We already knew that Obama's a riveting speaker. And his joke about opening for Lady Gaga was a surefire hit. But he didn't even give the gays a timeline for his promise to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." Is that all we get from our self-proclaimed "fierce advocate" in the White House? Puh-lease! Besides, all of us gays don't have the same agenda. As an atheist slut, I rank a religious institution like marriage right up there with gay baptism. I'd happily settle for civil unions. They may not have some god's stamp of approval, but this fairy thinks it's time to denounce that dusty old book of fairy tales which is so often held up to denounce us.
And although I support equal rights for everyone including gays, I personally can't comprehend our desire to serve in the military. How could we look at a baseless war for oil like the one in Iraq and think, "I want to go die in something like that"? Yes, we should have the right to serve if we want to, but I just wish we were enlightened enough, as a people with compromised rights ourselves, to respect the rights of Iraqis who we've been murdering for the better part of a decade as part of a war begun by the greatest dunce of a president in our history!
In his address to Sunday's crowd at the mall, Dan Choi, an openly gay first lieutenant facing discharge from military service, repeated the word "love" over and over again. If he's so concerned about love -- other than his own -- why does he want to join a mass, mis-directed killing machine? An ineffective killing machine at that. Dan was one of the few, desperately needed Arabic interpreters in the force so it makes no sense to fire him. Unless the goal isn't to actually ever win the war...
Then there's the question of timing and political expediency. What if Obama repealed "don't ask, don't tell" today? Can you imagine the how much money Republicans could raise on that unpopular decision? Conservatives could add "pervert undermining the moral fabric of our society" to their current characterizations of Obama as "racist", "socialist", "marxist" and "muslim and "Hitler." Of course we can't ever give up our fight for equality, but gays are a hot button issue which will always get the right wing hopping mad. I'd like to continue the fight to reign in the NRA's powers so that bullets stop spraying in schools and wannabe assassins stop showing up packing heat at town hall meetings. And prevent actual assassins taking out more late term abortion doctors -- there's only one left in the whole country! But we can't make wedge issues a priority right now with precious health care hanging in the balance. If we don't throw our full support behind getting some kind of health care passed, Obama may be branded a lame duck president and pave the way for a Republican Congress in 2010 to scotch ANY progressive legislation. How does that work for ya?
After decades of national inaction on gay issues, we don't want to hear "Stay at the back of the bus!" from a president who promised change. But health care reform certainly affects me more than a desire to die for greedy oil and defense barons in wars without strategies. Or gay marriage. And with the prevalence of AIDS in our community, health care is a gay issue. HIV is the pre-existing condition from hell!
As a resident of NYC, I may be in a liberal bubble. Until watching the speeches at the mall, I didn't realize that in 36 states it's legal to use someone's sexual orientation to discriminate against housing them. I'm also not in long-term relationship craving the benefits of a state-sanctioned union or have a lover dying in the hospital whose bigoted family has denied me visitation rights. But I'm a person who needs health care first. And a gay person second. And the vote on health care is tomorrow! How can that NOT be gays' and everyone else's primary focus NOW? The gay community is slow to mobilize on a large scale over anything and I'm happy to see our activist spirited reignited -- but if we're going to do it, couldn't it just wait a teensy bit longer? Besides, what self-respecting gay schedules a march to conflict with something which our entire community cherishes -- BRUNCH!
John Sanchez: Lady Bunny Talks RuPaul's Drag U, Her New Show, And... Politics?
Marriage, schmarriage! They can call it whatever they want to in their churches, but I just want the same rights for me and my partner as a mixed sex couple gets.
As an atheist homosexual I appreciate you being our #1 spokesmodel!
MORE BUNNY ON HUFFPO PLEASE!
1) Civil unions don't equal marriage, and marriage is not a religious institution. Both are lies coming from the right wing. In the US, marriage is a legal institution that has nothing to do with a church. Civil unions, which are compromises dreamed up by well meaning states, don't grant anywhere near the number of benefits granted to marriages, which are recognized by federal law. Tax returns. Social security benefits. Spousal privielege in federal court. HEALTH INSURANCE (ironic, considering that what Lady Bunny is in a snit about). Civil unions aren't equal to marriages for any of these purposes.
2) Maybe marriage isn't as important to Lady Bunny as it is to others, but I assure you that gay people with children will vehemently disagree. There are still states in the union where adoptive gay parents just don't have parental rights, and the lack of relationship recognition in those states potentially presents very big problems for them. From their perspective, HIV is much less important than the safety and welfare of their children.
3) Maybe you're not paying attention, but the health care bill you refer to is a complete joke.
Sincerely,
Elaine Lancaster
If we don't pressure them at all, if we hadn't been pressuring them for darn near 40 years now, and if we don't continue to keep pushing them, they will simply never do it, because they will believe we really don't want it.
As for the actual taking advantage of the rights, once they are given to us, that is up to the individual. Of course not every LGBT is going to or even going to want to marry. Of course not every LGBT is going to or going to want to join the military. But, we must have the right to choose that option if we want to choose that option.
And, yes, health care does come first. Actually I think jobs should come first, but whatever. And once health care is passed, then we work on ENDA and UAFA, DADT will be slid in there somewhere, and DOMA may just be a second term issue, but if ENDA, UAFA, and DADT are repealed, LGBTs should be willing to support Obama because this will be the most progress we've ever made, then he will manage DOMA
And let's not forget that marriage is firstly a civil matter, as marriage licenses are issued by and recorded in town halls not church halls , or mosques, or temples in America.
So kudos to Iowa and most of New England for supporting marriage.
Cheers, Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace,
Washington, Connecticut, USA.
**
A National Health Program, AKA, Medicare for All, AKA, Single Payer.
And and end to bailouts for Wall St banksters, and endless "wars' of choice too.