There are a lot of folks upset with Obama for the loss in Maine, thinking that if he'd spoken up, or merely just shown up, about the inequalities facing the LGBT community in this country, that things might have been different up there.
I don't know about that.
But what I do know, and what continues to irk me, is that Obama called himself a "fierce advocate" for the LGBT community and yet he rarely speaks about us. Yes, yes, yes, he has said some things, and I know he's a busty man, what with health care and the economy and global warming and paper training the new puppy, but.......
He had time to go to Virginia to campaign for the Democrat from governor; he had time to go to New Jersey, too. But where was our fierce advocate in Maine, or Washington state? Why wasn't he talking about it? he made not have made a difference but he could have made an effort.
David Mixner says we are in the midst of a Gay Apartheid, and I'm beginning to think he may be on to something.
David Mixner: "America is in the process of creating a system of Gay Apartheid. We will not quietly sit and accept it. All over the place, this nation is creating one set of laws for LGBT Americans and another set for all other Americans. That is the classic definition of Apartheid. Either our political allies are for Gay Apartheid or against it. If they are against it, they must fight with us and no longer duck like President Obama did in Maine and Washington. There is no half way in fighting Apartheid...
...President Obama standing on the sidelines in Maine and Washington was appalling. The failure of our national organizations and leaders to demand his involvement was equally appalling. The outrageous act of the Democratic National Committee sending an email into Maine asking Maine Democrats to call into "NEW JERSEY" instead of to support the fight against bigotry was unbelievable. No one gets to sit on the sidelines in an epic battle against apartheid and no one gets a free pass. If you want our support, you have to earn it. We are way beyond where we will accept a little bit in 2009, some in 2010 and maybe more in the second term. Does anyone think after yesterday election results and the upcoming 2010 election, Obama has the ability to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and "DOMA" next year? Does anyone really believe we haven't already missed a historic opportunity in the first 10 months of this year? Only a courageous fighting President and Congress can now help turn us this around and that we have not seen so far. Enough."
...President Obama standing on the sidelines in Maine and Washington was appalling. The failure of our national organizations and leaders to demand his involvement was equally appalling. The outrageous act of the Democratic National Committee sending an email into Maine asking Maine Democrats to call into "NEW JERSEY" instead of to support the fight against bigotry was unbelievable. No one gets to sit on the sidelines in an epic battle against apartheid and no one gets a free pass. If you want our support, you have to earn it. We are way beyond where we will accept a little bit in 2009, some in 2010 and maybe more in the second term. Does anyone think after yesterday election results and the upcoming 2010 election, Obama has the ability to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and "DOMA" next year? Does anyone really believe we haven't already missed a historic opportunity in the first 10 months of this year? Only a courageous fighting President and Congress can now help turn us this around and that we have not seen so far. Enough."
I'll stand with David Mixner.
Enough.
I am a Gay American.
I matter.
I count.
I vote.
I will speak up.
I have had enough.
He campaigned for Deeds in Virginia and Deeds lost. By a lot. I know the President appears to hold a lot of power but often it seems he's as limited as the rest of us trying to make the right things happen.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to vote yesterday, someone offered me a republican sample ballot. I declined. He said, "But we're the good guys!" I snorted. I did.
Clearly, not everyone shares my/our opinions.
Obama did campaign, but for the candidates not the ballot initiatives. The WH issued their stance about Maine and Washington weeks ago. And while folks wanted Obama to speak out, there where polls stating that Obama's views did not affect their voting.
ReplyDeleteDavid has his points, but I can't co-sign on his "Apartheid" statements
Great post Bob.
ReplyDeleteDavid does have his points, but many of the apartheid creations he speaks of are our own liberal political creations. We wanted to see if we could get a lesser watered down version of something to pass muster and were willing to sacrifice what we really wanted for a pale imitation of it.
I think we have to blame ourselves for that. We need to put our money and energy toward the goals we really want and frankly too many of us are willing to accept less and are not willing to do the work to get what we really want. Change is a struggle and it involves risk.
All of the best parts of my life came from risk and change. I embraced them. Most people, including GLBT folk run from them. Nothing good in life comes from playing it safe.
Certainly the current administration is better than the last. You need to have patience, he has a lot on his plate at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI agree w/your post 1000% Empty rhetoric gets irritating, tiring and painful.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with many comment here. Please don't start blaming the President for this. Republicans would never do it, even if they did believe it. We have to learn something from their solidarity and save our dirty laundry for private meetings. The minute we start blaming Obama, the Repubs will latch onto it and start telling everyone how Obama has lost "the Gays". Besides, Maine is so sparsely populated, there would not be a good place to show up to help out that would have made a difference. I am sure that his people calculate every such permutation possible for his time and efforts. With everything else they are doing to undermine his administration, it is a wonder he can do anything at all. Everything he does is so closely scrutinized. If the Dems were so mouthy with W, we'd all be in Guantanamo being waterboarded as terrorists. :)
ReplyDeleteI know you are angry and disappointed, but please consider directing that anger at a deserving target (those f--king lobby groups that are paid highly by the right wing organizations to affect votes in other states, for one.), not on the President.