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Hello,
Thank you for your email. Mary Bonauto will not be attending the DNC fundraiser. We will be issuing a statement tomorrow regarding her decision to withdraw. That statement will be available on our website, www.glad.org.
Keep up the pressure guys, we are making a difference.
NO GAY RIGHTS, NO GAY $$
And this doubly applies to gay groups who sell us out!!
After living here in Toronto for over two years, we are so disappointed of Obama's lack of action especially Re: DOMA and UAFA Uniting American Families Act.
We are both highly educated professionals who have taken our money and US education with us to Canada who took us in with open arms.
After last Friday's DOMA brief, I have stopped my checks to DNC and HRC too.
Please continue speak up for us!!
Sincerely,
Exile in Canada
I admit it Mr. President, I was skeptical that you could win the presidency. However, I signed up for your email alerts, I donated money to your campaign, I would have been one of those cheering supporters at one of your rallies had the chance presented itself.
My partner and I, along with some of our gay and straight friends threw an election night party. November 4, 2008 was a bittersweet night for us. There was not a dry eye in the house when NBC projected you as the President-Elect. That was the sweet part of the night. As the results from California's Proposition 8 came in we got the bitter.
You see, my partner and I were married on June 21, 2008. We've been together for 6 years, but when the CA Supreme Court made it legal, so did we. We were married at a courthouse on a Saturday afternoon by a heterosexual commissioner who volunteered his time to marry people who vowed to commit their lives to each other. My heterosexual mother was our witness. The clerk at the filing window was a heterosexual Asian woman - I got the feeling that she was as excited as we were. The Sheriffs Deputy standing guard at the courthouse? He smiled and directed us where to go to exchange our vows and congratulated us on the way out.
Proposition 8 put our marriage, our commitment, our love, to a vote. After the recent CA Supreme Court ruling we became 1 of those 18,000 gay couples that are still legally married. Because we're not "married" in the eyes of the federal government, we pay more taxes, and although we're legally married in California, we worry every time we leave the state - what if something happens to one of us?
Your Justice Department's brief in support of DOMA was despicable. Insert "anti-miscegenation" in the place of DOMA and then tell me that you "had" to file a brief in support of upholding that law! Tell me that I'm taking it out of context then.
DADT? Where is your courage?! You could issue an executive order stopping the discharges, today. As you said during the campaign - we're in the middle of two wars, in a dangerous world, we can't afford to let qualified, willing soldiers be discharged under this policy! Yet, the discharges continue while you "talk" about your intention to work for it's repeal. Why are you unwilling to stand with the Dan Choi's and the Victor Fehrenbach's? Do you even know who they are? Where is your courage?!
You promised to repeal DOMA and DADT. You promised to be our "fierce advocate." We were willing to be patient. We didn't expect you to take action overnight. We didn't expect perfection.
We're not fools, Mr. President. This isn't 1990. Tokens won't buy our silence. We won't go along to get along anymore. We won't continue to patiently wait while we dole out money to the DNC and democrat politicians who talk about their intentions to do something for us someday, when the time is "right."
A lot of them were apologists for him when he sold out on FISA too. I remember them saying "he had to do it" which is BS. The majority of Americans were against it.
Obama ran on "Change We Can Believe In". The only change is that the Dems are in control and still have no fortitude which is even worse. They got a huge majority and cave on everything.
It's just Andrew-as-usual to shift his opinions when he feels personally affected. I truly wish he would go away.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington DC 20500
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,
Case 'presents important constitutional questions,' governor says in legal filing. His decision means no statewide official will be defending the anti-gay marriage measure.
By Maura Dolan
June 18, 2009
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declined to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, telling a San Francisco judge that the legality of the anti-gay marriage measure is for the courts to decide.
The governor's decision to remain neutral in a federal challenge to Proposition 8 means no statewide official will be defending the measure in federal court.
Whoooo! Schwarzennegger has more honor, integrity, class and character than Obama. World has turned upside down. Bravo Schwarzennegger!!! I'm beginning to wonder if Obama is afraid to be called a fag.
Very much puts the lie to Obama's claim that he was obligated to defend the law.
