10/12/2009 03:49:50 PM EST

Obama's Gay speech; just talk

posted by SlashingTongue

President Obama gave a speech at the Human Rights Campaign, the biggest driver for gay rights in this country. To put it simply, this is a speech that we have heard umpteen times in his campaign and he has yet to deliver on any one of the promises that he has made with regards to the LGBT community.

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He mentioned that he was going to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He could have simply on the first day gave an executive order that people were not going to be fired because of their sexual orientation till the policy was reviewed. Did he do that? No!

He mentioned that he was against the “so-called Defense of Marriage Act.” There are 2 components of DOMA. 1) People are not to be deemed married in one state even if they are married in another. 2) The federal government is to recognize marriage as one between a man and a woman. While we cannot determine the President’s stance on component 1, we know that the President agrees with the second part of DOMA. Hence, I find it hypocritical of him to say that he is going to repeal DOMA when he himself supports part of it. (I have a different view, which is to ban marriage altogether…. Read older article http://slashingtongue.com/p olitics/gay-marriage-sts-po sition-becoming-popular/.)

He said that there would be a hate crimes bill that he would sign soon. But that bill was around for ten years! Why didn’t he bring it up when he was a Senator? What is his record on this bill? A big fat zero! There has yet to be a bill that he has sponsored, co-sponsored or signed that has anything to do with LGBT issues.

Criticism to this hate crime bill disgusts me. When I was young, my father always told me to stand against discrimination of others. Because if they can discriminate against one group of people today, we could suffer discrimination tomorrow. If we allow people to get away with beating up someone because they were gay, this could lead to someone else being beaten up for being Black, Latino or Asian.

The only issue where we can cut him some slack on is the defense of his nominees. It is obvious that he would do that. He nominated them! If he did not want to stand up against the gay bashing on his nominees, why would he have even nominated them?

I think that we, as Americans, should grow up on this kind of issues. We have to stop considering people with a different sexual orientation as someone that is inhuman. There are still some idiotic politicians that can equate a homosexual relationship to bestiality and pedophilia. This is utterly nonsense, as animals and children minds are not as mentally developed as adults.

I myself, had looked at gay men as sex-hungry sissy boys. That changed in the Army, where I served alongside gays. I realized there that they were no different from me, other than the fact that I like girls and they like boys. I hope that America receives that kind of enlightenment too.

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Obama's Gay speech; just talk | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 hidden)
As a sex hungry sissy boy (none / 0)
Im glad Obama bothered to show up at the HRC dinner.. no other president has.. maybe Clinton did?  Not positive.

I liked what he had to say.  I liked how a black president equated  his struggles with the struggles of LGBT.  

I like how he came out and said   gay rights is a civil rights issue.

I like that he reiterated  that he will end  dont ask dont tell

Now he needs to to follow through

Enough with the  Im to busy right now stuff.

The time is now..  but thats not going to happen.

I have to trust what he says  because the alternative is  worse.

The Govenator signed a bill into law today  that recognizes same sex marriages from other states.

Nice step

Now we need legal same sex marriage too.

A conservative believes nothing should be done for the first time

by C D on 10/12/2009 03:58:52 PM EST

Thanks for your opinion (none / 0)

Thanks for you opinion, but I have heard all this talk before. The President had the chance to act, but did not do so. So how can we believe that he would keep his promises in the future.

I also think that same sex marriage should not be allowed. I am for not recognizing all marriage in the US and replacing them with civil unions. Marriage is still a religious, traditional and a cultural activity, something that the government should not be involved in.

 

But I do agree that our governor did a good job yesterday... 

by SlashingTongue on 10/13/2009 03:29:10 AM EST

[ Parent ]
But the Government is involved (none / 0)
in marriage.. and the Goverment is supposed to represent ALL the people.

Gay marriage?
Gays can already get married  as long as it is to a woman

I support same sex marriage
There are plenty of religious institutions that dont have a problem  marrying same sex couples.

Obama doesnt make laws congress does.  He cant snap his fingers and change  Dont Aks Dont Tell.  Congress has to do that.

I take him at his word that he will end Dont Ask Dont Tell and note that the White House is working with Lieberman to find a way to do it.

