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Obama talking about mass protests and the G-20:

“I was always a big believer in — when I was doing organizing before I went to law school — that focusing on concrete, local, immediate issues that have an impact on people’s lives is what really makes a difference; and that having protests about abstractions [such] as global capitalism or something, generally is not really going to make much of a difference.”

via President isn’t advocate of mass protests.

I’m going to post some things this evening to my blog, but my regular readers have, I’m sure, noticed the last few days of silence. Truth be told, I have had no ability to write anything at all. I am so angry, bordering on rage-filled, that to try and write much of anything past a few characters on Twitter has been impossible.

I am beside myself because I feel as if there isn’t any point whatsoever in trying to have any real, thoughtful, meaningful or reasoned voice- it won’t accomplish anything. I am beside myself because if we can not count on this presidents whom so many of us worked so hard to elect to accomplish anything that will benefit our country, then there isn’t any hope for that to happen at all. I am beside myself wondering why I spend hours writing with the hopes to encourage others to be engaged in a democratic system by contacting their elected officials.

I haven’t written because while I have focused predominately on gay rights issues, we are all getting screwed in terms of the health care debacle that is 100% the fault of our president and the elected officials in Congress. Instead of acting to create laws that will make things better for all, this misguided president has opted for some bipartisan dream that hasn’t had any hope since day one. Even the timing was flawed, the execution flawed, and I’ve lost any faith that any politician could do any better.

So why focus on gay rights issues? If the country can’t do health care reform which will benefit everyone, how will we ever accomplish anything on the gay rights front that clearly benefits only some? If we can’t cut through the lies and deception about health care, how will we ever eliminate the lies about gay and lesbians?

During the Bush administration, it was easy to know what to do. Get the other side elected. But now what? What happens now, where do we turn now, when the so-called progressives act exactly  like the conservatives? I would be happy to start campaigning now for someone to replace Obama in 2012, who who would that be? Where would they come from and how  in the world would they ever be able to garner enough trust from an electorate who continues to get screwed no matter which side they vote in?

And to be honest, I can’t believe just how hugely all of this is affecting me. I am astounded by the level of rage and frustration I feel.

So, I’ve tagged a few things to write about, and we will see how that goes this evening. I’ve worked so hard to build my readership, that I don’t really want to walk away from blogging even for a week or so and lose my readership. At the same time, I wonder if I accomplish anything by writing either. Another blogger reported that there were no local Pittsburghers at the National Kiss-in last Saturday. Is anyone listening? Is anyone making any actions?

Kirchick’s article in the Washington Post is a must read, if you ask me.  I won’t go into teling you what he said- you can read that on your own, I’m more interested in offering some of my views as to why I think he has an excellent point.

People want to like political leaders, and when someone as charismatic as Clinton or Obama comes along, it’s easy to ignore the facts that get in the way of an idealized image. That liberal politicians are indifferent — if not outright opposed — to same-sex marriage stands at utter odds with liberals’ notion of an enlightened community of like-minded progressives. “

I agree and feel he makes this point quite well in the article. I also think another attitude is at work.  We (especially GLBTQ’s) need a politician who we can believe without doubt is on our side, even when they have offered no shred of evidence past a few words while campaigning. Need isn’t nearly a strong enough word here- we need it like we need oxygen and water. Without it, hopelessness grows quickly, so does despair and being shut down. After eight years of Bush following eight years of Clinton where we got so very little (Like Bush was really that much worse on GLBTQ issues? Sure he was worse on other stuff, but towards us, they were more similar than different), it is like trying to come up for air after being held under water for too long.  Of course, we believe he will be on our side because to not believe that means that it may never get better.

I think another reason we look past the lack of evidence and just decide to trust Obama, is because we don’t want to position ourselves with the conservatives who don’t want any part of us- I don’t care what that McCain girl is saying. We want to believe we fit somewhere, and so the side which claims to care that everyone has a place, has to be the place for us or we are just as bad as those critical republicans who take every opportunity to fault the President. We don’t want to appear like them!