And if our country is in such a dire position that we need to scrap strictures that have been a part of our laws and international laws for at least the last 50 years, why is this taboo that is based on homophobia so sacrosanct and untouchable. The US can throw away the Geneva Convention in the interest of national security but we just CAN'T tolerate a gay arabic linguist? That's just crazy.
When 9/11 happened, according to all reports and I think the 9/11 Commission report, there was raw intelligence data backed up for months relating to Al Quaeda unread because they did not have the necessary people to translate them. It isn't just that gays have the same right to serve their country as anyone else. We are throwing away a rather substantial talent pool that we need especially now. And lowering standards to fill the gap in recruitment to such an extent that neo nazis are being let in to the military and given military training. This is just nuts and dangerous and I would think our President couldn't wait to take action on this. Being that it is in our national interest and everything. What's the hold up?
Come spend some time in the back of the bus with us, maybe you'd get a fresh perspective.
We're worried about our own future, because we keep getting fucked over by people who keep saying "there are more important things right now"
THERE ARE *ALWAYS* MORE IMPORTANT THINGS, it seems.
No more.
Help, or kindly move out of the way. We're not stopping. You're either part of the steamroller or part of the pavement.
Pick one.
Push back against the dems, push hard... but when you take it so far that you will actually hurt our own cause you are doing the community no favors.
This bit:
"I don't look forward to this happening. But I see it happening on the present course the White House and the Democratic party have chosen."
... is beneath you. It is petulant and passive aggressive. When you find yourself using the same logic as the far right and as spousal abusers, you should probably rethink.
Pushback is a part of the process and you usually do a fantastic job with it, but there is a point at which you will hurt your own cause. Your emotions around it are clouding your judgment.
I agree that donations should be cut off, I agree that political muscle should be used... but that rant by Sullivan was really undermined by his tone.
He has every right to feel every bit of his anger, but unless it is more important to him to be angry than to be effective, he should rethink some of his approaches.
The last thing you want to do is force Obama to defend his untenable position. Making it harder for him politically to give us what we want is unwise.
Push back... harder than we were, but not as hard as some are suggesting... unless you care more about your emotion than you do about progress. If that's the case... then carry on, you're doing well.
You sound like a child, intent on throwing a tantrum because you don't get what you want when you want it.
There is absolutely no question that you are right about your complaints, the question whether a tantrum is the most effective way to address them.
But you clearly care more about being self-important and playing the victim than you do about real change.
Or do you mean bigger picture, because if you are suggesting that there has been no progress on gay rights over the last decades, then you are completely ignoring the big picture.
Be rational. Withhold donations, put political pressure on... but do not be over-emotional and lock Obama into his bad position because you feel ignored. Do what is best for progress, not for yourself.
My response was very specific to Vince's over-dramatic insistence that we have tried being nice and it hasn't worked!
Not getting everything we want in the first six months hardly merits a histrionic, we've- tried-everything-else post.
I, too, have stopped donating to Obama and to the DNC until I have better assurances on important issues. As I made very clear, I do not disagree with putting pressure, heavy pressure, on Obama and congress.
I am against, however, treating him as the enemy and cutting off our noses to spite our faces. It will set progress BACK, not help it. It is about personal emotions, not progress.
Seriously, though, I wish he would get off the damn fence already!
I'm sorry that the world is binary for you. If those are the only two options you can imagine, then you certainly shouldn't expect any respect for your opinions.
Read my post again, looking up any confusing words, and then reply. I am not afraid of angering anyone nor am I an "anti-gay reactionary" of all the ridiculous things.
I care about the best way to achieve progress, not the best way to showcase my temper tantrum. If you care more about your righteous indignation, then go stand next to the pro-lifers, you suddenly are hard to distinguish, and let the grown-ups work for change.
Look what happens when we stand up and fight, at the state level! Results!
Righteous indignation is the fuel for change, it is what makes people FIGHT for change.. without it, you're at best putting in a half assed effort.
Indignation is what makes people get out of bed in the morning and hit a picket line, astand in a protest, and weather the storm from opposition. It's what separates people who stand up for what is RIGHT from people who merely go through the motions and hope for the best.