A conservative believes nothing should be done for the first time

by C D on 10/13/2009 09:59:48 AM EST

[ Parent ]
convincing talk (none / 0)
I think it makes a difference whether he says he's going to repeal DOMA and DODT as candidate or he says it as President. The way he committed himself in the speech makes me believe strongly that he will follow through on it at some point in his first term, but that may be in two or three years.

by OldGerman on 10/12/2009 05:08:11 PM EST

One more hope. (none / 0)

I am now of the philosophy that there is one more slim chance that Obama will be the president he campaigned as.  Maybe (possibly) he has chosen to save every possible drop of political capital for the Health Care struggle.  He was forced to push the Stimulus bill because that was a time-sensitive emergency, but his plan had been to solely tackle his largest issue with as few distractions as possible.  If this is true, then what we have seen from him thus far (lots of small c conservative safe status quo stuff designed to ideally not tick off the Center Rght tooooo much) is not indicative of what we will see after Health Care Reform passes (or fails).

  So _maybe_ we could see a significant shift to the Left early next year, or in 2011, when a major plank of his legacy is secured.  No, I am not optimistic about this either, but in my mind it is one of the only four scenarios that makes sense, given how apparently Left of Center he (usually) was as a Senator and during the campaign.

 

by Milltycoon on 10/12/2009 05:16:13 PM EST

yer fucking dreaming (none / 0)
What kind of drugs are you on, son?

If that was the case, why hasn't he shown some BALLS on the whole issue of healthcare?

A eunuch could have demonstrated a greater degree of testicular fortitude.

by RedPossum on 10/12/2009 06:11:48 PM EST

[ Parent ]
I am not dreaming. (none / 0)

"No, I am not optimistic about this either..."  I am not dreaming.  The poster after you who said that it is our fault for expecting every problem to be solved within a year--_he_ is dreaming, because Obama has not been forceful in moving toward solutions of any of these problems, and you can't solve major problems in 4 years if you don't move in the right direction on them at some fairly early point.

But there are only 4 scenarios for Obama's astonishingly inept term as president.

1.  The one I outlined;  he is trying to be overly centrist and safe until he gets this largest issue behind him, and then he will have more room to get more aggressive

2.  He _is_ a weak DLC Wall Street-owned centrist who lied about being far more Liberal than he is, because that is how one wins Democratic primaries, and we saw in him things we figured would be part of a Progressive platform, but which he wasn't as forceful in advocating as we read him to be 

3.  He is mistakenly trying to be what he considers the ultimate realist, thus being content to pass only thin wisps of reform because he (or Emanuel) doesn't feel that a stronger agenda is feasible in the current political climate

4.  He spectacularly underestimated this job.  He knew exactly how to campaign and organize and debate, but he is simply too weak to govern, so his only defense mechanism is to capitulate 90% of the way with whoever is the loudest voice in the room (i.e. Israel, Iran, Wall Street, the drug companies, John McCain, etc.) and try to haggle over the crumbs in the other 10%.

Those are the only reasons he could be acting this way.  #1 is the least likely option, but as I said, there was a slim chance that this could be his m.o.  And if he wants to remain safe and centrist for now, that would be consistent with his not fighting very hard for significant Health Care reform--rather, just wanting to get _something_ in the bag. 

by Milltycoon on 10/13/2009 07:34:51 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Talk is so damn cheap these days (none / 0)
Fool me once, shame on......shame on you, ........... you fool me you cant get fooled again! I believed Obama would act and effect change when he was a candidate and promised this that or whatever, but his actions, or more importantly his stunning lack of action, has made me extremely skeptical of every damn thing that comes out of his mouth. "YOU LIE OBAMA!" Time to prove me wrong already.

by Smokin on 10/12/2009 06:20:31 PM EST

the way I learned that one (none / 0)
The way I learned that one, it went like -

Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me.

by RedPossum on 10/12/2009 07:19:46 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Not to apopo here (none / 0)
Dont forget we are talking about gay rights here.

Screw me once, thank you , screw me twice thank you again?!

by Smokin on 10/12/2009 08:14:20 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Obama isn't superman (none / 0)
The problem with us progressives in which I have to question if many of the people who post on here are progressive at all. Is that we are looking at our narrow objectives as the most important political issues as a whole which simply isn't the case.

Theres a lot that Obama has on his plate at this present time. What's sad is I saw this comming even after he won the election. The reason why us liberals fail to achieve our objectives is because we fight among ourselves and than throw attacks saying the president isn't doing enough.

