Gavin Newsom: Obama DOJ's DOMA Defense "A Big Mistake"

Los Angeles Times:

With the Obama administration facing growing discontent among gay supporters, the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco joined in voicing concern today about a new U.S. Justice Department brief supporting the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

"I think it's a big mistake," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said shortly before he and his Los Angeles counterpart, Antonio Villaraigosa, kicked off the annual L.A. Pride parade in West Hollywood.

Read the whole story: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[superstition]

John Aravosis:

"I cannot state strongly enough how damaging this brief is to us. Obama didn't just argue a technicality about the case, he argued that DOMA is reasonable. That DOMA is constitutional. That DOMA wasn't motivated by any anti-gay animus. He argued why our Supreme Court victories in Roemer and Lawrence shouldn't be interpreted to give us rights in any other area (which hurts us in countless other cases and battles). He argued that DOMA doesn't discriminate against us because it also discriminates about straight unmarried couples (ignoring the fact that they can get married and we can't).

He actually argued that the courts shouldn't consider Loving v. Virginia, the miscegenation case in which the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban interracial marriages, when looking at gay civil rights cases. He told the court, in essence, that blacks deserve more civil rights than gays, that our civil rights are not on the same level."

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html

[Lee Andrew]

Mr. Sampson, DOJ, a UTAH MORMON ans REPUBLICAN was the author of the DOMA legal brief. You have the INTERNET use it to do something other than insult Democrats and this president.

[Lee Andrew]

Gavin's big mistake is being born male. (No offense to females.)

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

LGBT members of Congress tell that DNC fundraiser to shake their tin cup....to someone who CARES!

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

STONEWALL 40th Anniversary seems appropriate this year.

Where was it LGBTs PAID for police and mafia (sounds like DC to me) and STILL we got beaten, degraded, and screwed over?

and we said through three nights of riots.....­"OH HELL NO!"

[AmandaSabater]

Gavin Newson is not afraid to speak his mind,

[AmandaSabater]

I said this before and I'll say it again Gavin Newson should run for president he is a real liberal,

[blueskybigstar]

Use science to appeal to people's hearts.

Show them this.

I always have been saying this, but now it is backed up with a study.

Gay marriage bans are linked to a rise in the HIV rate.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605171435.htm

[diogenes1967]

Donnie McClurkin was a Bush supporter and a homomophobe who used the pulpit in the name of Barack Obama to gay bash before an audience of black evangelical supporters. That was one of the most disturbing and disgusting events of the campaign as far as I am concerned.

[diogenes1967]

More on Donnie McClurkin

http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2007/10/barack-obama-ca.html#comments

[Tanyars5]

Dio the man has had issues. You cannot let him be? People probably know that something may not be just right. You know what I mean?

[diogenes1967]

I can let him be but he got up on stage and in the press and equated gay people to murderers. That's supposed to be acceptable? That black church in South Carolina where he preached that sure thought it was acceptable.

[diogenes1967]

And you're applying a very unfair and hypocritical double standard.

On one hand, you are saying to judge the man who campaigned for a presidential candidate by equating all gay men to the most vile and disgusting things before an audience who's saying praise the Lord to his every word...jud­ge him as an individual, right? That is what you are saying?

On the other hand, you, my dear, have have judged the entire gay community as racist based on a few reports of (probably drunk) white gay men calling black gay men "ni**er after a highly emotional vote when rights were actually taken away. that and some random racist comments on a blog here and there.

And you yourself called another black gay man a "house ni**er" And I've had that slur thrown at me by other (presumably) straight black posters.

[diogenes1967]

Oh, judge Donnie Mcclurkin as an individual for sharing his story to a virtual amen chorus at a campaign event for a presidential candidate

but you take a few random yahoos at west Hollywood rally and on the internet and call the entire gay community racist.

Nice double standards, there.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

"DNC gay fundraiser starting to fall apart over rupture between Obama and gay community
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/dnc-gay-fundraiser-starting-to-fall.html
"CBS News: Obama Faces Gay Groups' Growing Anger "
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/cbs-news-obama-faces-gay-groups-growing.html
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaking at a press conference Monday said he has no plans to introduce a bill to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" in the Senate.
"I haven't identified any sponsors," he said. "My hope is that it can be done administra­tively."
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/frontPage.do

WAIT = NEVER

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

wrote the brief.....­.Scott Simpson - is a Mormon Republican

Again it's the MORMONS

utah tourism kiss your 6 billion...­....goodby­e

[WowJones]

I totally agree Gavin, a real shame.

