Quite a number of Queerty readers were quick to come to Barack Obama‘s defense on this post, where we pointed out the president made his first (and only) public statement to urge Congress to make hate crimes legislation a priority and make it law … yesterday. Less than 24 hours later, our reps are debating the bill. So, uh, big thanks Obama for helping influence our legislators.
Richard in DC writes “this website has a bad habit of criticizing our allies (New and Old alike)” and “We have a president who actually likes us, let’s support him in every way that we can, regardless of his timing.” Luc says “You will never never never never never be satisfied and always ready to bash him. Shame on you!” Blake writes “You are using the stick needlessly against an ally.” Matt says “He’s also the most vocally pro-LGBT pres we’ve had, and the fact that he made a statement about this is pretty awesome, in my book.” Rogue Dandelion says “this is nitpicking bitching.”
Now, just for those keeping score at home, and holding Obama’s back, understand this: So far, Barack Obama has done exactly squat for the LGBT community.
“If Barack Obama were a student in a high school civics class, he’d be getting a pretty good grade for class participation,” writes Emma Ruby-Sachs. “Compared to the rows of sullen, silent Presidents behind him, he would look like a gay rights brown-noser. But 70% of LGBT voters came out in support of Barack Obama because they expected that the support for equal rights expressed on the campaign trail would result in action for LGBT people once Obama was in office.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
So what has Obama done for you lately? Well, let’s assess:
He’s said he’s too busy with the economy to get around to marriage equality. He’s let his secretary of defense tell the world that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell might get repealed, which is the same as saying it might not. For all his talk about health care, he’s done nothing to let gay people share benefits with their same-sex partners. There are no protections in place to keep us from getting fired from our jobs for being gay, even though we’re losing paychecks like every other American. Immigrants are being deported because they cannot legally marry their same-sex partners.
So while you argue “Obama is busy, he’ll get around to us,” you might be right. But apparently NOT HAVING EQUAL RIGHTS and being considered SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS is not a big enough priority for Barack Obama to act.
The economy is unquestionably a priority. But so should making sure every American is given the rights they’re due. Apparently plenty of Queerty readers find Obama’s lip service without action excusable. We have gay rights organizations, blogs, and activists arguing gays deserve civil rights just like blacks did when they were slaves, and women when they couldn’t vote. Should we have let Abraham Lincoln and other politicians wait to get around to emancipation while they secured the economy?
Still don’t think Obama has done nothing for gays yet? Well you tell us: How many more days, weeks, or years are you willing to wait — and continue defending the president — before you demand action? In what timeframe do GLBTs finally get to be treated as human beings?
Chitown Kev
I think this is a fair article BUT how does Obama’s treatment of gays (in 100 fucking days) compare to Bill Clinton’s treatment of gays.
If the gay community gave Bill Clinton a pass after DADT and DOMA then should we render a judgment on Barack Obama after only 100 days?
Personally, I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that we did cut Bill Clinton a little too much slack, regrettably.
Jacque
100 days in office and all you can do is bitch and moan like gays should be his first priority? what did you expect a repeal of don’t ask don’t tell federal civil unions hate crime legislation and I don’t free condoms to all gay’s in the first 20 days ? Cause it’s not like anything else of importance is going on in this country give the man a chance he has 4 yrs to break all the promises you think he will break maybe even 8 yrs if we are lucky. I’m more worried about having a job and a place to live then hate crime laws. I want these things to happen but like real life we have priorities so just give the man a chance he has to clean up 8 yrs of mess from GW and try to help everyone he said he would help he’s a man not superman.
Bruno
Well Clinton did initially try to get gays in the military then made that awful deal with the DADT devil, and continued selling us out with DOMA. So Clinton’s first 100 days probably looked a lot better to us than what came later. Let’s hope it’s reverse for Obama, by design.
Chitown Kev
@Bruno:
That’s my point.
The Gay Numbers
Apparently, we struck a nerve in the other hit pieces.
By the way, I agree with Chitown. They are all fucking politicians. I do want to keep pressure on Obama because I learned by lesson with Clinton. I am not going to give either one of them a blowjob. They got to earn my respect. That means pushing them as hard as we can. That does not mean making shit up that’s dishonest as to processes or action.
Were Japhy here, I would remind him of that line I use from Glenn Greenwald: I belong to the make them do it portion fo the electorate.
This was first thought of back with FDR. A key constituent goes to FDR. They request that FDR help them with a key bill. FDR, when they finished, said “I agree with everything you just said. It’s what I truly believe. Now , make me do it.” The point being trust or not trust is irrelevant to accountability. We need to keep pressure on Obama because he’s a politician, and they need to be pressured.
What I am not interested in, however, are diatribes that go no where. Suggest some things we can do. Give us numbers to call or people to email. Suggest how you would like us to increase the pressure. In context, given the fact you are apparently a former Clintonite (I am not antiClinton- I still like her), it would be nice if you could let that go, and provide us with real suggestions.
The Gay Numbers
RE DADT and DOMA
I don’t believe Clinton on DADT because he was a neophyte in DC who got ambushed, but i do blame him on DOMA.
Dominic
I have to agree with both of the comments above me. 100 days is not a lot of time, and there is a lot of stuff that has to be done for this country. While yes I agree that LGBT issues are important, I also have to think that if the country does not pull itself up from the hole that it currently in, LGBT issues don’t really matter. We are still citizens of America, and the issues that plague the country also effect us as a community. I agree that he needs to clean up the major problems right now, and let’s face it hate crimes are not the biggest problem facing the country right now, we need to fix the economy as well as the war that we are involved in.
I agree that Queerty seems to rag on those who are going to help us in the long run, it makes you sound like a little kid who isn’t getting their way and you are whining because of it.
Chitown Kev
@The Gay Numbers:
Yeah, this is becoming the bitchy queen site, it seems in only 2 days.
Bertie
Let’s have a tally on Obama’s actions for the LGBT community
as they say on Howard Stern Show
” 0.00 “
myrios123
Unfortunately this silence speaks volumes. It’s time to “make” time and stop looking for it. Mr. Obama… “we” can do it, but “you” can help.
Alec
Bring back Japhy. I can’t really listen until you do. Too, um out there.
Mark.of.Antares
Either Japhy was recently slighted or we have enw management.
Either way, all posts seem super bitter lately. WTF^^?
The Gay Numbers
@Chitown Kev: I don’t have a problem with them wanting us to keep pressure on Obama. I agree with that. I have a problem with it being just a bitch fest. And, to be quite frank, this post seems like a response to the post in which we said the author was being misleading. Rather than concretely trying to move forward, it seems he decided to defend his position. Except , for me, it was never about his positin. Just what are we to do about it, and whether his bitching is directed in the right place.
Chitown Kev
@The Gay Numbers:
Oh, I don’t have a problem with keeping pressure on Obama either. But bitching isn’t doing advocacy (though a component of advocacy is bitching).
Chitown Kev
By the way, who did the art? It has a Tom of Finland sorta feel to it.
wowjustwow
Seriously? Another one of these?
unbelievable.
Chris
Dude, I’ve kinda gotta say, your outrage is fine and you should hold onto it until we get what the rights and liberties we deserve, but you do have to remember that the man really DOES have a lot on his plate at the moment. And let’s face it, he’s got to have priorities. Especially when the issues that he’s dealing with include the collapse of the freaking economy, which affects us gays too. So how about we add some “is trying to keep us all out of bread lines” points to the “things he’s doing for us” side of the tally? As a gay guy who was laid off four months ago, I’m really not as concerned with Don’t Ask Don’t Tell as you are.
Lee
Yes, as stated in the other thread: the point is not just to avoid broadbrushing Clinton one way or the other, or to broadbrush Obama one way or the other prematurely, but to point out that for all of the initial hosannas declaring Clinton the Gay Messiah, the difference between words, promises, and results turned out to be very different.
And, yes, JUST judging by where Clinton was on gay issues AT THIS POINT in his administration, and where Obama is AT THIS POINT in his administration, Clinton had attempted more.
Bottomline, one can never be too skeptical, and the Internet has become, thanks in large part to Obama himself, one of the ways to communicate to politicians approval or disappproval and effect change. Remember change?
Gregoire
I could honestly not care less that Obama has done ‘squat’ for the gay community in 100 days.
More has happened this year for the fight for gay rights than in most years. And that’s without a federal component. So why do we need to wait for Obama to do anything further? Isn’t his plate already massively full?
Call me when Obama hasn’t done anything after A YEAR or so.
This blog is becoming steeped in tedium.
allancsn
@Gregoire – kiss – we are our worst enemies.
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@Mark.of.Antares:
“super bitter lately”
Right?
We’re all going round in circles and he’s just doing it piss us off cause he can…
@Gregoire:
Yep
@allancsn:
Of course, minorities always are. which is why the right just sit there and laugh at us. Why fight us when we fight between ourselves ALL the time.
Peace out.
rick
obama can’t fix everything overnight. it took 8 years to mess things up. you can’t fix stupid in 100 days.
rick
lay off of barack.
MTiffany
@Chitown Kev: “…we did cut Bill Clinton a little too much slack, regrettably.”
Then let’s learn from our past mistake and hold Obama accountable, RFN.
InExile
I agree 100 % with this article. I don’t want to wait for my rights another day, sitting here rotting in a foreign country! The only people that keep defending our new President’s lack of action are Obots who would thank him for running them over with a truck! Wake up people, none of us are getting any younger and we have waited long enough. With this horrible economy, gay people and couples need equal rights now more than ever, so the economy argument simply does cut it. I was concerned with all of his entanglements with religious types, now my concerns seem to be bearing fruit!
