Advocate: Gay People Have To Fight If They Want Obama To Act

The Advocate:

As a candidate Obama promised us a lot; as president he's delivered very little -- and many gay people are getting impatient. Does the outcry unmask this president's indifference, or reveal our own impotence as a movement?

Read the whole story: The Advocate

Comments

[toxicbrainpoison]

05:54 AM on 08/17/2009

No more fighting. The government has a responsibility to do the right thing.

[SPQR1775]

11:49 PM on 08/05/2009

I am in the Army, 17 years now, I know many officers, Soldiers and NCOs who are gay and don't flaunt it, and some who do and NO ONE cares and I served in the Field Artillery, The Light and Mechanized Infantry, Armor, Calvary etc, all COMBAT units and everyone is quite the better.

Commander In Chief OBAMA will deliver, but like a good General, he chooses the time, the place and the hour and won't be swayed by "the LGBT" mood swings. The problem is that that community always try to blame someone else. The fail to get prop 8 pass in California, Oh, it's the blacks and hispanics fault, "DO YOU GOT OUT MANUEVERED!", Oh, President Obama completed 6 month of a 48 month assignment and he failed to deliever, is the LGBT been a QUEEN or what?!

Wake up, Pres O said many times during the campaign, "BE THE CHANGEz", if you want DADT repealed, Health Care Pass, Energy, Education and a new more "Universal Goverment" For and By the People, the Progressive People "BE THE CHANGE"....It is time for a "MORE PEREFECT UNION", who cares about marriage, life goes on, "LIVE YOUR LIFE", How about the LGBT start a "No TAXATION W/O REPRESENTATION" movement, that will get CONGRESS and city Goverment moving. The gay community LGBT control Billions in LIQUID assetts, using that power at this time "will move mountains" "BE THE CHANGE, I am the canvas for you to paint on"

[Lee Andrew]

06:53 PM on 08/05/2009

ADVOCATE magazine sucks and not in a good way.

[Lee Andrew]

06:52 PM on 08/05/2009

Wheer were all these urgent demansd s when Bush was president or Clinton?

Question for ADVOCATE:

How many minorities you have on satff ADVOCATE? Yeah thought so. Until you deal with that and other pressing issues within the LGBT community, I pass taking your advice. Thanks but no tthan

[Tanyars5]

07:49 PM on 08/05/2009

crickets.....chirp chirp

[Kiel]

11:45 PM on 08/05/2009

Did you read the article? I have many issues with The Advocate, but the article is powerful. Read it and address it, if you want to bring up other issues then do so as an addition to a post.

Do you disagree with the notion that we must give Obama and Congress cover so they may do what we need?

[HUkid07]

04:26 PM on 08/05/2009

It's funny that I have yet to see this particular interest group come out and support the President on healthcare reform. Have they issued as statement about this and it just not getting reported? Why does it seem that this group is always THE MOST VOCAL critic of this President? Yet rarely, have I ever seen anything from this group that comes close to supporting any of his policy proposals.

[AguynamedWayne]

05:27 PM on 08/05/2009

people tend to react badly when they are lied to. President Obama made promises to us, why shouldn't we expect him to keep his word? We kept our part of the bargain, he got our votes and our money, now we want what he promised us. No more, no less.

[FearlessFreep]

09:24 PM on 08/05/2009

Are gays really more vocal than the birthers?

[akababs]

04:21 PM on 08/05/2009

Okay, so act. Blacks and other similarly minded persons acted during the civil rights movement. So maybe gays should march, boycott, etc., but they seem more content to just tell the president what to do than to organize for effective change. Don't think that because civil rights legislation was signed by Johnson, that life for blacks changed overnight. It's not about a piece of paper, if it were, blacks would have had equal rights when they were freed, not a 100 years later.

[AguynamedWayne]

05:25 PM on 08/05/2009

There is a national March on Washington being organized for this Oct. 10 -11

http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=19

[Kiel]

11:52 PM on 08/05/2009

Seriously, none of you have read the article. You would not have just written what you did as if it were a new idea--it is what the article is saying!

[AguynamedWayne]

02:35 PM on 08/05/2009

It amazes me how many heterosexuals who claim to be liberals and support equality would so easily tell an American minority group to shut up and wait for their civil rights. Coretta Scott King once extolled the courage of gay people who stood up and marched alongside her in places like Selma during the civil rights movement of the 60s. She marveled at how gays stood up for her and for the rights of African Americans even when gays had no one to speak out against our own lack of rights. Yet today so many seem quite happy to caste aside the lessons of the civil rights movement and forget the sacrifices made on their behalfs and continue to allow bigotry and discrimination against gay Americans.

Pathetic.

[AguynamedWayne]

02:40 PM on 08/05/2009

"Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions." - Coretta Scott King

[Kiel]

11:56 PM on 08/05/2009

Justice delayed is justice denied!

[NIrvana602]

02:22 PM on 08/05/2009

Give the guy a break he hasn't even been in office a year!!! If McCain was president it wouldn't have even been an option. People are more concerned about the economy,jobs and health care than who you get to marry!!!!