[olda]

I am going to find out what % the marriage benefit is on SS and deduct that from my taxes go after me you rotten bastards.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

Do you know how hard it was for many LGBTs to trust Obama after Donnie McClurkin
my lover and I both donated more to Obama's campaign than any other presidential candidate, and worked getting our reluctant and ambivilent friends to the polls.
NOW we are the ones other LGBTs are voicing their disappointment and anger.

Well Democrats take this as fair warning...­this was the LAST TIME you lie to us.

[mauibob]

He didn't lie to you. He stated in the campaign that he would vote against the proposition but would accept the voters decision. He is doing exactly what he should be doing. Upholding the law. Get over it. I am proud of Obama on this issue.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

Watch Obama's answers to HRC debate in the primary, he made promises to MY COMMUNITY and every candidate was told by the questioners how we need to be sure we wouldn't get thrown under the bus AGAIN like Clinton on DADT and DOMA.

btw Obama made a video AGAINST proposition 8.

[mollymac]

You're proud? really?

[SJBrown]

You know, the Donnie McClurkin outrage is the best example of how we have so little understanding of other communities. Donnie McClurkin is a gospel singer and while I don't speak for the Black Christian community, I think most would describe him as a gospel singer. The one that sings that song "We Fall Down" or "Stand".

Do I know his story about homosexuality and his struggle? Yes, but I figure it's his story and he has a right to it.

I don't associate him with any anti-gay movement because I've never heard him advocate against LGBTs. I was shocked when Obama was attacked for having him on the program at a campaign event. He'd been on Oprah.

I still don't get "forgiving Obama" for Donnie McClurkin or why Donnie McClurkin is a symbol of some act of mistrust for Obama.

I'd like to know why Donnie McClurkin is so problematic. Can you explain it in a bit more detail?

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

Donnie McClurkin was spewing anti gay garbage...­.while he was STILL having sex with a male partner,
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/3392/
McClurkin - perhaps not so Ex-Gay after all
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/tag/donnie-mcclurkin
"McClurkin believes one can pray away the gay, that it is a choice, and, according to Keith Boykin, Donnie compares gays and lesbians to liars.
McClurkin explains, "There are certain things like, you know, anybody who has a lying problem; they get to the point where they hate being so, having such a lack of character that they make a change."

In the same interview, McClurkin argues again that homosexuality is simply a lifestyle choice. "There's a group that says, 'God made us this way,' but then there's another group that knows God didn't make them that way," he says. Notice the circularity in his rhetoric. The people who say that God made them gay don't know what they're talking about because the people who say God did not make them gay are right. Well how do they know if someone was born gay or not if they are not gay themselves? It's insulting and presumptuous of others to tell gays and lesbians that they're not smart enough even to know who they are.
The unmarried gospel singer and preacher at Perfecting Faith Church in New York is also Bush supporter; McClurkin performed for Dear Leader and friends at the Republican National Convention­."
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/3365/

[diogenes1967]

Donnie McClurkin's story is his story for one, I don't fault him for that. If all he does at said events is sing, OK.

But time after time after time, comparing gay people to murderers, preaching his story and that disgusting audience saying amen to every bit of it...it was gay and race baiting in the worse way and demonizing gay people. And this was at a campaign event for Barack Obama.

Now I'm a black gay man who grew up and have friends in homophobic churches like that...tha­t was a devastating and totally disgusting way to pander for votes.

You dont get it because you are straight. Black folks on here always want gay whiye folks to acknowledge white privilege but you never stop and think to acknowledge what hetero privilege is or what it does or how it manifests itself. Many gay people were personally demonized in the pulpit of their churches and in confessional booths, black and white churches alike.

Donnie McClurkin was the worse type of gay bashing but because you are straight you just dont get it and I dont know how to explain it to you.

[Tanyars5]

I don't get that either.

[wonder88]

boy, most blacks hate gays

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

All the smug and smarmy straights telling LGBTs to have patience, and the Obama apologists trying to deny there is serious anger in my community.

I am going to be laughing my queer a$$ off at you at PRIDE, and how there will be NO WAY you'll be able to deny the anger shown Coast to Coast.

[mauibob]

Far more would be upset if he changed his stance. He can count votes for sure.

[Romulus]

I haven't seen anyone denying that there is anger in the LGBT community. I've seen some say they SHOULDN'T be angry but none saying they aren't.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

i've seen posters saying the angry gay posters here are merely trolls

well buckle your seatbelts for a PRIDE weekend celebrating the 40th anniversary of a 3 day RIOT