March on Washington for equality anyone?
Chitown Kev
@MTiffany:
I agree. But 100 days? I could understand this much bitching in 2 years or 1 year or even 6 months but it’s been ever since the man took office (and Obama has a part to play in that, to be sure).
Chitown Kev
@MTiffany:
But I do think our side needs to say that we fucked up in letting Clinton off the hook too.
Bertie
the bloom is off the rose that’s all Queerty is saying
and the HuffPo writer was just throwing out a little heads up
or if I was to write the headline :
“yes, your fucking puppy is cute – but we are still second class citizens.”
Let’s check back on our Rose of Hope and Change in 200 and 300 days to see if its withered and dead with its thorn in our ass yet?
Nickadoo
Welcome to Hillaryis44.org
The Gay Numbers
Bertie- do you notice that no one is saying let up the pressure? That’s not the debate. The debate is over whether or not its realistic to expect results in 100 days.
Jim
Yes, let’s freak out and kick our moderate allies to the curb for not doing everything we say on our timetable. Cause it’s working so well for Republicans.
DODT is disappointing, but 100 days ain’t bad for a trans-inclusive hate crimes bill that just passed Congress with Obama’s backing.
@Chris: Amen brother. It’s hard to pay for your gay wedding if you’re unemployed.
wondermann
While I love this site, the article is disingenuous
Bertie
What is too soon for the civil equality of all Americans ?
Jeezus if our original colonists waited another 300 days for REPRESENTATION WITH TAXATION they could have been hanging from the gallows.
I have never been a patient person.
I also can see a bullshit artist a mile away — and Obama is starting to come into focus. I would love to eat my words…
don’t stop believin’ and bitchin’
Thom Freeheart
What has Obama done for us gays lately? The same as everyone else. He is giving us a record debt to repay.
Charles J. Mueller
@InExile:
I’m with you…100 percent.
Bertie
@Jim:
next time the gays are affected by a specific pandemic (like say…AIDS in 80s) remind me to not sit around and wait for YOU to bitch to the FDA for life saving drugs. It was bitching, screaming, desperate, angry, protesting gays who got things done.
My aren’t you the patient fellow.
Some of us have seen the DC song and dance before…and time is of the essence and silence equals death. Civil Equality would mean a lot of less DEAD young gays. Imagine living in a country that said LEGALLY you were equal ? imagine if it was REAL — and not just on Will & Grace (for NBC ad revenue profits).
That being said, go stuff a GOT HOPE? bumpersticker up yer arse.
The Lesbian Mafia
You better work, Queerty! Brava.
This is thee only gay blogsite telling it like it is. Bringing the truth to light should be commended because it is a lonely road. And the overly emotional start to go wild and start attacking members of their own community who struggle with the same oppression, instead of holding Barack accountable.
“It is OUR responsibility to hold him accountable” Smiley said that right after Baracks delusional speech today. I almost fell off my chair. Truly the honeymoon is indeed over.
Did anyone notice he only called on children to ask him tough questions like, “What’s your favorite color, red or blue?”
Barack Obama has passed 7 bills in the past hundred days.
He promised to end the war in Iraq and won based on his rhetoric against the decision to invade and continue to occupy Iraq. He instead left over 1/3 of the troops there, violence is erupting and he has moved W’s war OF terror over to Afghanistan sending 21,000 troops ESCALATING W’s war OF terror. He will have 60,000 troops there by the end of the year.
He pledged to end the Patriot Act but has instead EXPANDED it.
He has bailed out every single one of his filthy rich friends with billions upon billions upon billions of tax payer dollars
while the unemployment numbers skyrocket to double digits.
He babbles on about how 95% of people got tax cuts that started April 1. April fools! None of my friends can see that tax cut in their check.
Not only has he not even so much as nodded to the gay community even once but he consistently slaps us in the face by giving a platform to his homophobic bedfellows and launches them into stardom and more riches like Warren. Obama spoke to his base for 2 years stating over and over and over again during his various speeches that he is against gay marriage becuase GOD IS IN THE MIX.
He claims to be against DOMA yet not even a mention.
DADT … well there’s too much on the table to even give dirty gay people so much as a nod on that either.
Prop 8 and not a word out of the that hole in his face.
He needs slobbering Mathews with the “tingling in his leg”, Hitler Olberman, and that other guy, Rachel Maddow, to yell at everyone and anyone, for him every night like highscool bully’s because it’s a frat party after all.
Why has no one in the media or press core, asked this celebrity president, just how much was the total cost for man power, fuel, all the necessary other personnel to get Air Force 1 and two fighter jet escorts airborn, notify the FAA of their intensions, just to do those flyovers that paniced a city, that he did not know about (sane people will believe that?), that was for a photo opportunity for his web site! First he bows to a muslim king and we are told we did not see what we saw. Now we are told he did not know his plane was being used with jet fighters for his web site and now we are also stupid and moronic! Wait until he tells us the government will feed and cloth us as well as care for all our other needs! We can believe that also!………….
Chitown Kev
@The Lesbian Mafia:
uh, OK, and Obama has 8 years of the stankiest shit to clean up.
InExile
The advocate.com has an article that says “ALL” gay leaders are saying he is doing great for the LGBT community!
What planet are they on??? What concrete results do we have that we can hold in our hand?
InExile
@InExile: Oh, that’s right, we were invited to the Easter Egg Roll, I forgot!
Bertie
HA! the advocate’s Obama continual love fest.
i dropped that vodka-selling rag ages ago.
The Gay Numbers
Because those gay leaders are not kooks online spouting b.s. in which they expect the legislative process to be done in 100 days. By the way, while you are posting here, the do-nothing congress on gay issues is about to pass the hate crimes bill. IF you have no already done so, reach out to your state’s Senators to voice your opinion favoring passage of the bill. Obama has said he will sign it into law. but, is it easier to pretend he’s doing nothing than to get off your ass to add to the pressure to get it passed?
Chitown Kev
@InExile:
Or…
what do “all” gay leaders know that we don’t? Or are they simply being Mattachinists?
I just read that article? How can the advocate claim that when the head of the black LGBT group is protesting that he is not slated for any of those AIDS education funds? He is a gay leader so that is not “all”
Dennis
Is this editorial agenda of this site “jumping the shark” with all off the Obama bashing? For me, yes. Just change the site’s name to “Fuck Obama, he hasn’t solved all our problems in 100 days” and get it over with.
Chitown Kev
@The Gay Numbers:
well, I do agree with inexile, Numbers, but probably not for the same reasons.
getreal
@Dennis: LOL!
Charles J. Mueller
@Dennis:
Taking note that Obama has done nada for us in his first 100 days in office is bashing?
God help us if we really said something unflattering about him.
The Gay Numbers
Well in fairness I jumped the shark there myself Chi. Most of these “gay leadrs” are not all that good, but that has nothing to do with the question of whether we should or should not be putting pressure on Obama and the Democrats or whether t is reasonable to expect results in 100 days.
InExile
@The Gay Numbers: I write to our Congress and Senate all the time, I have nothing else to do here in a foreign country! And you know what? I never get a response! But I keep writing, signing petitions, and so one because that is about all I can do from here.
Rob Moore
My perspective on Obama is that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The fucking Republicans lose to him at every turn. Some of the things Obama is pushing hard such as health care reform and restoring stability to the economy benefit me as much as anyone else. I don’t have the feeling of dread that we would soon have bans on public gatherings of gay people such as at Pride or some of the sporting events. It feels like the continuous erosion we nonheterosexual people experienced under Bush and the clumsy betrayal by Clinton have ceased.
If the election of Barack Obama simply meant the descent of the Republican party along the footsteps of the Do Nothing Party or the Whig Party, I would be feel some satisfaction. Whatever he is, Barack Obama is not going to be our enemy.
Chitown Kev
I know one thing for sure, for better or for worse, threads like this sure do generate posts.
Dennis
Said it b4 and I’ll say it again, if you’re unhappy about Obama’s performance (in 100 days) then GET OUT THERE IN THE REAL WORLD and make something something friggin’ happen for our cause(s)! If you are participating in actually creating solutions, good for you, we can disagree on Obama but I absolutely recognize your contribution…if all you’re doing is bitching online, then it is YOU, not just Obama, who is not doing enough. Peace.
Rob Moore
@The Lesbian Mafia: I think we need to see what happens over a year. There is nothing magical about 100 days. He has done more for the country in 100 days than either of his predecessors, attempted in 8 years each. Clinton betrayed us in the first 80, and Bush was not even benignly neglectful but actively hurtful. So try to contain your disappointment. I’m not going to start attacking a president who has done a number of things I find quite helpful. As someone with HIV, his positions on stem cell research and healthcare are enormous positives and strong rebuttals of the Shrub. His cabinet is far more diverse than either of his predecessors, which I can only think of as positive to us. Even his wife is pretty great. She is nothing like that simpleton who married the Shrub.
