What Did He Expect? A Parade?

The LGBT community came out again for Barack Obama yesterday, but not in the same way we came out for him last November.

Oh, we still chanted and carried flags, but we weren't out to support him. Gay rights advocates called on President Obama, who was in LA to attend a DNC fundraiser, to more aggressively pursue equal rights for all Americans.

In other words, to do what he said he would do.

The organizers called the event a “welcome” for Obama, but many people in the crowd were angry for the president's failure to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as he had promised.

The crowd chanted, “Out of the court, into the streets, we are ready to fight, we won’t be beat”--referring to Tuesday’s California Supreme Court decision to uphold Proposition 8 and maintain a ban on marriage equality.

Rick Jacobs, who chairs the Courage Campaign and organized the protest: “The president made a promise when he made his speech about hope. I bought that promise and I still buy that promise, but it’s time for him to start fulfilling that promise for all Americans.”

The Courage Campaign has collected 140,000 signatures for a petition asking the president to end DADT and stop firing of U.S. Army Lt. Dan Choi, an Arab language specialist who was discharged after declaring hat he was gay.

i expect there will be further protests wherever Obama goes now, and I think there should be. The man made certain promises to us and has systematically backed away from them.

Not fair.

Not right.

I still support President Obama. I just wish he'd support the gay community as promised.