Because people such as Kushner view political liberalism as a positive personality trait and not just a worldview, they assume that someone who opposed the Iraq war and sees himself as a “citizen of the world” would also believe in the right of gays to marry.

We see this played out all the time. Even I fall guilty in a big way. I wouldn’t be caught dead being associated with conservatism. That’s for the bad guys, and liberals are the good guys! Perhaps it is time to stop viewing all of this from a purely partisan perspective.

I think the solution is two-fold. First, we have to stop waiting for some liberal politician to take the lead on the issues that are most meaningful to us. We need to be pushing all politicians to “do the right thing,” and those that do, we back and support and those who offer only lip service get dumped. This isn’t merely about voting however. It is our responsibility to be engaged with every level of government and be vocal, and demanding for what is important to us.

Second, we must be willing to be the architects of social change outside of the political arena. Laws are good things, but legislation is rarely enough and often not even the most expedient course to the desired end result. Being out of the closet is possibly the single most important way to align oneself with this agenda. This may mean, holding your partner’s hand in the grocery store, introducing him/her as your lover or husband, or girlfriend, or life partner, or whatever is the appropriate term that makes your comfortable whenever possible. Writing letters to the editor- of newspapers, but also in church newsletters, organizational publications and other venues, where our voice is needed. and most importantly, being wiling to have one on one dialogues with those who do not see eye to eye with us.  If we allow ourselves to be invisible, our needs will never take up space in the agendas of others.

The question shouldn’t be, can we count on Obama or not, but rather, no matter what are Obama’s true feelings on GLBTQ issues, how are we going to position our needs so that always and through out his entire presidency, we are demanding attention for actions that will be good for us, and thereby good for everyone.

James Kirchick — Don’t Trust Obama on Gay Marriage – washingtonpost.com.

But the group that drew cheers and the most applause when mentioned by the President was America’s GLBT citizens.

Obama noted that discrimination still afflicts “our gay brothers and sisters” who are “still taunted, still attacked, still denied their rights.”

The linked article has a video clip from Obama’s speech worth watching.

via Obama Cites Gays in Speech to NAACP, Draws Cheers :: EDGE on the Net.

Excellent write up and transcript of comments today at the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots, today at the White House.

“During his speech today, President Obama said that the road to equality is not only about changing laws, but about changing hearts. Indeed, legal advances are vitally important, but full equality requires us to move our culture – through conversations, living openly in our communities, and through media representations- to a place where gay and transgender Americans are accepted and understood.

“Our community will continue to advocate and will be watching closely to ensure Obama makes good on the promises he discussed today and during the campaign. At the heart of the issues discussed today are everyday Americans who want the same chance as everyone else to earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country, and take care of the ones they love.”

Obama meets with gay leaders – 2008 Presidential Campaign Blog – Political Intelligence – Boston.com.

James Hipps uses an article from the World Net Daily as justification fro cutting President Obama( aka Bush III) a break, claiming:

Doesn’t anyone remember the old cliche “change doesn’t happen overnight.

While I wholeheartedly agree that the GLBTQ community has wanted quite a bit, and wanted it all at once, there is a reason for that. We have gone decades without any real change from the White House. Change may not come overnight, but how long is too long and how long is not long enough? There are a few major problems with his rationale and logic.

1) Hipps assumes that Obama will do the right thing, all on his own if we just wait long enough. There is no basis for this at all. If anything, there is reason to believe the exact opposite. He, like many politicians made campaign promises that now he is in office, he is finding hard to fulfill, and so he is letting them go. I think he probably meant them all when he was campaigning. But now when it takes the real hard work, he has other agendas, and so our needs fall off the list of to do items.

2) Hipps assumes that change is always in the direction of what will be good if left to its own devices. The recent killing of Dr. Tiller and the state of a woman’s right to a legal procedure shows that to not be the case.  There are no so few doctors in the US who offer late term abortions, that while they are legal, they are still close to impossible to get. Even with laws in place, the anti-choice movement through murder, hostility, and treacherous means has limited the rights of women, but slowly, eroding their legal options.

3) Hipps uses a story in the World Net Daily as his justification. This is one of the most slanted conservative, blogs out there on the net.