I voted for my third choice in the primary after my first two choices dropped out. I didn’t vote for Barack Obama until the General Election, but just getting out of the oppressiveness of the Bush/Cheney era was like fresh air to me. The deterioration I felt as a gay man stopped. I feel hopeful. I wish it would all come at once, but it can’t and it won’t regardless of all the whining and pouting. Maybe he hasn’t done anything big and just specifically for gay people, yet, but I feel that he will. That is a much better feeling than I got from Republicans in my life even before it became the party of the Christian Taleban.
edgyguy1426
@Chitown Kev: I”m with Kev on this and not just because I’m from ChiTown. Bill Clinton never failed to tag gays and lesbians in everything from inaugural addresses to sate-of-the-union speeches. We were so overjoyed at this attention we failed to hold his feet to the fire and in not doing so were saddled with DOMA and DADT. We have to hold Obamas feet to the fire and remind him constantly that promises made must be kept and that we won’t be sold out or compromised out of our civil rights. The Clinton Administration taught us one thing-that we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of all over again.
Edgy
BrianZ
I’m highly amused that not a soul among you (that I read) is disputing the facts of the article. Bringing up Clinton or any other president is simply making excuses and attempting to abscure the issue. For those of you who are (still) so enamored with our President that you can’t tolerate any criticism, just please excuse yourself from commenting. For those of you for whom Barack will never be worthy of your praise, you too may sit in the corner and pout. And if you are SO wrapped up in the man you take his name in online postings, you should seek help, like, right now.
Now, my take is that the President has done a reasonable job of tackling his promised agenda from the primaries and run for office. However, there is NO denying that he has been absent from the fierce advovcate for gay rights component. Why? I don’t know, and neither do any of you (so please stop making yourself look insane trying to make things up as if you do).
I think every person has a right to hold a politician accountable for the things they do, and the things they don’t do. If you have a problem with other gays because they feel their rights are just as important as anything else, well that’s your problem. People vote based on what’s important to them and when they feel duped, they get pissed of. Hope springs eternal I suppose, but I personally am much more satisfied with concrete results over promises of things (that may or may not) come.
This is 2009, not 1992. The nation has advanced, IS advancing, and I simply refuse to accept the “back of the bus” at the Federal level any longer.
The Gay Numbers
WHy would they respond to someone who is not from the U.S.?
mbb
This post makes the previous one look even more embarrassing.
TANK
That’s it…I need to make a phone call to obama, and ask him what’s going on with his tepid display of public support for lgbt rights. I’ll tell y’all what he says.
InExile
@The Gay Numbers: Because I am a US citizen and still vote in the elections in Los Angeles by fax.
Jim
@Bertie: WTF are you talking about? Not once did I say we shouldn’t DO anything.
I’m arguing for perspective. And here’s another perspective: THIS ISN’T THE 80s ANYMORE!!!
When you say stuff like this: “time is of the essence and silence equals death” it best applies to AIDS in the 80s. It is retarded to apply it to our rights today, especially marriage. Time is on our side on this one. Homophobic old people are dying off and a very pro-gay generation is reaching voting age.
Seriously, I was going to be nice, but you’re fucking dumb:
“Jeezus if our original colonists waited another 300 days for REPRESENTATION WITH TAXATION they could have been hanging from the gallows.”
Guess how long it took them to drum up the support to convene the original constitutional congress and write the Declaration of Independence. Here’s a hint: a lot longer than 100 FUCKING DAYS.
I’m sorry you’re not a patient person. But that’s your problem, not Obama’s.
blake
David/Queerty,
What has Obama done to benefit African-Americans, Latino-Americans, and Native Americans directly since taking office? All three groups delivered a higher percentage of support for Obama than gays. Right? All three groups face continued virulent discrimination in most factors of life. Their life expectancies are shorter than those of Americans. All three minority groups face a greater impact of the recession than the majority population or other minority groups.
How happy do you think the autoworkers at Pontiac are with Obama since GM announced 21,000 job cuts on Monday? Don’t you think that those autoworkers thought Obama would save their jobs?
I’m all for calling out politicians. I have no illusions about what kind of shrewd, political, and cunning person it takes to reach the White House. I’m just realistic about what a president can do in 100 days, especially with multiple crises taking place.
Instead of raking Obama over the coals, wouldn’t it be more effective to deliver a challenge for him to address certain goals and provide your readers with advice on how they can encourage Obama to deliver? Where are the links to phone numbers or a directory where LGBT readers can call their Congressional representatives to help us?
Bill Clinton found himself mired in the “gays in the military” debacle for the first several months of his presidency. That fiasco was ill-conceived and hurt Clinton’s first term.
Also, why are DOMA and DADT always mentioned as being the most important issues when ENDA actually would offer the most protection and benefits to the greatest number of LGBT Americans?
blake
“Their life expectancies are shorter than those of Americans..” Whoops, meant to say “other Americans.” Many of the life expectancy issues relate to environmental factors where racism plays a significant role (treatment by medical staff, economic resources to pay for medical care, etc.).
Landon Bryce
Again, it made sense to be pissed at Obama yesterday, and I was. It does not make sense to angry at him after the statement he released yesterday, which makes hateful bigoted cunt Vagina Fucks look even more rotten than she otherwise would.
It does not make sense to be satisfied with where he is on gay issues at this point, either. Two little kids have killed themselves since he was elected because their classmates taunted them with accusations of being gay. I truly, truly believe that at least one if not both of those little boys would be alive if Obama had committed to speaking about the need to treat sexual minority youth of color with love and respect. Barack Obama spent February 15 comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln, a man born that day with whom he has a lot in common. The President could have saved lives that day is he had also pointed out that he has a lot in common with Lawrence King, a biracial boy murdered for his sexual identity exactly one year before.
What Obama does best is speak, inspire. Our kids are bleeding. They need hope and respect. It hurts me that he withholds public, unashamed approval from them. Is this a fair criticism? Absolutely not. But I am being infinitely more fair to him than the world is being to LGBT kids, especially those of color. Their need is so great that I cannot forgive anyone who does not see it.
getreal
Freudian slip? Maybe.
Dan
To me, the last anti-Obama rant was one-sided, and this post is even more so. When you’re president, urging congress to pass a hate crimes bill so you can sign it IS action. Not only that, but congress passed it – fast!
Chitown Kev made a good point. Clinton moved really fast on DADT and screwed it up bad. I think Obama wants to avoid making the same mistake, as some other posters have said. That’s part of his modus operandi: learning from his predecessors’ mistakes. I respect that he’s thoughtful enough to do that. Yes, we should hold Obama and all politicians accountable, but that takes more than just ranting.
One more gripe and then I’ll stop. I tried to post a link on Queerty yesterday but it wouldn’t take, and the same thing happened to another poster. Not sure what happened there; some other links posted.
Lee
When two 11-yr. old little boys hang themselves in less than a month because our schools still permit terrorizing someone just because they MIGHT be gay; when an elected representative from the state of North Carolina stands up in public and denies that homophobic had anything to do with Matthew Shepard’s murder; when gay/trans murderers today will can still find lawyers who will pursue a gay/trans panic defence and there are judges who will allow it; when 30 states still allow people to be fired simply because they’re gay; when more than 40 still ban ANY type of legal recognition of gay couples; when gay partners are still being kicked out of their lover’s hospital rooms in states which RECOGNIZE domestic partnerships as just happened in the last week in Oregon; when gay American citizens cannot bring their gay non-citizen partners into the US; when gays are being murdered in the legal chaos of Iraq that the previous administration created and the current administration is ignoring it…..I would fucking say that we have NO EXCUSE for waiting for Santa Claus to come.
The Gay Numbers
InExile:
That’s bizzare you do not receive any aknowlegement. I do. I send it, and there is normally an email response. I don’t expect more than that. I have friends who work in the Congress or they did. What they told me is that for every call they get or letter they assume that represents a certain number of voters. That’s why letters and calls are so important. It’s not that they will respond individually but if they get enough they will think its a large portion of the electorate. This is how the conservatives won on issues for a long time. By being the loudest.
The Gay Numbers
Lance
I agree 100 percent with your statement.
Lee
And ENOUGH with the goddamn repeating of Obama Inc. propaganda about Clinton and DADT. To do that is
1. to prove you know fucking nothing about what happened in 1992-93. Clinton did NOT move “too fast”–he gave the Pentagon six months to study the subject, and that was AFTER repeated meetings with the joint chiefs of staff.
2. to float like a turd in DENIAL when asserting that Obama is “moving slowly and carefully” to repeal DADT…when the truth, as finally admitted three weeks ago by his Secretary of Defences is that he’s fucking NOT MOVING AT ALL. It’s been “pushed down the road.” Gates is even using the the phrase “IF we” overturn DADT.
Far from avoiding Clinton’s mistakes, Obama has repeated them, starting as long ago as last September when he started backpedaling on his promise and signaled to the tail [the military] that it could wag the dog and I don’t mean “Bo.”
This has moved into defending NOTHINGNESS…which is what, save for two negligble exceptions, is exactly what Obama is doing re his gay rights promises. Consider what he’s done re hate crimes [floated another press release paper airplane] with what the WhiteHouse.gov To Do List that three months ago so many were falling on the floor and speaking in tongues about.
“President Obama and Vice President Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice’s Criminal Section.” Can than mean anything less than NOT JUST “URGE” Congress to pass the law, but taking an ACTIVE role in making it happen!
Really, as someone pointed out on Pam’s Houseblend, this blind belief in what he “will do” for us in the sweet bye and bye is like those cults that keep predicting exactly when “God is going to come.” Everytime he/she/it doesn’t, they simply reset the clock.
Alec
@Lee: I share your anger, but really, what are we supposed to do?
Anti-gay initiatives pass almost everywhere when they’re on the ballot. You want to talk about domestic partnerships? It might have been possible to defeat some of those amendments on those grounds in 2004, but all of the energy (and money) went into Oregon. Cut to 2009: Oregon has a marriage amendment but recognizes domestic partnerships. Same can’t be said for MI, OH, FL, LA….you get the drift.
