his pen. Get out call your senators. Call your congressmen and women. Take this fight to the streets of your town,your church, your school, Start demanding what is ours and only then will it happen. If he wants congress to end DADT, let’s get them to do it. Same for DOMA.
The thing is when we get this done, we will see we don’t need him the same way he is going to need us in 2012. Change the game!
Chitown Kev
@denguyfl:
Exactly.
Jason
I understand it been a busy 100+ days BUT I’ll have to check on it isn’t an acceptable answer. The President needs to get someone out there working on an issue that is important to more people than gays…we have alot of supporters and as we complain people are now thinking he’s sliddig on the issues….not just ours but what about the ones that aren’t gay….if he can ignore us what about other people’s?? The BS time is over we need answers….if he lied and is going to ignore us then he better come up with a line that will help make our other supporters buy off on his rhetoric. DOMA….DADT are all issues he was very clear on and now he’s ignoring them and “his people” are ignoring the questions.
james ii
wouldn’t it be nice if the ‘pride’ parades were to turn into loud and resounding calls for the president to at least effing acknowledge us? wouldn’t it be awesome if the route of the chicago parade was switched from gay-ville to hyde park? even if the president isn’t in chicago that weekend, people will ask why, and then they’d find out. wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone sent their ‘obama pride’ crap back to the white house?
yeah, i know, i’m dreaming, but still …
Paul
@denguyfl: Totally agree. As far as I am concerned, I have already moved past Obama and the likes of HRC appologists. We have not received his support nor are we going to. So lets move on, continue the fight where it can be won in the house and senate. And in 2011, for God sake, don’t support him or the democratic party again. Start supporting individual candidates who will support us and quickly remove your support when they do otherwise.
Steve
Next year (2010) is an election year. Obama is not up for reelection, but all of the Representatives and a third of the Senators are. If the Congress passes one or more of our bills, Obama will sign it. We can continue writing to Obama, of course. But, the more important communication is to the Representatives and Senators. So, let’s work on getting legislation through the Congress.
Anyone who lives in a swing district (conservative Democrat, or moderate Republican) can help by writing and calling his/her Representative, every few weeks. Anyone who lives in a swing state, write and call both Senators from that state. Talk about passing ENDA, repealing DADT, repealing DOMA, or other issues of interest. Basically, just keep reminding them that they some of their constituents are gay, and that those constituents care about those bills.
CitizenGeek
@dgz: Very true. He’s already got a big voter base and Indiana, Ohio, Florida and North Carolina all went for him while he supported gay rights and all that socially liberal stuff. You’re not going to get Oklamhoma or Utah, Obama! If he continues this bullshit ignoring of gays, then I hope he doesn’t get all of our money and support (and our influence in the media) next time around.
rapport
I agree with the title of this article, and the idea that Obama is not going to support the gay community at any point.
InExile
I just do not buy all the excuses being made for Obama. Putting the weight of the Presidency behind our issues could make a big difference especially where the congress and senate are concerned. My reservations about him were always his various religious and christian connections and to date he has proved my worst fears.
Until our community CLOSES DOWN WASHINGTON with massive protests, we will continue to be swept under the carpet or in O’s case thrown under the bus!
Dabq
@denguyfl: I’m curious, do you think the votes are in Congress to do anything on gay rights? The Democrats may have a close majority, and arm twisting can only go so far but, they are far from united on social issues with the many moderates, some of whom are looking to next tears elections and to them, getting reelected is the most important thing of all.
MadProfessah
Yes, the Democrats have the votes… I predict we’ll see a Rose Garden bill signing ceremony in June. Probably Hate Crimes.
Also the ban on HIV+ immigration should be going into effect at the end of June.
Oaklander
What in the world made you think he was looking out for you? What did you hear in the primary or presidential election that made you think that you had a friend in him?
marcus
I fear that Obama is going to use the passage of the Shepard act to say look at what I have done for you and to try to buy us off.
While in theory the hate crimes bill is an important here in Canada we have experience with it. It is seldom, if ever used here when prosecuting gay murders and bashings. A few years back, when a gay man was beaten to death with baseball bats and golf clubs my a group of males who thought it would be fun to go out and beat up
what the called “peeping toms” The longest sentence handed down was 6 years, 6 fucking years for violently beating a gay man to death. So these kind of laws are only as good as they are enforced. If you have homophobic policemen and judges trying the cases then its impotent. We need things that affect our lives in a daily way, like equal civil rights.
Tony
I think Obama really loves, loves, loves us, I do. Sure, he ignores us, sees us as worthless, and slaps us in the face, but you gotta have faith. Obamababyjesus, my personal savior really is the best friend the gay community has ever had. He is like our own imaginary friend, because I really imagine that he supports us under all of his non-support.
Sure, my friends who have self esteem tell me to develop some, and to “get over” Obama because he just isn’t that into teh gays, but I can read his amazing, superior, incredible magical mind, and he likes us, he really likes us. Obama works in mysterious ways. Pass the Kool-Aid, and oh that Michelle is soooooo pretty, what cute kids, what did he name his dog????
edgyguy1426
@Juanita de Talmas: Sometimes when the opposition is in power, one tends to work harder for change. DADT was a by-product of Clinton’s naivity and DOMA I put directly in his lap. So sometimes you work a little harder when things are going against you.
denguyfl
@Dabq: The reality of the situation is that Obama is absolutely correct in saying things must be done through Congress. We had a President that legislated through executive order. I am pretty sure none of us want that again.
My point is that we don’t need him to do anything but sign the legislation that comes across his desk. We have been doing a damn good job of bringing issues to state legislatures on our own. We need to start demanding less from him and more from ourselves.
And to answer your question, I do think the votes are there for at least ENDA and the Matthew Shepard Act. In fact, the Matthew Shepard Act was passed by both houses. It was an amendment to a DoD authorization bill in the Senate. It was only dropped from the final bill when the president indicated he would veto the DoD bill if it included the hate crimes legislation.
The failure of ENDA lies in our own community. We went to congress unprepared with a bill that did no t provide the protections for all groups it should have. Then we had to have our debate in public with much of the community fighting with HRC over whether transgender should be included. Forgive me but I think we should be committed to full equal protection before we ask anyone else to act on our behalf. I think it shameful that one of our own – Tammy Baldwin – withdrew the amendment including gender identity.
Do we have the votes? WHO CARES?!?!?! If these bills are not passed this time we do what we have always done. We regroup and bring it up again. And again. And again. And then one day we will have the votes. We should never concede defeat because the votes are not there at this very moment. We will be in the same circle we have been in for the last 40 years if we do not.
JayGee
Face it – – Obama is a bigot.
Just like those in the Jim Crow South who said things like,
“Well, I certainly don’t approve of the KKK, but those nigras are getting uppity.”