Obama makes history again...Obama graces the cover of LGBT-themed OUT magazine

[Ms. Toad]

22. And some of us have long enough memories

to be a bit disgusted at the amount of credit he is being given for the recent changes that were won on the backs of individuals who publicy, in large and small ways, who risked lives, livelihoods, family, community, and faith connections to say, "No. I will not be a second class citizen."

Yes, I am grateful he finally came around - but the courage it took for him to surf the wave pales in comparison to the courage (not to mention costs, in all of the ways mentioned above, that it took for all of us to be that wave.

Our own personal costs (just a few):
Job loss x 2
8 years of personal attacks while we wrestled with our faith community over marriage
At last $10,000 extra paid in taxes
Accepting Medicaid for our child, since she could not be put on my spouse's health insurance
A failed adoption case - In addition to exposing our family to the public, it created bad law that for 17 years prevented other same gender couples in our state from creating a legal relationship with their children. The emotional consequences of being the catalyst for that law are hard to measure.
The daily stress of living openly for more than 3 decades, with absolutely no job, family, or personal protection from those who would do us harm solely because of who we are.

Yes, when it was clear the wave was nearing shore (and his personal connections changed his heart), Obama jumped on the wave - and did a fantastic job of being a significant public face riding it ashore.

But, the pain of being unable to enjoy the inauguration of a president I worked to elect because he chose to share the stage with a flaming bigot, and continued to say for years after that that marriage was between one man and one woman? I'm not ready for a coronation.