So what are you going to do about it?
Wild Gift
He may or may not help us, but I won’t be holding my breath. He’s still using the “marriage is between one man and one woman” line, don’t forget. There is something very, very wrong with that.
The Gay Numbers
Again this conversation is ironic given that a gay friendly bill just passed the house and will likely pass the Senate
getreal
Exactly and people will still trash him after he takes care of DaDT and DOMA. Would this bill have had a chance if Mccain was in power.
lileasy
The graphic is a a take-off of a WWII poster of Rosie the Riveter created by J. Howard Miller. Many of you say that time is on our side. As a sixty-something gay man, my partner of 40 plus years and I really don’t have all that much time left to see the promised land. The benefits for us of marriage equality and the end of DOMA are huge. As a Vietnam vet, the end of DADT means a great deal to me emotionally. I am, indeed, impatient to see the President keep his promises. I actively supported him from the beginning of his campaign with my time and money. If the President fails to come through with, at least, some of his promises, I will not be so forthcoming in the future. It is also a sad reality that I take a dark satisfaction in seeing the death of asshole homophobes of my generation. I am so proud of young LGBT folks who are taking over the movement and the world.
Lee
“this conversation is ironic given that a gay friendly bill just passed the house and will likely pass the Senate”???
It would only be ironic if the conversation were “What has the US House done for you lately.”
Unless you have EVIDENCE that he had anything to do with it.
One thing, Alec, I’m going to continue to do about “it” is try to fight the somnabulism that, as evidenced here, still permeates the gay community and the Internet is the best place to start.
What do we have to lose by trying? Hurting his feelings? Which might result in his doing LESS than zero? Ouch.
What do we have to lose by not trying? Everything.
Next stop: tonight’s press conference. Will he volunteer something in our favor? Will a reporter remember we exist and ask him a relative question?
Chiboi Ty
@Chitown Kev: So, should we go ahead and begin giving Obama slack? After 100 days or after 8 years, we must recognize that allowing a president to take advantage of us (meaning our vote) is unacceptable. Even if Obama had come out in January supporting the Hate Crimes Act, we must always be pushing for the next civil right we deserve. Horrible cliche, but the squeeky wheel gets the oil. Keep pushing for advancement.
Dan
As I recall, Clinton tried to remove the military ban as one of his first acts as president, but was hit with a ton of objections which he then tried to resolve with DADT.
It sounds to me like Obama’s promise to “expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act” is exactly what he plans to do. Naturally I wouldn’t just assume it, we still should keep after him and take nothing for granted – and the same with congress.
Obama’s LGBT rights agenda is ambitious; what he didn’t promise was to complete it within 100 days. About all I can see that could be taken as a broken promise is some of his language, like describing himself as a “fierce advocate” for our rights. Does it really merit the intensity of anger on some of these posts? But to those who are angry, let your anger spur you to constructive action.
jim
@The Gay Numbers: thank you, numbers! honestly, what the hell’s happened to this blog in the last few days?
atdleft
@Chitown Kev: Perhaps. And perhaps we’re also being harder on Obama because we’re expecting more as a community and we have more public support behind us. Back in 1993, it was a big deal just to voice ANY support for “gay and lesbian” (not even bisexual and transgender people were always included then) issues. But today with Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont approving marriage equality and New Hampshire, California, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York so close to joining the Freedom to Marry Express, we simply expect more from “allied politicians”.
WC
Naomi Klein has a spot-on column here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-klein/hopeover-hopelash-hopebre_b_188180.html
Hopelash. Like a backlash, hopelash is a 180-degree reversal of everything Obama-related. Sufferers were once Obama’s most passionate evangelists. Now they are his angriest critics. Sample sentence: “At least with Bush everyone knew he was an asshole. Now we’ve got the same wars, the same lawless prisons, the same Washington corruption, but everyone is cheering like Stepford wives. It’s time for a full-on hopelash.”
Michael W.
@getreal: “Would this bill have had a chance if Mccain was in power.”
Nope. Once McCain threatened a veto, it would’ve ground to a halt as they wouldn’t see a point in wasting their effort for a second time.
It can’t be stressed enough how much new and re-introduced progressive legislation is only on the move because they know Obama is waiting to sign it.
getreal
@Michael W.: I agree completely but no one wants to give Obama any credit it is like the gay community hates him.
Chitown Kev
@lileasy:
No,no no no no no no!!!!
Thank YOU for walking the walk before me (I’m 40-ish) and the young LGBt folks of today. Without people like you and your partner, we would not be here today. And that’s real.
Brad
What annoys me about posts like these is the tenor: acting like Obama is a gay-hating hypocrite because he hasn’t yet acted on bringing about gay-friendly policy in his first 100 days or whatever. I agree that Obama’s ‘gay-friendly’ stance needs to be backed up with action but Queerty’s writing has been fairly knee-jerk and lacking in nuance. Isn’t the hate crimes legislation a good thing that Obama is supporting? Can we acknowledge that tackling military homophobia might requires more than just repealing the DADT policy? That all this requires government resources which are strained with the more immediate need to tend to a global financial crisis? I’m not the most informed person, but I believe Queerty could be addressing these questions with some actual insight rather than attacking Obama without any real consideration of the issues. If Queerty continues with its simplistic writing, I might unsubscribe.
Michael W.
@getreal: A certain part of the gay community, yes. And coincidentally they tend to be the loudest. But if you look at the comments here, you’ll see far more people who voiced support for our President rather than agree with the bitter tone of whoever wrote this post.
Dennis
@WC:
Sorry to stir the pot, but people weren’t actually supporting any specific human being, though they thought they were…they wanted a savior, a rescuer, or some “magic unicorn” who could right ALL the wrongs, the honestly terrible wrongs of the past 8 years of the clusterfuck Bush/Cheney cabal.
Flash forward to reality, where cleaning up the huge mess of 2000-2008 takes time, (100 days to clean up 8 years, yeah right) and where getting ANYTHING done in D.C. takes time, and (ugh!)compromise, negotiating with your opposition, giving up some of what you want, and tactical wisdom, not “magic”…and now everyone is pissed off at him.
Obama IS NOT perfect, no one is…deal with reality people, and give him even a little break…he is taking major steps to move us forward overall as a society and country…this is gonna take awhile…keep fighting, keep pushing, and also have some perspective while staying connected to reality, not your fantasy of some perfect world that doesn’t exist. We need thousands of Obamas, millions of Obamas to create the world we all want to live in.
Dennis
@Brad:
Thank you, exactly.
Chitown Kev
@Chiboi Ty:
exactly! Let’s not repeat the mistakes that our community made with Clinton. But, at the same time, let’s keep in perspective that it’s the greatest economic crisis in our lifetime, 2 wars, etc. etc. etc. And it’s only been 100 days.
Keep up the pressure. But perspective at the same time.
ben
I see what you’re trying to accomplish with posts like this, but in the end I think it’s ultimately trashy and divisive, as usual. Surely there’s a less catty way to talk about this. Or are you afraid you wouldn’t get as many hits then?
The Gay Numbers
They assume that they will get more hits by being “controversial.”
ben
@The Gay Numbers:
Right. And in reality, it probably works. Cheers to that.
But will it make me want to be a more regular reader? Do I want this catty, immature negativity every day? Absolutely not.
Brad
@Dennis: I agree completely.
The Gay Numbers
Ben
Eventually it fails, because the nature of the beast is that if you want to be the hot flavor of the month, eventually, your time is up. I don’t fault them. Mostly because this is good for me while I work. Others may disagree. Howver, i wish they had kept Japhy.
rogue dandelion
ok now i am pissed
i was quoted as an obama defender-I am not.
I simply said that the critique on his “late” push for hate crimes legislation was so unfounded it was merely being bitchy at that point.
I agree that he has done nothing substantive for the LGBT community as of yet. His continued opposition to equal rights for gays and lesbians and his embrace of bigoted pastors is also troubling. He is the most gay-friendly president we have had so far, which is something. I don’t think it is everything though.
The new editors are libelous and reactionary-bring japhy back.
who will I gab with about sufjan now??
is the commentariat happy? no more japhy?
Aaron
Thank you thank you thank you!
I hate to name call but I don’t understand these numbskulls who feel that it’s wrong to criticize and call someone out when they are not living up to when they said they were going to do.
I campaigned close to 120 hrs for this man. NO PAY. I then had to endure one of the biggest slaps in the face when Rick Warren was chosen to do the opening prayer at the inauguration. (Of course this pleased all of the McCain campaigners)
Since then I have seen NOTHING from him to move our rights ahead. As was correctly pointed out here at Queerty, the hate bill passed today was supported lasts night. Thanks for the big push in the 11th hr.
Other than that, NOTHING. And I swear to God, if I hear one more excuse that there are more important issues….well, I won’t scream… I’d just like to say, stop hating yourself so much. I understand you have been made to feel less than worthy and that your rights are perfectly fine being put on the back burner, but please, have more pride and respect for yourself. You do matter. Your ARE just as worthy as your straight counterparts. They wuldnt allow this tretment. Neither should you!
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@WC:
Urgh. Said I wouldn’t get involved but you quoted Naomi and now I love her and have all her books inc disaster capitalism.
I agree with 99% of what she says but she’s been personal here, why? Because like me she HATES the fact that he’s economic team is laced with free market ideolgues…
But she isn’t playing fair and this is clouding her judgement BUT saying that, I’ve been going on about how I feel this is the worst thing he has played but it hasn’t been mentioned here…once.