You owe whatever momentum has happened in this movement to people for whom righteous indignation pushed the protests in the 60's 70's and 80's, who carved out what space we had, and who pushed to get YOU where you are today on a societal level.
Somewhere along the way we lost that fire, thanks to people like you saying "calm down, relax, stop rocking the boat, assimilate, blend in, play nice"
Here we are, just getting back that fire and the drive to TAKE our rights, not merely ASK for them and you're saying no... stop... you're being shrill and unpleasant.
Get.
Out.
Of.
Our.
WAY.
President Obama did extend coverage of U-Haul rentals for relocation of the partners of some federal employees. It was a huge television event, too!
I was so moved that some friends nd I are going to present the President with our first annual "Rental Truck Equality Award for Fierce Advocacy"
If you were old enough, which I doubt, to remember the Viet Nam war protestations you would know that it was the only way to achieve the end result (getting the war over with). Had we gone your route, we would still be in Viet Nam and you would probably have been drafted by now and had your ass shot off.
Enough with this passiveness that has gotten us zilch over the long run. The old saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease is valid. Do you think Obama would have done his "memorandum" had he not been pressured by the loss of gay $$?
Furthermore, your reading comprehension is for crap, since I clearly said I am in favor of withholding donations.
You are the one who doesn't get it. The only question here is what is the best path toward progress. You think a tantrum and self-indulgence is, good for you. I think you are wrong. Good for me.
I see you playing the dispassionate "disappointed" advocate, which has netted us absolutely nothing in 20 years.
Anger and indignation are one thing. What you're accusing us of is lack of focus.
No, quite the contrary. We're very focused. We've focused our anger into the fledgling position that we aren't going to be the DNC's house faggots anymore.
Learn to parse and see the difference before you find yourself relegated to beige irrelevance.
No Gay Rights, No Gay Money!!!
"They're" should be "their".
I make that mistake sometimes, too.
How many people actually see CBS.com?
Rahm.
http://bloggerinterrupted.com/2009/06/on-the-ga...
Seriously.
With all respect, we ought not to have calmed down 20 years ago either.
LOL, with Sullivan everything always comes back to Clinton. He despises Bill Clinton as much as his buddy Matt Drudge hates Michelle Obama.
"much longer" ... ROTFLMAO. Sully always makes sure to provide himself an out. When Donnie McClurkin was paid to perform at an Obama campaign event and when Rick Warren spoke at the inauguration, Sully said a line had been crossed ... until the next line ... and the next ... and the next.
Obama's politics is all about reducing resistance. Gay politics amplifies resistance.
One of Obama's techniques is to disarm his opponents. In the middle east we see this in play - In Cairo he neatly conceded almost everything that the extremist government rants about, except Nuclear weapons and Israel's right to exist. This had the effect of stealing the Islamisists levers for manipulating the electorate, the results of which are people marching en mass in the streets of Tehran against their government.
This is standard Obama politics. He tries to lull the opposition into sleep.
Obama figures that amping up gay rights plays into the conservatives hands. Few things get the Republican base motivated like anything associated with gays.
I don't agree with his position on public health option. I think the compromise position to medicare for all is, medicare for all with a private health care option for those who want it (i.e. redundant health care for the wingnuts that want it).
But I think Obama approaches things from a different perspective. He gives as much tactical ground as possible, giving in on the arguments of his opponents, and hangs on to only the strategic ground. His public option neuters most of the Republicans past talking points - but would, over time, force most insurance companies out of the business, at which point medicare for all becomes much more politically feasible. My problem with this approach is that Republicans can change their arguments much easier and more quickly than Obama can change his policy proposals, and we are already paying out enough money for universal health care now - Obama's proposal would cost more. etc...
Gay politics is such a lightening rod on the right, Obama simply doesn't want to bring it up now. Politically, I think he sees that it jeopardizes anything else he might want to achieve in his administration. With greater resistance from Republicans, Obama will have to burn through more political capital, just to do everyday things.
I think he sees it this way. If I push gay politics now, there will be no health care reform, no card check. If I push it later, I got a chance of getting most of what I want.
in that.