We have waited long enough. Our military is less secure today than it has ever been. As we continue to discharge qualified, talented, committed young men and women, we continue to weaken our country. We have waited long enough.

Why the LGBT Community Can’t Give the Right the Satisfaction : Gay News from Gay Agenda – GayAgenda.com.

I guess it could be argued that the beginning already happened, but I do believe we are beginning to see a major turning point however. I don’t always agree with all that John writes, but I’m with him 100 % here, and Stampp Corbin, whom John quotes sums it up really well:

Mr. President, your DOMA mistake awakened a sleeping giant. He is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. You better get LGBT affirming legislation moving quickly or the coffers of the LGBT community will be slammed shut on the fingers of your administration and the DNC. You and the DNC may find themselves asking about our donations “if not now, when” as we have been asking about our rights for the last few months.

Obama’s approval numbers are already falling. The GLBTQ community could and would be extremely loyal supporters, had he made good on any of his campaign promises to us, or at the very least put out a plan as to how and when he would.  Sometime he is going to need our numbers, and it is questionable if they will be there for him.

As Chris over at Law Dork 2.0 has pointed out, the legal brief came from the Justice Dept, and not from Obama himself, still the timing of it was a major catastrophe. Action/ reaction, it is as simple as that. and I don’t think Gay voters are going to think that they either have to be for Obama or for the Republicans. We have had enough of the whole freakin’ mess of politicians who use us and then drop us. I’m sure Obama feels as if he has a plan, but it is the wrong one? And who else is in on it? I was at an event last week and was told by someone pretty reliable, that they had had a phone conversation earlier in the day with a friend at the HRC and that the HRC had made a deal with the Obama White House to take DADT off the table now for some employment protections. Who, if anyone is really on our side? Or are we just pawns to all the players at the game of politics?

AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: A lesson about politics.

While I believe the President’s level of control is limited- he can’t bring about al the gay rights changes alone, his level of flip=flop and his abandon of the GLBTQ people who helped get him elected is astounding and can not be tolerated. This is an excellent 1st step protest to let the White House know that we can be patient, but we will not be used and thrown aside.

————-

SUMMARY:
————-

WHY: President Obama flip-flopped on DOMA and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. His administration is now working against LGBT Rights. See the open letter below for details.

WHAT: Mail the White House a penny along with a letter explaining the symbolism of lost ‘change’.

WHEN: Between NOW and June 29th!

WHAT WILL THIS ACCOMPLISH?: President Obama has another DOMA court case in which his administration has to submit a brief on by June 29th. We will bring more awareness to these issues and hopefully Obama will make some changes to how the previous DOMA case was handled.

—————————–
TEMPLATE FOR LETTER:
—————————–

Dear President Obama,

Today I am mailing you a penny because you have seemingly lost all conviction of ‘change’ for the LGBT community. Your administration’s recent actions, under your direction, arguing in favor of the discriminatory and unconstitutional statutes of DOMA and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell have been nothing short of a flip-flop from your previous campaign promises. Please see below the disheartening about faces that have taken place with your consent.

DOMA – Then (February 2008)

“I believe we should get rid of that statute [DOMA] altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does.” – Open letter from candidate Barack Obama to the LGBT community.

DOMA – Now (June 2009)

“In short, therefore, DOMA, understood for what it actually does, infringes on no one’s rights”
“It is rationally related to legitimate governmental interests”
“To deny federal recognition to same-sex marriages will thus preserve scarce government resources, surely a legitimate government purpose.” – Obama administration legal brief

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – Then (April 2008)
“We’re spending large sums of money to kick highly qualified gays or lesbians out of our military, some of whom possess specialties like Arab-language capabilities that we desperately need. That doesn’t make us more safe.” – Quote to AP article

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – Now (June 2009)
“Don’t ask, don’t tell [is] rationally related to the government’s legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion.” – Obama administration legal memo to U.S. Supreme Court

President Obama, please be the bold leader that we thought we voted into office.