No on is disputing the whole Obama thing but why can’t be done in clever writing instead of trying to get us pissed off and reactionary like gorrila’s??
@ EVERYONE
As I’m not as wildly knowledgable as you guys on American politics…can I ask a little question..?
Who is more powerful?
Nancy Pelosi
Barack Obama
Rahm Emanuel
And why? I don’t want cause he’s pres, I genuinely want to know how your system works….
Who was more powerful?
Karl Rove
George Bush
Dick Cheney
And why?
All these guys are diff positions within the govt, so is is the person or his position that is powerful? And why does that change?
I’m just asking guys cause my big bro is OBSESSED with US politics and he was really pro Hilary and soo pissed Bamz got in power BUT whenever I repeat the hate for him here and what you say, he always says ‘ah please, Obama is a puppet, it’s Nancy Pelosi’..
Thanks to all thos who will answer! It just helps makre more sense to some of us here so we can logically understand the diatribe against him.
Our Prime Minister and Queen are not that powerful, even Blair. 🙁
getreal
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s): These are great questions I’m looking forward to reading the different answers people posts.
benjamin
The best way to hold Obama’s feet to the fire as we should be doing is to make concerted pushes on issues on importance and pressure him when need be.
Bitching about the “timing” of his support is just bitching for the sake of it AND counterproductive for latter times where our criticism will be warranted. By overdoing the wah wah wah you cheapen it for when it is truly needed
DS217
Wholeheartedly agree with this post.
Barack has done nothing but show us who is friends are, ignore us, put us off until “later” because he doesn’t have time for gay civil rights. There’s just no time for us but there is time to shift the war over to Afghanistan send tens of thousands more of our children to die and kill more innocent civilians in war and be more criminal that George W. Bush was with the Patriot Act.
Now Obama Defenders love war, wire tapping and being second class citizens?
We have learned that liberals are just as corrupt as conservatives IE: Obama continuing the bail outs. And we have learned that not all conservatives are anti-gay.
Most smart individual thinking people do not blindly support something to stupid as a party. It’s all a game pitting Dems against Reps.
GAY PEOPLE ARE STILL SECOND CLASS CITIZENS
REGULAR PEOPLE ARE STILL LOSING THEIR JOBS WHILE OBAMA CONTINUES TO BAIL OUT HIS ELITE FRIENDS.
Wake up people. Obama Juice is good but it’s not better than being free.
mb00
You know what, cut the man some slack. It isn’t as if he was handed the presidency with a clean slate. The nation was in even bigger shambles than it is now.
There are far bigger issues in our nation that need to be addressed with the out most urgency.
Yeah, I’m gay, yeah, I’m proud of it and yeah, I want to be treated exactly as everyone else is. But we have to understand that there are bigger fish to fry.
As small business owners, by BF and I are more concerned with whether or not we can pay our rent, our mortgage and if we have to choose between Ramen noodles or a steak.
Sorry guys, but, right now survival is kind up there on our list of priorities, so if we can’t get married right now, well, then that’ll have to wait. I’d rather still have my home and the business that we’ve worked hard to keep going over a piece of paper that would equate us to heterosexuals.
It’s been 100 days, for fuck’s sake,he has a full plate on his shoulders. Let’s stop being so fucking self-centered and focus on the big issues that are ahead of us. We as a gay community are part of a larger nation, that, as a whole has MANY problems that need to be addressed.
I do think President Obama will be doing far more for us than any other president has ever attempted to do for us, so chill a little and just need to patient.
fem in the city
Why is it that far left knee-jerk overly emotional liberals can only manage to curse and attack you when you when you express anything but idol worship for Barky?
All Oblahblah can manage to find the time to do is provide hundreds of billions of dollars of tax payer money to his corporate criminal friends like W did, and defend the criminal bankers then give them billions MORE of tax payer money.
I pay more than my fare share in taxes yet I am treated like a second class citizen.
Obologna is a bigot with bigot rhetoric.
Incredible how a black man thinks civil rights is the last of his worries when there are filthy rich white corporate criminals to bail out and more people to kill in a fake war OF terror in Afghanistan.
Liberals are so idiotic that they will follow him to the slaughterhouse in the next bloodbath of killing in Afghanistan. Whoever is in power becomes the tyrant. Now the overly emotional crying libby’s love war? Really? Now they love war because their fantasy and rainbow and pony’s daddy says it’s good to kill, now.
Sure, you follow him to the the next bloodbath you idiots. Those who do not support the Obama/Bush regime will be on the other side and will remember how you were.
fem in the city
For all of the the people who would like to see LGBTQ be quiet and behave and pray to My Little Pony in hopes that Barky will one day makes one of his lies true, who are willing to wait for his possible next term, who are willing to wait until their pubes are grey for one of his lies to be true by farting rainbows. I would like to say please get off the Zoloft, stop drinking, turn off your teevee, stop hitting the bong and grow up children. You got duped. Yo daddy is a liar politician like every one before him. Wake up and smell the Preparation H8, bitches. OBAMA SAYS THAT HE DOESN’T NOT SUPPORT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE GOD IS IN THE MIX. His supposed “christian” God does not think you deserve the same rights that he and his wife … who I am not convinced does not have a penis … besides the point but only he and ME-chelle are blessed by God. You on the other hand, sorry you’re dirty lezbo or fag. Too bad, sorry.
Wake up and smell the bigotry.
Bigot Obama told the brain dead morons Etheridge and Solomenese to the faces that he does not support them and they sat there like dumbasses. Bigot Obama is half black and half white. He would not be allowed to marry anyone a few short decades ago. The audacity in his bigotry is 10X more offensive that someone who benefits from civil rights which is truly reason to discontinue any support of him or any slimy liar politician who makes empty promises and spits in my face.
james p. p.
odd thread. my need to be married is only trumped by my need for SURVIVAL… and think that applies to most Americans. so in the first 100 days if Obama wants to focus on the economy and kick starting this country into spending/earning again… that’s fine by me.
there is no way in hell i’m going to be SO selfish to say that my special interest group should come before keeping American banks out of Saudi/Chinese hands or trying to backpedal out of W.’s mess. that may just be me though – i have a tendency to think more globally that way.
social issues don’t mean shit if the society as a whole is stuck in a quagmire. you may not like this bailout idea. that’s fine. if you think you’re smart enough, run for president. Obama’s plan comes from the financial advice of three past presidents. and for the record, people like Thomas Jefferson never thought banks should be privatized. the idea is that our government is “by the people, for the people”…
(bailing out GM and AIG is a different story…. i don’t agree with that…)
in the meantime, there is statement that Obama made clear… as presented hypocritically by Queerty in another article: “If it makes it to President Obama’s desk he’s promised to sign it.” so see, there’s one.
james p. p.
PLUS… with a gay-friendly administration in the office, states have been passing gay-marriage bills right and left! what the hell are we complaining about (except the whole California “prop 8” thing… that was worth complaining about….)
Adam
I agree with most of the comments here…
1. The economy (and I’m speaking from the Motor City here, which has its own meltdown going on) is top priority–and I’m thinking swine flu (and our kids) are right behind it.
2. I agree actions speak louder than words, but even the words coming out of Obama’s mouth are far more preferable to what W had to say about us. Having a president uses the words ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ in an acceptance speech has far more power than most people realize.
3. At the Holocaust Day of Remembrance ceremony, Obama equated homophobia with racism and sexism. Again, just words, but words that we have never heard from an American leader.
Finally, a correction for the author who says Obama has done ‘squat’. He has actually done one actual thing–signing the UN declaration calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality, about which Queerty said, “But recognize Obama’s signature for what it is: a reversal of course from Bush’s eight years of hatemongering. Obama still isn’t a full partner in civil rights — he has yet to give his full support to gay marriage — but it’s a clear step in the right direction. And the direction of right.”
So let’s give credit where it’s due.
mike
he doesn’t demonize us, and that’s enough…for now
Sampson
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s): Our Prime Minister is far more powerful than the Queen. In fact, as any constitutional lawyer will tell you, in his own domain the Prime Minister is more powerful than the US President. He wields prerogative powers, is a member of the legislature, the head of the executive, can declare war unilaterally, has no fixed term of office, can elevate people to the House of Lords, has complete control over Ministers and the Cabinet, can almost guarantee any piece of legislation he proposes will be passed (with usually only very minor amendments).
Given that the UK’s constitution is both uncodified and based on the sovereignty of the Crown-in-Parliament, even a relatively weak Prime Minister like Gordon Brown is commensurately more powerful than other leaders. Whether or not he is able to turn that power to his advantage is another matter entirely.
KyleR
I’m sry. But I agree with the writer. He’s another polotician that made grandstanding to get the votes to win. And know that he’s sitting in the big chair, he doesn’t give a crap about those promies. Just like once he was for GAY MARRIAGE, but now, oh I fully support CIVIL UNIONS. How can so many LGTB line up with him and want something that is SEPERATE and NOT EQUAL?!!! And there are so many other promises that he’s already broken. I don’t know why so many people are BLINDED by his starpower. We NEED to keep him to his PROMISES!!!
If we expect and want the equality that we’re all bitching about here, we have to keep the President, and the REAL PEOPLE who make the laws, CONGRESS to their PROMISES!
OSLA
Agree with Queerty 100% on this one. Fantastic post. More of the gay and lesbian community are starting to wake up. Thought it would never happen. The kool aid gang are especially hostile, nervous, and positively hysterical right now, like tempermental children.