You guys want everything done within the year and if you don't get it you'll vote for the other guy.

Go ahead and vote for Palin or whatever republican candidate makes it in 2012. Destroy your cause even more so. Just don't whine and cry about it.

by glddraco on 10/12/2009 08:46:27 PM EST

Sorry (none / 0)

Cry me a river.

by RedPossum on 10/12/2009 08:55:44 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Thanks (none / 0)
Thanks, but I am not Progressive. I am an Independent. And in no way would I vote for Palin. She is poison for this country...

by SlashingTongue on 10/13/2009 03:23:59 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Im an independent (none / 0)
I dont belong to the Democratic party.. I think they are to conservative on many issues.

I guess I can multi task because  I can be an independent and a liberal at the same time.

A conservative believes nothing should be done for the first time

by C D on 10/13/2009 10:02:25 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Good point (none / 0)
The alternative to Obama would be intolerable

A conservative believes nothing should be done for the first time

by C D on 10/13/2009 10:01:10 AM EST

[ Parent ]
I have no dogs in the fight (none / 0)
as it were, im still hoping obama reverses Don't Ask Don't Tell, and puts some serious milage towards equal rights for gays/lesbians.

I do still have hope somehow through a miracle he turns into the President we elected and man's up against republitards, regressives, and conservacrats.

by Ectheleon on 10/13/2009 10:47:10 AM EST

Till health care does us part (none / 0)
I'm disappointed in the gay community in America.

They were able to motivate thousands, and for what?

So they can marry.

I'm not saying that civil rights aren't important, but in my opinion lives are more important.
I managed to live a nice life without being married. There is no problem with that.
Without cheap health care I would probably be dead.
If all these gay people would have protested for health care that would have been impressive.
With a protest like that, right now they affirm prejudices.
There is a prejudice that gays are superficial, don't care about others and just want to live their lifestyle.
America is on the brink of deciding about legislation that may save the lives of millions and they protest for getting married. Really???

I'm not trying to hate on gays. I wish all good looking guys were gay. But there should be some kind of perspective.

"The first thing Fascists usually try to do is silencing the opposition."

by opposition on 10/13/2009 12:57:35 PM EST

Time to recalibrate your perspective (none / 0)
Its not a simple matter of "just being able to marry", its also being entitled to everything that being married entitles couples like......

_Being able to make medical decisions for their spouse. Currently, gay couples dont have the legal right to make decisions for their significant other despite the fact that in most cases they are the best qualified person to make that descision.

_Being able to adopt. Currently, a significant other can not adopt the children of their partner. For example, there are two moms in a family and the biological mother tragically dies, this would mean the grandparents would get custody of the children and not the "second mom" or rightful parent.

_Being entitled to property,  and assets. Currently, if a partner dies and no will or trust was made, then the assets automatically go to the closest relative rather than to their spouse which is not legally recognized in many instances. Its not uncommon for gay partners who suffer the tragic lose of their significant other be left with nothing.

_Being able to have access to family discounts or benefits. There are many perks to being married which include reduced rates for all kinds of services like insurances, health care, loans, grants, etc etc etc that are not available to gays.

Im not a legal expert on the whole gay rights thing, and Im sure there are many exceptions to what I outlined there and it varies from state to state and issue to issue, but any way you cut it its just NOT as simple or as trivial as you make it out to seem. I mean really, you really want gays to ignore their fight for equal rights for now, really?!

by Smokin on 10/13/2009 02:00:01 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Just saying (none / 0)
At the moment it would have been more efficient to get this amount of people mobilized for decent health care.

If that would make a difference there might be more people motivated to help the gays, when they are in the centre of attention after this hc mess is settled.

"The first thing Fascists usually try to do is silencing the opposition."

by opposition on 10/13/2009 02:59:41 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Well Im not Obama (none / 1)
I can support two issues at once, hell three or four even.

"PUBLIC OPTION NOW,.......& GOD BLESS THE GAYS!"
"PUBLIC OPTION NOW,.......& GOD BLESS THE GAYS!"
"PUBLIC OPTION NOW,.......& GOD BLESS THE GAYS!"
"PUBLIC OPTION NOW,.......& GOD BLESS THE GAYS!"

by Smokin on 10/13/2009 04:00:33 PM EST

Obama's Gay speech; just talk | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 hidden)
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