I really don't want to defend Obama. I'm just trying to explain what I think
he's doing. I'm mad as hell at him for a lot of the positions he's taking -
but I'm holding my powder dry, because he might pull everything off, making
me look like a passionate, but otherwise ignorant, nincompoop.
This is America. As Churchill once said, "Americans always do the right
thing, after having tried everything else first."
Japan, Germany and England, were each out of the great depression by 1933,
34, and 35, respectively. The U.S. was not out until five years later and
it took a world war to do that.
The way I see it, gay rights is the ripest fruit to pick - its something
that is most inevitable of all liberal causes (health care, card check,
global warming), but it is also the one that will electrify the raving
wingnut idiots the most and call them to action - that's why Republicans
always make sure that some kind of Gay issue comes up during an election
year.
Again, I don't want to defend Obama. I'm in it for Health Care First, Card
Check second, and everything else third. 20,000 people will needlessly die
this year because of our health care system. If the labor movement were
stronger we wouldn't have any problems at all (all liberal legislation in
this country was the result of labor pushing for it, which is why nothing's
happened since Walter Reuther died in the early 1970s).
I'm very antsy, but as I said, I'm keeping my powder dry until he's
definitively failed, then I'm going ballistic.
I really don't want to defend Obama. I'm just trying to explain what I think he's doing. I'm mad as hell at him for a lot of the positions he's taking - but I'm holding my powder dry, because he might pull everything off, making me look like a passionate, but otherwise ignorant, nincompoop.
This is America. As Churchill once said, "Americans always do the right thing, after having tried everything else first."
Japan, Germany and England, were each out of the great depression by 1933, 34, and 35, respectively. The U.S. was not out until five years later and it took a world war to do that.
The way I see it, gay rights is the ripest fruit to pick - its something that is most inevitable of all liberal causes (health care, card check, global warming), but it is also the one that will electrify the raving wingnut idiots the most and call them to action - that's why Republicans always make sure that some kind of Gay issue comes up during an election year.
Again, I don't want to defend Obama. I'm in it for Health Care First, Card Check second, and everything else third. 20,000 people will needlessly die this year because of our health care system. If the labor movement were stronger we wouldn't have any problems at all (all liberal legislation in this country was the result of labor pushing for it, which is why nothing's happened since Walter Reuther died in the early 1970s).
I'm very antsy, but as I said, I'm keeping my powder dry until he's definitively failed, then I'm going ballistic.
It's always the same argument. And he we are, STILL WAITING.
Keep it up!
And how a website can fan the flames by straight up twisting Obama's words and actions and then go asking for donations. Why? All the extra blogging on DOMA costs $ for bandwidth? Creating hate and raising money off of it is what Jerry Falwell did too.
Like may other people have said in the comments, some "liberals" here are now hard to distinguish from the pro-lifers, PUMA's, and right wingers. Different issue of course, but the same hateful, vile, infantile behaviour. If these are your true colors, then maybe the GOP is actually where you belong.
Our impact upon the agenda of all branches of the Government was so profound that we found leaders of two branches working hard to pass the blame to each other like a hot potato. "Yes, we can" became transmuted into a denial of responsibility for lack of action on our issues "No, I didn't."
The President explained to us how he simply had to smear us as part of his Constitutional responsibilities, that he had no choice but to attack our equality by comparing us to incest perpetrators and saying that the Government must save money by denying us rights.
Our so called leaders fought back against oppression when we began to seize the initiative from both them and the Government. Later, those "spokesqueers" embraced the Government when they offered us a "scrap of paper" and greatly hedged promises of support in some indistinct future.
For nearly a week we have taken the Government of the United States off of its message. Despite being told over and over that President Obama is busy with other, more important things, the White House nonetheless had to devote media resources and hours to trying to placate us with the usual empty and limited impact gestures.
Despite being told over and over that President Obama is busy with other, more important things, the White House nonetheless had to devote media resources and hours to trying to placate us with the usual empty and limited impact gestures.
What could have been the impact had the Government devoted the same amount of time and effort months ago to supporting our rights, rather than spending the time this week trying to defend the indefensible actions that it took and defending the lack of action that it has shown on our behalf?