But Barack Obama has done plenty in his first 100 days. He’s given billions of dollars in bail outs to the top 1% of the richest men on the planet just like Bush. More people will continue to lose their jobs but he’s too busy giving the rich the poor’s money.
He is also continuing the war just switching it up a bit and moving it over to new digs, just like Bush.
As far as any promises to the GLBTQ community, for the first time in my adult life I didn’t vote, his lies never fooled me. I’m not 12.
PIG FLU
BTW … George W. Bush, Rumsfeild, and Barack Obama all own stock in Tamiflu.
Chitown Kev
@OSLA:
Funny.
The first time in my adult life I never voted was 1996.
I was that outraged at Bill Clinton and DOMA.
And believe me, there is a laundry list of things that Obama MUST do (LGBT and non-LGBT related) if he is to earn my vote.
KyleR
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s)
The most powerful person out of the first group would have to be Nacy Pelosi b/c she’s the Speaker of the House. Under our Consitution the true power lies in Congress.If the President wants to do anything he has to ask Congress for approval. And with Rahm Emanuel, he’s the Cheif of Staff. I think that position sees to the schedule of the Prez. Not sure what that position is all about.
And as with the second group. It’s debatable. Technically is should have been Bush as he was President. A lot of places of course have claimed Cheney had the true power. And then Rove was mastermind. But it all depends on where you read and what you beleive personally. Personally, I think that Bush allowed his adviers to talk him into disasterous results. I know this will only result in a flame war, but it’s my personal view.
Hope that answers your questions. =)
Licky
Gay people are selfish.
BradK
This emperor has no clothes.
atdleft
@The Gay Numbers: Yeah, what happened to Japhy? Where did Japhy go?
atdleft
@OSLA: Oh, wonderful! “I didn’t vote.” Well, guess what? You get the government you voted for. And since you didn’t even bother doing the most basic thing any of us can do in this democracy, why are you complaining? Don’t come to us complaining when you didn’t even vote.
atdleft
@fem in the city: PUMA? Which Dead End PUMA site did you just come from? The veiled racism was a great topper to your otherwise pointless diatribe.
@benjamin: Thank you. We all know Obama’s not perfect. We all know we ned to push him to do the right thing. So why are we all bitching and moaning here when we should be lobbying our Senators to pass the hate crimes bill?
Licky
FEM in the city is angry.
lileasy
@Chitown Kev: Thanks. I appreciate that.
Dennis
@fem in the city:
More like constantly on the rag, or unhinged, or divorced from reality…”whoever is in power becomes the tyrant”…or insinuating Michelle Obama has a penis…just tacky.
Bitch, please, if you are too blinded by rage (or hormones) to be able to identify who our REAL ENEMIES are, then you are USELESS to the cause. Obama IS absolutely to be prodded when neccesary, but dealt with as an ally overall, like he is in reality (visit there sometime, you might like it). He said he’ll sign the Hate Crimes Legislation, for one example…or is that just an elaborate lie to confuse us? Me thinks it is you who needs the Zoloft sweetie.
Done-
CTBottoms
@rogue dandelion:
You know, David’s never had any of these “new editors” introduce themselves, tell us where they came from, what they used to do, background, etc. There’s not even a separate email address for them like there used to be for Japhy.
And while the name “JD” can’t really be searched, I did google the game “Arthur Dunlop.” And unless he’s a retiree from Piedmont, CA or a soccer gadget-inventing 47-year-old council worker from Aberdeen, this Dunlop has virtually no online footprint.
Frankly, since all of the posts are in the same unhinged gossipy voice as the site used to have, I think David just made up some fake new editors and is just writing this all himself.
True or false, David? Have the new editors introduce themselves or come out as an unbalanced nutter who’s made up new Queerty team of George Glass and Snuffleupagus.
strumpetwindsock
@Sampson:
… unless he has a minority parliament.
If Britain is anything like Canada the PM also has the power to call snap elections, decide when byelections are called, prorogue parliament, appoint supreme court judges, heads of crown corporations, dismantle or sell most crown corps and assets. There are a lot of things that can be done by order in council, without having to go through parliament.
The P.M. also has the final say over who gets to be a candidate for the party. S/he can even overrule the democratic will of the local riding association, something our vindictive and petulant PM did during our last election. His chosen candidate lost to the man he passed over.
As well, a ruling party can replace the leader and have a new prime minister without going to an election.
Ricardo
@Jacque: For some people, having a job and a place to live IS a matter of hate crime laws.
You can still be fired or refused housing in MANY areas of the country based on your orientation. I’m glad it doesn’t effect you, but it does effect many.
Ricardo
@Adam: Obama’s rhetoric has had a lot of power, and that can’t be overlooked. Though actions need to follow all of this rhetoric, the words themselves are incredibly potent. Given that, you cannot say he has done nothing for us. It is still political suicide to advocate for gays in ANY way in many parts of the country. He’s taking a risk, and we’ll see how far he goes.
james p. p.
@Adam: thank you Adam for pointing out the hypocrisy of the article.
**HUG**
does anyone remember W’s first 100 days in office? he sitting around, twiddling his thumbs, waiting for a friend of the family to bomb Americans on our own soil in an attack he was continually warned about. ugh. if you have a better plan, elect better representatives. otherwise, shut up.
*****
as for the editors of this “news” blog… well, i’ve made it clear before that the direction of Queerty is suspect. they are trying to be AfterElton’s version of Jossip. it’s gay for the sake of being gay and not because there are real LGBT issues and news events that we need to be OBJECTIVELY aware of.
the arrogance started with wild, unfounded accusations of the news, hypocritical reporting and posting (i.e. praising and hating Obama articles side by side), and finally culminated with the arrogance in keeping a non-user friendly format that is neither functional or mobile even though the masses have spoken out in a large voice against it. at this point, Queerty is simply a “fuck you, you’re gonna come here anyway”.
so i don’t want to be introduced to the new editors… and i could care less. if there is any dignity left in this site, they should do everything in their power to get Andrew B back with a pay raise. this site lost it’s soul when it lost Andrew.
But, i’m not all criticism. i have SOME hope… so i’m waiting patiently until Queerty gets it’s footing back.
alejandro
wow. this was the dumbest thing i’ve read on this site, and there have been sum dumb as shit here before..
i dont know why this guy got soooo offended by ppls comments that he needed to defend himself. thats pretty freakn sad..
DL
I do applause Queerty for doing its journalistic job. This is what journalism supposed to do: to hold our elected official accountable for those things they promise to do.
I’m so tired of those who blindly defend or make excuses for our elected officials when they can’t keep their promises.
Wake up, people. Wake up!!!!
fem in the city
@Dennis: awe the overly emotional knee-jerk far left wing liberals start to go wacky with temper tantrums. please bitch take your mommy issues to Barky Oblahblah maybe he’ll give you therapy. your Dada is a lying politician like W and if possible, more full of shit. go pop the pimples off your ass, put Preparation H8 on your hemeroids and throw a rainbow fart and sing My Little Pony …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP_rIAkb_v8
slap yourself and throw some cold water on your face Obama Opium junkie. you’re like Lindsay Lohan addicted to some smack.
anderson cooper is my future husband
Why is it if a person is a democrat their ideas have to be knee-jerk? To me having to use the exact same terminology as your fellow conservatives is stupid. Then again any gay person who is a conservative even though they hate us and always vote against us is a complete moron. Remember there were early jewish supporters of the Nazi’s there will always be a few uncle toms. So this “fem” should go over to Rush Limbaughs site were she belongs.
Dennis
@fem in the city:
You make some important points there, I can clearly see that the the Zoloft is working. Good work, keep it up, we need more rational people like you involved in politics, perhaps you should run for office…
PIG FLU
Thank you Queerty for your thankless work. As it would seem the gay community has lost it’s ever lovin mind.
Obama ia a liar politician like every other politician.
More war, more wire tapping, more “christian” bigotry only through the lens of an adoring media.
Excellent job, Queerty. You are an inspiration to those less willing to speak up, for those who can’t speak, in fear of a community who would prefer to attack you for your Freedom of Speech when there are hundreds of other webistes they can frequent that will continue the lie of the Barack Obama fantasy.
Even the most riduculous site on the web, Huffinton Post put out an excllent peice about how the Obots are behaving right now.
fitc
@anderson cooper is my future husband: This is what knee-jerk overly emotional far left wing liberal wing-nuts do, they make wildly emotional assumption based on their blind loyalty to a party or a politician and temper tantrums. I am a registered democrat. When will children grow up?
Do you know how many people didn’t vote this election? Just because Barky got drunken coke head frat boys like himself to vote is not an inclusive thing if you lost the politically informed voters.
fitc
Remember when it was “unAmerican” to critisize Bush. All the wacko’s want to go in an invade Iraq and bomb the daylights out of them. You were called every name in the book because you didn’t support W’s war on terror. This is no different. The herd are slow to wake up. Try to keep up. Overly emotional far left wing libby wing nuts would rather follow Barky to the next bloothbath in Afghanistan. What a bunch of dumbasses. Wow you’re stupid, holy shit. Get off the Zoloft bitches. Go listen to Joe Biden tell you not to sneeze or take the train.
TANK
@anderson cooper is my future husband:
Godwin’s lost. Automatic fail.
You have absolutely nothing to complain about until the record of this entire administration is available. It’s too early to have an opinion one way or another about obama’s accomplishments w/ respect to lgbt rights. End of discussion.
fitc
@TANK: That’s the whole point of the 100 days. If everyone would be saying how great the fantasay of My Little Pony is you’d be smiling.
