Mark Segal, who publishes the Philadelphia Gay News, has an editorial announcing his support for re-electing President Obama. He makes a good case, and I totally agree  that while some believe Obama didn’t live up to their expectations, that isn’t Obama’s fault, but rather, that some held expectations so high that no real world politician could ever have met them. Segal lists some of the big accomplishments of the Obama Administration for our community, and I encourage you to check it out. When you look at what Obama has accomplished it is truly  most impressive; better than what any other president has ever achieved.

In 2008, it took a lot of time for then-Sen. Obama to convince me that he was real in his support of our issues. As you might recall, we had a few bumps in that road and many in our community chastised me for not getting onboard sooner.

But Obama did win me over and, in some ways, those of us who were late to get onboard are very proud we went with him, and are even prouder of his record. That record, simply put, is the best record on LGBT issues of all presidential administrations combined.

I find I’m not as ready to throw my support to Obama yet, but it has nothing to do with his progress on LGBT issues. I just wonder if he is a strong enough President and leader in the broader progressive arena? I keep looking for a Progressive President who stands firm and isn’t so easily sways to unacceptable compromise. Even in the recent agreement to keep the government running, it appears that Democrats made all of the concessions, and the Republicans got everything they wanted. Remember Health Care Reform where there was never any serious support for a public option by this President? And GITMO remains open and little has been done to illuminate the War Crimes of the previous administration.

Segal’s piece should be “required reading” to help dispel the myth that this President hasn’t been tremendous on our issues. Any person who says otherwise, really doesn’t know what they are talking about. Will the GLBT community hear the truth in Segal’s words? I hope so. We are in the current mess we are, with a Republican controlled House, and Conservative control across our country, partly because queers and other Liberals stayed home and didn’t turn out to vote, or even voted for the Conservatives- to their own peril- last year.

So, we remain caught in a major culture war, where issues important to the LGBT community is just one set of rights and freedoms under attack by the Far Rght. Perhaps we are more equal than ever before, at least with other marginalized groups, but the bad news is that with unbridled funding of Conservatives by Big Business, our issues- all of the progressive issues are in peril. Is Obama a strong enough leader to prevail?

What would I need to see happen for me to get behind Obama? I’m not sure, and if there was an election tomorrow, I’d vote for him above any other candidate I know may be running.completely. But I’m not there yet. Segal may be getting me a step closer, but not there entirely.

via PGN-The Philadelphia Gay News. Phila gay news. philly news – Gavin Newsom Elizabeth Birch and me.