Respectfully submitted,

[name]

———-
ACTION:
———-

Mail your penny and letter to:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC, 20500

——————————————————–
No matter what anyone tells you, remember…

NOW is our time.

YES we can.

Continue to invite your friends to join the campaign.

I don’t think I often express much anger or rage in my blog- you may disagree, but I think I generally keep a pretty level head about myself. but today I am just pushed so far over the line it isn’t funny concerning the Bush Obama administrations documentation about the DOMA defense. I am so pissed off I can barely think of what to write. I’m not always a quiet guy. I have quite a temper, but I generally express it by raising my voice, and I’d rather not do that on-line.

Since Obama was elected, I’ve been through a couple of phases. Yes, I knew that he wouldn’t end up keeping every campaign promise, but I did expect he would at least keep some. And when as son as the inaguration was over, the White House website was updated and prominantly featured his “gay” agenda, I was hopeful. If this web site thing hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be quite as pissed right now. But because his administration was so visible in support of GLBTQ issues in that way- when they didn’t really need to be, he was already elected- this most recent reversal to old Bush era doctrine is especially repulsive. But even after thee web site began to change, I had hope, and figured he had a reason to putting gay rights under the radar, and that with all the big problems, we just needed to be patient. Then, I went through a phase where I felt like we needed both to remain supportive of the President, but begin to be more vocal about the dissappointment over a lack of any progress whatsoever on GLBTQ issues. I wasn’t worried by his lack of comment on Prop 8 or Marriage Equality. I thought staying out of a state issue was important. But no more. Now, I’m ready to think about who are we going to elect in 2012 to replace Obama.

Not I’m not utterly naive. I realize change doesn’t always come quickly. There will be give and take. But at least the message from the Bush camp was clear. We knew we were hated. No doubt about it. Obama is more hurtful. He claims to be a fierce supporter, and yet his actions are anything but supportive. I think I prefer the straight forward hatred over the bull shit.

I believe that if Obama really cared about GLBTQ people, he would:

1) Put a halt to actions based on DADT. He can’t over turn the law on his own, but he can postpone any cases based upon it.

2) Become a stronger spokesperson for Hate Crimes legislation.

3) Offer an apology and retract the currently expressed position on DOMA as documented in the Justice Department’s defense of DOMA.

Mr President: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Box Turtle published the linked blog entry about the Obama Pride month proclamation. It starts, by wondering if any other president has done, this, but in the comments, someone points out that Clinton did as well. However, I think this is still stricking, given Obama’s dismal record on GLBTQ issues since he has been elected. At least he is saying something, and repeating his commitment to doing some very important things. The only problem is, that words are cheap, and just saying something doesn’t accomplish anything at all really. His failure to act says far more than a few words here in something he most likely didn’t write himself, but merely signed. Do I sound bitter? Sorry. but I expected more from this guy than we are getting, and just being honest here. I had been giving him the benefit of the doubt until the Whitehouse web site changed which appeared to remove almost everything about LGBT issues. and his stance so far, with Don’t Ask, don’t Tell (DADT) has been a total FAIL. While I totally agree that any real change to DADT must come from Congress, there is nothing from having him put a moritorium on DADT so that we stop losing qualified and couragious Americans.

Recently, I have wondered if this appearance of back stepping has been to try and calm the waters before the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Look at how crazy it has been with Sotomayor being called dumb and a racist. did he think it would help get any nomination through the Senate to appear as neutral on the hot button issues like Gay Rights? Time will tell.

And he hasn’t been in office that long, so it is still way too early to write this guy off as just another politician who said what we wanted to hear but had no plans on really bringing equality to everyone. But, actions speak louder than words. How much longer will we have to wait to see Obama follow through on his campaign promises to the GLBTQ community?

The only place I’m not going to fault him is in his silence on the Same-Sex Marriage advancements. While I wish he were pro-marriage instead of pro- civil union, I also think that this is an issue that needs to come from the states and not from the Whitehouse. I think more gay rights activists might be OK with his silence on this issue if he was actually doing other things that he has promised.

But here, in the proclamation, at least he says:

Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security.

Box Turtle Bulletin » Obama Issues LGBT Pride Proclamation.