The Government feels that its offer to pay for U-Haul rental for the partners of relocated Federal employees was a groundbreaking and newsworthy effort towards equality. They hope that the generous coverage of the cost of Ryder trucks will placate us and silence us. I remain willing to offer a "Rental Truck Equality Award" symbolic of this magnanimous gesture towards moving day liberation.
After telling us for days that there was no legislation in the pipeline, now we are told that "ENDA may be introduced," the Hate Crimes bill "may be voted upon." Obviously, the bills were hiding somewhere, probably in an undisclosed location with Dick Cheney and were being kept secret for protection in case Islamic Radicals tried to fly an inkpot into them.
Neither of these bills will see the light of day if we do what the Government is hoping that we do, which is to retreat back to our long-patterned behaviours of whining ineffectively and complaining amongst ourselves.
For a week, we have been a force to be reckoned with. The threat of us embarrassing an Administration that prides itself upon communication skills and management of the media has led to them sputtering out platitudes and vague intimations of support on issues. If we retreat now, if we engage in self congratulations and then "Leave it to Barney" or "hand if off to Joe" we will have none but ourselves to blame when we acheive little or nothing. Both of those worthies, while briefly tring to get out in front of us when we rebelled, have predicatably rejoined the chorus of unqualified praise and apologetics for this Adminstration. They, of course, expect us to follow.
The Administration, while scrambling for political Xanax to quiet us, made sure to explain that their unprecedented flurry of panicked activity was not in response to our activities and behaviour, all the while scrambling to man the media ramparts.
I don't believe them. Neither should you.
This week occured with us openly opposing an adminstration that casually indulges homophobia while disregarding us. This week occured with the brief, weak concurrance of our leadership who previously have opposed any such groundswell upon our part.
Every tired, frustrated and angry LGBT made this most amazing week possible. Now comes the hard part, to choose to make other weeks like this possible.
Are we committed and ready to do so?
Yes, we are.
No. It can't be that we wants to do things in a deliberate way that keeps he and his party in power and thereby able to accomplish ALL of his priorities.
No, it must be because he hates the gays. Yes. AmericaBlog is right; Obama is a homophobe, out to get you and you must kick him to the curb and trash him in a way that makes Glenn Beck smile. Oh, and while you're at it give more money to AmericaBlog so they can have more cash for vacations and maybe a new car.
Rapping on Obama with the same tone and vitriol as Redstate.com is actually alienating a lot of Liberal Dems who would otherwise be working for you.
I mean, right or not, myself and thousands of other Obama supporters are not going to give $, time and effort for people who act like PUMA's. Just the opposite.
Right or wrong, a lot of Obama faithful hearing this crap about him are more likely to just say "the hell with ya'". If you're OK with that, keep on gettin' on. But that's the kind of "who needs you" kind of logic that's got the GOP so isolated.
You wanna lose goodwill and support from people who would otherwise support you, keep trashing, insulting and giving up on President Obama. You'll soon find your entire movement on the same "pay no mind" list as the PUMA's.
we have long since stopped expecting any support from you "morning coat revolutionaries" still demanding our acquiescence in the name of President Obama's already mutilated agenda.
Sean Hannity, and Sarah Palin do.
People may agree with you, but when you basically join forces and negative talking points (Obama's an elitist?) a lot Liberals are going to abandon your cause. The kind of crap eminating from sites like this is going to hurt you cause. I mean, after reading the hate for Obama on this site, why would someone who loves Obama want to help you??
You will not silence us. Every time you tell us to be quiet we will just get louder. If liberals get upset because we demand equal rights then they are not really liberals.
Its called an EXECUTIVE ORDER STOP LOSS order for a reason. He doesn't have to ASK anyone to issue it. He is the President. Again, read what I asked about political capital and tell me how he is spending "political capital" by issuing a STOP LOSS order.
Oh, and since most Administrations do the really HARD STUFF in the first 100 days tell me when its going to be convenient timing to do this STOP LOSS order? When in fact, arabic translator Lieutenant Choi is a poster boy for why it should have been issued in Obama's FIRST WEEK!
And it's amazing when Obama wonders why.
So much for being the smart president.
If this was about African American civil rights, do you think oblahblah droids woudl be yammering about "wait", "just give him some time"?
doubt it