Great article in the Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-klein/hopeover-hopelash-hopebre_b_188180.html
TANK
“A few hours later, when I heard that the Obama administration was boycotting a major UN racism conference, the hopesickness came back hard”
Obviously this person has an anti-israel bent–this in conjunction with other statements near the beginning about the missile strikes in gaza. Do you know what the ahmadinejad said at the u.n. racism summit? I’m glad he boycotted it; more people should have. It’s called character. The u.n. is a joke, and the people that make it a joke KNOW IT.
strumpetwindsock
@fitc:
funny.
Written by a Canadian, too.
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@KyleR:
It does and it says it all, y’know?
Thanks, but lets still go back to blaming Obama.
Chitown Kev
@TANK:
Yeah, African American communities were kinda pissed about that.
TANK
Why is it that the only people who care about canada are canadians? One could hold the entire country for ransom with a starter pistol and a frown, but all one would get for it is a birthday card and some gum.
I stand by what I said. It is far too early to condemn the obama administration for its lack of action on lgbt rights.
pozqueer
I think we need to take a deep breath and give Obama a bit more time in keeping his promises, considering what he and this new administration has been left to deal with from the last 8 years. As much as I would like to see a priority given to gay rights, and a change in the rights for gays in the military, the priorities are getting our economy back to order, getting out of Iraq, keeping people in their homes, and decreasing the serious rise in the number of people who are now unemployed.
We have made some progress since the Stonewall Riots, and much like the civil rights movements for African Americans and women, change does take time. Look how long it has taken for women and People of Color to gain not just their civil rights but for societal attitudes to change as well. African Americans and women still experience discrimination in many ways despite the changes in the laws.
Let’s see what happens during the next year or so before we are quick to make judgements about President Obama.
For an ongoing scorecard of Obama’s promises check out the 2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner POLITIFACT Website. It’s really kind of cool and they are tracking his 500 campaign promises on their Obameter at http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/
strumpetwindsock
@TANK: @Chitown Kev:
I think they were expecting a repeat of the debacle at the Durban conference.
I agree the focus on Israel was driven by a racist bias, not just legitimate criticism. It’s unfortunate, because Ahmedinajiad’s holocaust denial (and refusal to recognize the state of Israel) undercut any legitimate concerns that may have been expressed.
On the other hand, I don’t agree with refusing to attend before a word is even spoken. The Czech Republic did it right – giving him a chance and then walking out on the speech once it became clear his words were unacceptable.
Like it or not, every country has an equal say in the General Assembly. It’s probably one of the few places where the U.S. doesn’t control the agenda (and remember they have a seat and veto on the security council).
So as much as I disagree, with some of the tone at those conferences, I think the western nations could have handled that threat better. But then, GWBush amped up his attempts to undermine the U.N. when he started his campaign against Iraq.
Chitown Kev
@strumpetwindsock:
Yeah, I think Obama should have let Susan Rice attend.
Some of the African American blogs (and even huff post’s AA )started to get a little heavy on the anti-Semitic side also. It was nowhere near what Obama encountered here in Chicago (where he was more or less accused of being a tool for the Jews and the white liberal community for Hyde Park).
In a sense, that’s what concerns me a little (as an African American) is that I may experience a similar backlash when he broaches GLBT issues (in fact, I already have to some extent, but online only).
TANK
I disaree. Showing up and walking out in protest while he continues to stand at the podium and ramble on (and got you to your seat to begin with) is a half measure and weak. It was known well in advance what he’d do.
TANK
@Chitown Kev:
I can’t even dignify inane ravings like those accusations that are being made about obama with anything that isn’t laughter. How could this possibly hold sway?
strumpetwindsock
@Chitown Kev:
It’s like any situation where there’s a history of abuse and bias (or sometimes just the perception).
Sometimes you’re going to catch flak even if you’re a new guy or if you’re dealing in good faith. Not much you can do except grit your teeth in the face of discrimination, state your case and hope some people will see things how they are.
But refusing to engage at all is playing into their hands, IMO.
And yes, it’s funny how some politicians are everyone’s messiah and everyone’s devil at the same time.
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@Chitown Kev:
Thats worse then any gay right crap…BUT half his administration is Jewish…
WTF can he do??
fitc
Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each person wishes, that he also believes to be true.
TANK
@fitc:
Is that a kenny rogers song?
fitc
Commenters on this blog attacking people’s Freedom on Speech. Ha!
Welcome to the world of CHANGE HOPE AND UNITY.
A NEW KIND OF POLITICS.
TANK
A new kind of politics? Who sang that one? It sounds so country western…toby keith? alan jackson?
James
Excellent post Queerty! Keep up the fantastic work. Let them go read thier Obama worshiping blogs and worship their God and get ta steppin’. LGBTQ are in for a big backlash because of thier hypocracy. Letting everyone get a pass for their homophobia including thier new God Barack Obama is going to have longstanding negative effects on this community. Gotta say LGBTQ will get everything they deserve for being such hypocrites. LGBTQ are being called out everywhere, and deservedly so. This community are behaving like the worst of any Republican behavior we’ve ever seen over the passed 8 years. Blind party loyalt to sa president who is an open bigot will get you what you deserve. The gay community is starting to look like a bunch of hypocrites – get ready because a backlash is coming!
strumpetwindsock
@TANK:
Be that as it may, in my opinion to not show up shows disrespect for the organization. If someone in your congress says something terrible other representatives don’t refuse to attend because of it.
Refusing to attend is basically saying the bigots own the U.N. If our nations felt that way they should quit entirely. If not, they have a duty to show up and make their voices heard.
But you’re entitled to your opinion.
AndTom
I completely agree with you, why is it so hard for all members of the LGBT community to get on board with the idea that “WE DESREVE COMPLETE EQUALITY” lip service of support is no longer good enough!!!!
TANK
an organization that would grant (and fund) an antisemitic homophobe like that a platform to address other nations with his vitriolic hate speech isn’t worthy of respect, nor worth respecting.
alicia banks
ditto!
Political truths have been nullified by idolatry. Fascism and elitism have become afrocentric. Black political suicide has become patriotic. Political logic has become treason. Most “journalists” are Obama’s fans. Most voters are his drones. Most gays are his doormats. And, most women and men are his groupies. It is truly pathetic to witness…
see more at:
OUTLOOK
http://aliciabanks.blogspot.com
kate
@Rob Moore:
diverse? there are four women in his cabinet and 0 gay people. WOW that’s really diverse.. Change Hope Unity..Sausage fest..
KyleR
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s):
LOL. I know. But also, if you look at the history whenever the Congress is dominated by the party that has the White House, they generally become just a rubber stamp. But it is easier to point the finger at one individual than a group of over 400.
Bill Perdue
@Chitown Kev: Wrong, we have 16 years and 100 days of bipartisan shit to clean up.
Obama is no more our friend than Clinton or Bush.
He has a record longer than 100 days, and it’s a rap sheet as long as my arm. He’s done nothing but pander to get bigot votes from or well over a year. When he found our SSM was unpopular in bigot circles he got religion and switched to thier side. That’s what he was doing when his words ‘gawd’s in the mix’ torpedoed us in California, when he invited Warren, chose his bigoted ‘sprit advisors’ and when he appointed Joshua Dubois, an ordained pentecostal bigot to head up his ‘faith based’ bribery scam.
On the economy and the racist war against every one from Palestine to Pakistan he’s as bad as Clinton and Bush because the rich and the military industrial types own him body and soul. He’s an enemy of world peace as much as Bush and Clinton. Everyone killed in the oil wars from January 20th on is his responsibility. He’s the fifth president in a row to commit war crimes against muslims in a bid to control their oil. That makes it even more urgent to press for an International War Crimes Tribunal.
From our point of view, and that of working people and the GI and civilian antiwar movements, Obama has always been a loser. Don’t be surprised when hopey-changey morphs in rage, and don’t bother dismissing it as ‘bitchiness. It’s not; it’s the rage of people who’ve spent way too much time under the bus.
strumpetwindsock
I don’t know why the author is comparing Obama’s timing unfavourably to Lincoln.
It took three years in office before the former president issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and another two before his government abolished slavery.
Although he obviously supported abolition personally he made no bones about his priorities (at least in the short term). His position before the war was that maintaining the union was more important than ending slavery.
So Lincoln did actually put abolition on the backburner until he could deal with the issue of national unity.
Bill Perdue
@strumpetwindsock: Early on what Lincoln actually supported was abolition and the return of African Americans to Africa via colonization schemes. He was always sympathetic but held racist views until after his election.
Two things changed his mind. One was a shift in public opinion spearheaded by the efforts of dozens of people like Frederick Douglass and the second was the failure of the Union armies to put down the treasonous slave holders.
Lincoln needed freed slaves for the Union Army and wanted to foment rebelliousness in the treason states. The Emancipation Proclamation was meant to both simultaneously and over time and did just that.
Again, it’s wrong to say that personalities like Lincoln or Obama are primary; it’s the creation of mass movements for change that propel history. In the absense of those mass movements change is impossible. Ask Hugo Chavez.
strumpetwindsock
@Bill Perdue:
Yes and no.
I agree that in democratic society there needs to be enough of a groundswell of public support, but a single person in high office or a small movement can initiate or catalyze that change.
Parties in power have sometimes done the right thing even though it was not popular.
