What Will Obama Tell The Gays Under The Shadow Of Lady Liberty?

[The Philosopher]

from Equality Matters

It’s the type of juicy mix that makes political bloodhounds froth at the mouth. President Barack Obama ­– a self-declared “fierce advocate” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans who doesn’t support marriage equality – swoops in to address LGBT Democrats in a city that’s barely slept as Empire State lawmakers weighed whether to reaffirm the promise of Lady Liberty: That freedom does, in fact, mean freedom for everyone, even in marriage.

The White House was already smelling trouble as it turned the corner into June, the month in which celebrations across the country mark the birth of the modern queer rights movement. Per usual, the president issued a Pride proclamation but, for the very first time since taking his seat in the Oval Office, he included no mention of relationship recognition whatsoever.

An open door, perhaps, through which Obama could fully evolve into supporting every American’s right to the pursuit of happiness? Or maybe White House officials simply didn’t want to poor salt on a wound for which they have no salve. But one has to wonder, what can President Obama tell a room full of gays who paid $1,250-plus to feel uplifted and inspired by their chief executive if he continues his objection to their full and equal participation in this union?

...

Look, everyone knows this is a political calculation. President Obama was for marriage equality as a state senator in 1996 before he was against it as an aspiring presidential candidate in 2004 (the evolution of his positions http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201103100012">are traced here). But as he heads into the 2012 election cycle, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for him to have it both ways on same-sex marriage – to carry the magic mantle of hope and change, to appeal to the better angels of our nature, while literally falling behind the trend lines on supporting something as fundamentally American as the expression of our liberty.

...

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, all this adds up to one thing: Drama. But more importantly, it’s about people’s lives, who they are to the core of their being, the fact that their heart pounds just as truly as everyone else’s. It’s about a longing for leadership that adds up to something more than a cold political calculation for the next election cycle.

But if calculate we must, let’s face it, the next election – like every election – will be about the economy, not marriage equality. So why not come full circle and stake your claim on the right side of history, Mr. President?

http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201106210015">Click Here To Read More

[MNBrewer]

1. Obama will tell us lies

and the gay-glitteratti who've paid thousands and thousands of dollars to listen to his honey-tongued lies will smile and applaud, and nothing will change.

[The Philosopher]

10. I feel uncomfortable calling him a liar

But it is true that hiding the truth is the definition of a lie.

[Dept of Beer]

2. Well he's stated his position in the past so he probably feels

that everybody already knows he's for it.

[frebrd]

3. No, what everybody knows.........

is that he has said that he's for it.

[Dept of Beer]

4. He's a man...or President of his word.

He would never go back on it for political gain.

[MNBrewer]

5. LOL

[Chovexani]

11. You mean a man of "His Word"

God is in the mix after all.

[Dept of Beer]

13. There can be only one...

[The Philosopher]

9. The implication of that...

...that he's stated it before, so everyone already knows it, is that he doesn't have to restate it again, and can even say something else in order to gain political positioning and votes.

Imagine if your mother or father said to you privately, "I love you, you're very smart!" but then for multiple years said aloud, "I'm okay about you; you're not really bright, are you?"

At best, the President has said he believes we have every right he does and we deserve it now or we as a nation should be ashamed; and constantly since then says that we should hold up, be cautious, be practical, that we deserve those rights at some point, but not right now, because it's not important to have rights right now, but sometime in the future.

When you think about it, it's a real awful thing to do. It gives the idea that rights are superfluous and not inherent, that they can be taken away and given depending on what a group of people believe is best for everyone. Imagine instituting slavery once again, because it's better for the economy (as the argument would be), taking away the vote of women, or abolishing independent journalism or....

See how not being vocal and public about supporting our rights, in a definite way, can hurt everyone? We're being attacked--vocally and violently--and people who are our allies are holding their tongue, giving our attackers the right to say, "See? It's not a real truth that homosexuals are natural and okay for society!" because if it were true that there's nothing wrong with us, one wouldn't have a problem saying so unless they were actively against us. One could believe one could hold one's tongues over pragmatics, but...you know what idea that brings to the table.

One can be pragmatic and vocal at the same time. Those who hate us are supposed to be on the losing end of the battle, in the minority publicly. They shouldn't be treated as the winners, the ones in power. The President needs to remind the Republicans of that and support our rights unequivocally.

[Dept of Beer]

12. Sorry to have to do this to you but

:sarcasm:

[The Philosopher]

14. Nuts!

[Bluenorthwest]

6. This is slightly off topic, but yet again, a big article about

'a gay fundraiser' which does not say which organization or the name of the event, but does mention that it is expensive and 'packed with gays'. I've also seen it called a 'gay ball' a few times. I'm not in NYC, I'd like to know exactly what gays are packed into this ball, for crying out loud. If it is a fund raiser 'for gays' when do we get our checks?

[The Philosopher]

8. Probably this

http://wiki.pinkapproved.com/LGBT_Leadership_Gala_with_President_Obama_in_New_York

The tickets are sold out; I went to the President's election website to check.

[msongs]

7. so, is the US military still discharging gays for being....gay? uh oh nt