[Kiel]

11:56 PM on 08/05/2009

Read the damn article!

[Kiel]

12:30 AM on 08/06/2009

Oh yeah, my "domestic partner" and I are both without healthcare; jobs and housing are denied us because of our love for each other; and if we travel out of state and one of us ends up in the hospital, never mind the lack of insurance, we might not even be able to see each other. Never mind the extra taxes we pay for second class citizenship.

But then civil rights always come if we just shut up and do what we're told

[NoSillyName]

01:32 PM on 08/05/2009

Sorry, but he can't do everything at once.

[aftershock]

01:37 PM on 08/05/2009

If he's got time to throw together a beerfest with Gates and Crowley, he has time to sign a stop loss order on gay troops being expelled under DADT. That's the least he could do, it'd take 5-10 mins

[Kiel]

11:57 PM on 08/05/2009

Too true

[mercury613]

02:13 PM on 08/05/2009

As the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, Obama *must* be a supreme multitasker. If he's not, then he's not fit for office. He can handle it.

[KofTX]

03:17 PM on 08/05/2009

See, that is why what you want doesn't get done. The minute the president's priorities aren't matching up exactly with yours, he's "not fit for office". LGBT community shouldn't throw out the baby with the bath water. President Obama represents the only serious shot the LGBT community has for equal rights for who knows how long and you just want him, what...replaced?

[Paganus]

01:12 PM on 08/05/2009

OK, this is silly. First off, cards on the table: I'm a straight Hispanic male who strongly supports equal rights for LGBT Americans.

Obama has been focusing on other, more important issues. Yes, that's right, I deem the economy, health care, and re-regulation of the markets as a much more important issue than civil rights at this moment. You can't remodel when the house is burning down.

[aftershock]

01:32 PM on 08/05/2009

"Yes, that's right, I deem the economy, health care, and re-regulation of the markets as a much more important issue than civil rights at this moment."

And after that it will be energy, than education... and on and on and on it goes.

[SonofLiberty1]

01:53 AM on 08/17/2009

Aftershock, I could be wrong but do you have a job?

[AguynamedWayne]

02:19 PM on 08/05/2009

but you would feel differently if it was Hispanic Americans who had their rights taken away. If you were forbidden to marry because you are Hispanic I wonder how "important" civil rights would be to you then?

[mercury613]

03:13 PM on 08/05/2009

Exactly.

[akababs]

04:18 PM on 08/05/2009

A lot of "groups" supported Obama in this election, but the only ones complaining are this group. I'm not saying, wait your turn, but I am saying, give the man time to address the issues of the American people. Did you say this crap to the last president?

[Tom95134]

12:09 PM on 08/05/2009

I agree. There is no free lunch. Nobody is going to do this for the gay and lesbian population in the United States. Congress is coming home so get out and talk to your Representative, go to local Party meetings and let them know that you expect;

#1. The repeal of DADT.

#2. The repeal of DOMA.

Once you get those two issues through Congress then see what President Obama does. If he doesn't sign them then you can blame him. Up till then, shut up and get back to work for your cause.

FDR told activists in his own party, "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it."

[afrographia]

12:11 PM on 08/05/2009

Why are these our top two LGBT issues? What about housing and health and education services for homeless LGBT youth? Why isn't that a priority? Who told us what our most important issues should be?

[calfacon]

12:16 PM on 08/05/2009

Sounds like Bush - repeat, repeat until it becomes "true' Anything new to add to the discourse?

[Busbydav]

03:09 PM on 08/05/2009

ENDA should be first. my 2 cents

[Kiel]

12:09 AM on 08/06/2009

You actually have the point dead on. But you don't have to be rude and tell us to shut up, in fact that is counter to your point.

Do you realize that us not shutting up is part of our activism?

Cheers for the right idea, jeers for the "shut up" part

[HUkid07]

11:53 AM on 08/05/2009

So are we not to blame Congreess on any of this? It's all the President's fault if legislation doesn't get past?

[Tom95134]

12:13 PM on 08/05/2009

You are TO BLAME YOURSELVES. Hammer on the members of Congress while they are home and once Congress has passed Bills repealing DADT and DOMA then, and only then, can you expect President Obama to deliver. FDR told activists in his own party, "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it." Make President Obama deliver but first get Congress moving on the legislatoin.

[aftershock]

01:34 PM on 08/05/2009

"Hammer on the members of Congress while they are home and once Congress has passed Bills repealing DADT and DOMA then, and only then, can you expect President Obama to deliver."

Obama has threatened to veto the hate crimes bill already, he doesn't care about gay rights. If it's inconvenient to his agenda, he won't sign a thing.

[AguynamedWayne]

02:28 PM on 08/05/2009

Obama made promises to the gay community. Either he keeps his word or he is a liar and will face political consequences because of it.

[afrographia]

11:51 AM on 08/05/2009

continued... prior post was about impatient gays...