And interestingly, there were a number of enlightened despots who reformed their countries. Of course it is not as common today, but it does exist.
And of course I know you and I have radically different views on the causes of social change. We don’t have to hash that out here.
And Lincoln’s law to free slaves from owners who supported secession (a year before the Emancipation proclamation) was also a case of using anti-slavery to a strategic military advantage.
strumpetwindsock
@Bill Perdue:
Also, I wouldn’t go as far as calling him racist, especially given the societal and cultural differences between his day and ours, but I don’t want to argue about it.
strumpetwindsock
@Bill Perdue:
And actually the British Empire’s abolition of slavery, suttee, and other practices are examples of positive reforms imposed from the top down (though I know their administration was deeply flawed in many ways, many of these reforms stayed).
In my country the removal of our sodomy laws, and more importantly the creation of our charter of rights (which led to marriage equality) did not come from a public movement, but from justice minister and later prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
So I agree that major change usually requires grassroots impetus, but there are important exceptions.
Bill Perdue
@strumpetwindsock: @strumpetwindsock: @strumpetwindsock: @strumpetwindsock: If you don’t want to hash it our here don’t bring it up.
strumpetwindsock
@Bill Perdue:
Just stating my position Bill.
I know neither you nor I will change each others’ opinion, I said I didn’t want to debate it for that reason.
But if only for the benefit of others reading this, it is legitimate to post exceptions to your rule.
And I do hope you’re not offended that I agree with you in part.
Jet
@Bill Perdue:
Love Queerty!
Bill you should have your own blog. Do you? Please say yes! I am not conservative but I am not relating to the Democratic party anymore either. I listen to all sides of an issue.
james p. p.
@PIG FLU: can i say something about this comment?? i know it’s random, but here it goes:
I ALSO HAVE STOCK IN TAMIFLU.
It’s made by Gilead Sciences, a company that specializes in HIV/AIDS research and pharmaceuticals – and thus one of the most qualified companies to deal with viruses and flus.
i bought the stock for a moral reason (i had a friend die of AIDS)… and it’s lost me money. even so, i still keep the stock. currently… their stock is doing awful… and has been for some time. Swine Flu isn’t doing a DAMN thing for their stock prices. please look up their past year stock chart. it’s horrendous.
so please (everyone) think before throwing fingers. on the subject… we are 100 days into an over 1460 day presidency. social issues are being handled on a state level at an alarming rate – and that’s an awesome thing to witness. but i personally have stopped pointing fingers and demanding attention like a 3 year old brat. i want to make sure i have a job, future, IRA, house, and some stability in the next 5 years. that’s just me.
marriage equality. it’s coming… it’s coming real soon across the board. AND I LOVE IT.
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@getreal:
Only one person has answered me, which I knew. THIS is human nature. We’re inherently the most judgemental and selfish type, purely because we have the brain capacity to problem solve or change BUT we don’t.
@Sampson:
I knoow…I was being generalistic…was Alistair Campbell jus as powerful as Blair?? Come on…
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@KyleR:
I know but come on…..?? We’re supposed to be bright dude! We’re not the layman lol!
strumpetwindsock
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s):
Sorry John. I’ll bite (though I’m a foreigner too).
In the second list, Cheney, obviously, because he was given the power, not because he got it by virtue of the office.
First list… Dunno. I would assume the higher-ups in executive have more individual power than in legislative simply because the house leaders’ (the equivalent of our party whips, I guess)fortunes are tied to the vote spread in the house, meaning their power is dependent on several hundred other people.
Within the executive, hard to say. The president obviously has more power on paper, but the chief of staff surely has some freedom of movement that the president does not.
On the other hand, the chief of staff can’t replace the president.
strumpetwindsock
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s):
And in our respective systems it all depends on the PM.
We have one right now who is practically running the whole show out of the prime minister’s office. Most of his ministers don’t dare open their mouths at all.
Hard to imagine that the PMO’s chief of staff would be more powerful than the finance minister, but that’s kind of how it was last year, when their fortunes were running high.
strumpetwindsock
@KyleR:
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s):
Well not always.
Don’t know about the American system, but Margaret Torture got the axe from her own party while she was in power, as did Tony Blair.
I know things work a bit differently when the executive is separate from the legislative, but having a majority does not always guarantee fealty.
KyleR
@strumpetwindsock:
True. There are the rare times that the elected and bought officials actually listen to the people that placed them where they are. But that is rare.
KyleR
@John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s):
But your forgetting human nature. Find the easiest path. I wished more people would realize that the President doesn’t have all that much authority. But their all bought in that he has it all. Hell, if you listen to Obama, he thinks the same. So, I can’t blame people for believing that he has all the power.
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@KyleR:
But come on. What have we learnt after the Bush years and this economic crisis??
It’s not just one frigging person!?
I personally don’t think Obama has that much power at all…he’s to new to the game and he has so many people invested in him which is why he won…
Remember Hilary was a shoo in, he must’ve had slapped a few backs and the rest to get were he is…
joe
@rick: why lay off a jerk who has shoved unconstitutional laws down our throats ?
If say your prez is an @sshole does that make me guilty of a hate crime? well it will in the eyes of those who like him and that’s why anti hatred laws are stupid.Why one has an opinion about someone is subject to interpretation regardless of what one says the reason for that opinion is.
OnBorrowedTime
@Chitown Kev:
Chitown: I just have 1 thing to add:
AYYY-MEN!
Rob
He can’t write an executive order that legalizes same sex marriages and makes null and void all anti-same sex marriage laws. He technically “can”(b/c executive orders have to clarify or enforce congressional or constitutional law) but it would be political suicide during his first term. Without signing one, he may not win re-election but signing it into law within his first term would result in a loss of votes(conservatives and others) and would almost guarantee his loss in the next presidential election. I say we should consolidate our ideas and defense of same sex marriage, come up with a proposal and once the time is right, push for it. I propose we do this and if President Obama wins re-election, speak with him. He has no reason to not do it then, his presidential career is over then since he cant run for more than two terms in a row. And I doubt he is planning to come in not the next term but the next(legally he can have only two terms in a row, and then skip one and take another afterwards).
If he is in for two straight terms, I think he will wanna chill out for awhile. So second term is the best time since he has no chances for re-election, so the fear of losing votes and re-election b/c of signing the same sex marriage executive order wont exist and he would be able to do it. If I gambled, I would bet on it that Obama is a firm pro-gay rights believer and supporter but is afraid of the response in the poles.
InExile
@Rob: He does not have to do ANYTHING, just saying a few words on our behalf would move mountains, but is isn’t even doing that. Some of us are tired of waiting for equality and i will not vote for him for a second term unless he makes good on his promises. So far there is not much difference between him and Bush.
BradK
@Rob: Sorry Rob, but that’s the very same self-defeating apologia we offered Slick Wille 16 years ago. And look what that got us. 12 years after committing very high-profile adultery — in the fucking oval office! — then lying about it under oath and to the American people, he still has the sack to deny us equality. Translation: I can get a blow job but you can’t have a marriage license.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
I’m not buying it.
dghmd
BOTTOM LINE OBAMA IS A PUPPET JUST LIKE MCCAIN WOULD HAVE BEEN. THE SYSTEM IS FULL OF CURRUPT POLITICIANS! I CALL FOR TERM LIMITS ON ALL SEATS IN CONGRESS NO MORE LIFE TIME JUDGES!
Obama dosen’t give a shit about you! he’s washing the hands that helped him get into power! He give GM billions of dollars not to go bankrupt and 2 months later they fill bankrupcy and he send them billions more.
Cap & trade? your taxes will skyrocket! Cap & trade will destroy the enerygy captial of the world. Houston, Tx will be like Detroit.
So i ask you what has Obama done for you?
Jerry
Obama is a Motherfucker He has done nothing! thats it Im moving to Britain!
kevin
this motherfucker hasent done shit. except call police stupid let former presidents rescue captives and oh yeah check out under age girls ass. screw him. for one i didnt vote for him. why did every one else?????? cause hes well i think we all know. were the fuck is my break??? the almighty saviour huh. what ever eveythings gotten allot worse ( except milk, chicken, and watermelon prices have gone down). nothings got better. this guy cant even fuckin talk unless hes got a teleprompter in front of his face. when he dosent its ummmmmmm oh yeah hey ill kill a fly. all he does is drink beers with his homies and try to befreind police. we all know that if he werent president hed be calling the police exacly what he does when he is with his family and no reporters. FUCK HIM. so do something assshole seriously. focus on the american people and not the ones who claim your there fuckin saviour. yeah im a white family man and i dint ask for you to be my president but you got in so become one. but hey no hard feeling.
charles
Where are the bullet points? This is a bunch of oppinionated junk. I would like to see what he wants to do what has he done and what has he tried to do.
BTW I found this by typing in google “what has obama done”
Rb49
Son of a bitch…i had no ide this was a fag site. I registered to leave a comment about obama then found out! Well, fuck him him anyway and all you anti-family pole smoking cock suckers. This piece of shit is either the ant-christ in the making or a precursor to him; either way you fuckers, including him, will burn forever.
james
fuck obama im not gay but he is the anti christ ever one will see in 2012 the end of the world predicted more like the end to bullshit government
Jennifer@ Glad It's Them
Hey, I’m not even gay and I agree with you 10,000 percent. Obama is going to go down in history as one of the most ineffectual presidents ever. He’s so afraid to piss off either side, he sits on the fence doing nothing. And to say I actually voted for him. Never again. Next time, I’m going with Ralph Nader. 🙁