Now we also have some ignorant Black religiousy folk (and I'm Black and grew up in the church, so I can say that) who are trying to argue that Black people have it worse than gays, and besides, the Bible says... First, the Bible says we should still be happy slaves, so whatever with your selective reading. More importantly, racism works differently than heterosexism, yes, but you lose when you start trying to make a hierarchy of oppressions. So what if some LGBT folks can "hide" their identities? OK, score Black folks one oppression point. But how many Black folk are kicked out of their homes and communities for being, um, Black? Score the gays one point. See how ridiculous this game is?

White gay folks need to realize this is a political struggle, and stop with the too-easy comparisons with Black struggle (and the rac. ist generalizations about all Black people) . Anti-gay Black folks need to realize they are in cahoots with the Christian white right with their ignorance. Ultimately, we need true progressives to fight for a progressive agenda that includes LGBT rights but also understands that we need to address racial and economic inequality, health care for all, and so on. If you can't be down with the whole progressive program, what use are you?

[Kiel]

12:15 AM on 08/06/2009

There are many legitimate comparisons between the Black civil right struggle and the LGBT civil rights struggle. There are also many differences.

All progressives need to come together for ALL progressive issues. Right on with that part, but please refrain from the acrimony.

[diogenes1967]

04:18 PM on 08/06/2009

Damn, well said!

[BeninOakland]

11:50 AM on 08/05/2009

"Please do not put your rights along side the struggles of African Americans. You were not slaves, you were not hung from trees. You did not have your country taken away from you."

One of the things I hate is black people claiming this garbage. We gay people may not have been slaves, at least in america, but then NEITHER WERE YOU. Your ancestors, yes. You, no. Most black people alive today did not live under Jim Crowe, legal segregation, miscengeantion laws, lynch mobs.

We have been "hung from trees.' Matthew shepard. We have been arrested for the 'crime' of being gay. Driving while black, anyone? We have had laws which mandate different treatment from other people. Religion was used to justify slavery and segregation, justlike it is used today against gay people. Remember Separate but equal?domestic partnerships vs. marriage. check. Segregation in the armed forces? Ended by President truman. Segregation of gay people? A good idea, someone gay might look at some insecure, immature, straight boy.

And on and on and on.

Here's where we differ. No black kid was ever kicked out of his family for being blackor ever had to listen to his pastor tell him that God loves him, but onyl if he isn't black.

Oppression is oppression. Hate is hate. The experiences of gay people and black people, though not identical, are certainly similar. except that in my experience, gay people exercise compassion about black people far more than the reverse.

[afrographia]

12:06 PM on 08/05/2009

Ben,

I agree with most of your post, although I have experienced just as much anti-Black sentiment from gay people as homophobia among Black folks (being Black and gay, I see a lot of everything LOL)... The thing is, Black folks have this strange historical relationship with all things "sexual" or gender-related. First, whites gave us Christianity to shame us into hating ourselves and being submissive with our bodies and minds. Then they bred us like cattle, so that sex wasn't for our enjoyment, but for us to be used for profit. Men were seen as boys, and castrated when they got out of line. Slave women were impregnated, sometimes to humiliate the men. And so on... So we internalized some f-ed up ideas about sex, what it means to be a "real" man, religious dogma about God's wrath and so forth. We're still trying to heal from that madness...

Doesn't excuse the homophobia, but you can see why it might have developed in a unique way.... Now let's try to explain the nature of anti-Black racism among gay folks...

[BeninOakland]

11:59 AM on 08/07/2009

I won't say the racism is not there. We were, after all raised in a racist society.

but what i have seen is that at least in the leadership of many organzations, there is an extreme consciousness of racism, and a recognition that an injury to one group is an injury to all.

i asgree iwth whatbyou said here: White gay folks need to realize this is a political struggle, and stop with the too-easy comparisons with Black struggle (and the rac. ist generalizations about all Black people) . Anti-gay Black folks need to realize they are in cahoots with the Christian white right with their ignorance. Ultimately, we need true progressives to fight for a progressive agenda that includes LGBT rights but also understands that we need to address racial and economic inequality, health care for all, and so on. If you can't be down with the whole progressive program, what use are you?"

[ListenPeople]

12:32 PM on 08/05/2009

"Most black people alive today did not live under Jim Crowe, legal segregation... [and so on]"

Wrong. Even a basic Wikipedia history lesson would help.

[afrographia]

11:50 AM on 08/05/2009

Oh Lawd, this debate has devolved to a sad place...

First, we have white LGBT folks demanding that Obama act on DADT and DOMA. Justified to make the demands, but not to start blasting him as a homophobe and gay-hater if he doesn't do what you want when you want it. I'm with the argument that rights shouldn't have to wait, but with hundreds of thousands of people dead in Iraq, hundreds of thousands out of work here, millions without health care, and the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression, white LGBT folks have to realize that politically, even among folks who support the cause of LGBT equality, marriage is a tough sell right now. Notice how they acted on hate crimes--for most people, that is a matter of life and death. Gay marriage, gays in the military--most folks think, ok, we're with you, but Obama is already being assaulted by the right wing over the economy and health care and Guantanamo and his birth certificate--and you aren't going to die if you have to wait for these issues to be resolved a year or two more. It may not seem fair, but that's the politics. (But still keep the pressure on; that's good politics too)

Next post: Black homophobes...