Is Obama Gay Friendly or not?

[Prefer]

It's one thing to be open to someone whose views you may not agree with, but shunning someone is a different story. It makes me a little uncomfortable that he would distance himself from someone like Gavin Newsome. So does it mean that he is not even Gay Friendly? I would like to know where he stands on being Gay Friendly and also does he support the Gay Curious population, in terms of accepting that they may want to explore options. I hear about GLBT issues frequently, but I feel like the Curious are underrepresented in the conversation.

[Iris]

1. Don't you remember his tour with the anti-gay preachers?

I think it was a few months ago.

[KittyWampus]

35. don't you remember Hillary's support of the DOMA, her pandering to same homophobes, her

photo-ops and support from same homophobes?

This selective outrage is so bogus.

[Iris]

45. oh, silly me. I thought this was a thread about Obama!

So, sorry. please forgive me.


:sarcasm:

[cooolandrew]

2. Welll he hasn't said words like "fairytale " or legislated "don't ask don't tell". Actins speak ...

louder than words.

[bigscott]

10. please name just ONE action he has taken

just one substantive action in support of GLBT rights and NOT in support of Donnie McClurkin

this homo is waiting:boring:

[Orangepeel]

33. In IL, he sponsored hate crimes legislation that included sexual orientation and gender identity

and he has voted against an amendement defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

[bigscott]

42. what about his time in the US

Senate? what about him not supporting marriage between 2 men now??

[Orangepeel]

47. You asked for an action. I gave you two.

Democrats, like Obama and Clinton, often support "civil unions" that grant all of the rights of marriage without using the word because that's more likely to pass. People have weird hangups about the word marriage.

I don't like that about either of them -- they should support marriage. But at this point, the choices are Obama, Clinton and McCain.

[LostinVA]

15. Those aren't Hillary's actions

But you don't care about the truth, do you?

[mckeown1128]

27. Yes they are don't you remember...

She get's credit for EVERYTHING that happened in the Clinton administration... oh wait... or is it.. She get's credit for the good things that happen and if anything bad happened she "silently" voiced her opinion "behind" the scenes.

[jakem]

3. wait, wait! the horse isnt beaten to death yet!

Obama has been vocally upfront about LGBT rights. He has pages that have been previously sighted on his website, and his voting record overwhelmingly supports this.

[Prefer]

6. What do you mean "previously sighted"?

Do you mean he has hidden them now?

[jakem]

7. 'cited'

happy now?

[Rockholm]

16. Not beaten enough.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2863025

[Creideiki]

24. Really?

Can you point to legislation in the state of Illinois that he put his career on the line to push through? I'm hoping here for something that wasn't pushed by the Democratic party, but something that he was on the forefront of.

[rjx]

4. Friendly

He is not for gay marriage, but he said he will not vote against it.
He is for civil unions, but not marriage because of his religion.

[Prefer]

5. Because of his religion????

So he is OK with imposing his personal values on the secular state?

Sheesh!

[Franks Wild Years]

11. He said that he would not vote against it....

...surely that is not a bad thing? To be honest, his support for civil partnerships by itself should be enough to prove that he is not 'anti-gay'.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

13. unless i've understood him wrong

He is for civil unions(with all rights that belong to marriage) at this time because the word marriage is a red flag to most Americans who are Christians, he does not think that it will be able to pass anytime in the close future so he has opted for the above civil union with all rights included since it is more likely to pass(and in my view its the rights that should be most important not the word)

He has also stated i believe that if he is president and a paper comes on his desk that would allow marriage he would sign it with no problems

[rjx]

18. I saw him speak about it

and he said he is not for marriage because the bible defines it between a man and a woman, not because it wouldn't pass in the near future.

[Meshuga]

19. I noticed that Hillary is against gay marriage

and like Obama she supports civil unions. What are her reasons for not supporting gay marriage? Would anybody know or have an answer?

[mondo joe]

46. My understanding is that she says marriage is a state issue and she doesn't oppose

same sex marriage - but as a matter of expedience she can champion civil unions.

[UALRBSofL]

25. A progressive democrat

is for same sex marriage. :) Kucinich. :)

[Kittycat]

39. No. A progressive democrat

Can still maintain their own beliefs, but not impose them on others - and in fact support others rights to their beliefs. You don't have to be an agnostic or athiest or non-christian to be a progressive democrat.

[terrya]

8. Let me preface this by saying that I don't think Obama is a bigot.

I don't think Barack Obama, deep down, is a homophobe or a bigot. I just don't get a sense that cares about us. I just don't feel that from him. I know he has a record of supporting GLBT rights. I know that. But...it comes off as a sort of obligation for him. I heard him at the Presidential Forum on GLBT issues on Logo a few months ago. And he, to his credit, along with Hillary and Edwards and Kucinich and Richardson, was there. He talked about his support of the issues we care about...and I didn't sense any passion from him about it.

I'm a Hillary supporter. And of course, I'm prejudiced. I come with biases of my own. All I know is that I read an interview with her this week in the Washington Blade. And she said in the interview with the Blade that she's a friend of the GLBT community. And, yes, she doesn't support same-sex marriage. But still...when she said she is a friend of the GLBT community...I believe her. I wish I could get the same sort of understanding about Obama as I do with Hillary. I just don't sense it.

[jakem]

14. you may be correct on this point.

I think he probably has a record for supporting GLBT rights because he is passionate about the rights of all individuals.

Do you need a 'feeling' from him on top of that?


I do not agree that he feels it an 'obligation,' but that civil rights are not directed to any one group over another-

[terrya]

17. The subject was whether Barack Obama is gay friendly.

Again, it's all about perception. I would like to think that he's passionate about supporting full equality for us. I would hope that's the case. But it comes off to me as an obligation...as something one has to do to get a group of people to support you politically.

[jakem]

20. I get the sense that his political career is philosophy driven, not vice versa-

I don't think you start a career of constitutional law / community building / civil protections without feeling that first, and political drive second.

I suspect that he is not being given benefit of the doubt that some of his opinions on gay rights may be (and this is my opinion only) more significant that what makes it to a stump speech. This would be a political move to not alienate more socially conservative voters that might lean toward Obama for other reasons.

I completely get (to the extent that I can as a generally straight guy) the frustration of the GLBT community for not hearing politicians come out and really put GLBT issues first, but i suspect that this is politically savvy is one wants to win the GE, and keep the republicans base impotent for issues.

[Meshuga]

9. Like I said in a different thread

Barack Obama scored 89 out of 100% in the 2006 Human Rights Campaign (the largest national glbt organization) scorecard. Hillary scored 88.

They pretty much scored at the same level. So I understand the GLBT community criticizing and demanding that both candidates get 100% or as close to 100% as possible, but I think it is pretty unfair to single one of them out as not being gay friendly without criticizing the other, that's my opinion.

[zulchzulu]

12. Here's info on Obama's LGBT record and issues

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/zulchzulu/140

[Kittycat]

26. You're not allowed to post facts.

;)

[mondo joe]

34. Those are nice but they don't excuse his fuck ups. You might try to ackowledge them

rather than ignore them.

[JoFerret]

21. To me he comes across as a patronizing pompous prick

He says all the right things in that unctuous way but reeks of patronizing pomposity.
"Gay people are our brothers and sisters". Yuk. Slimy ooze talk. Bugger off with that crap.

[catgirl]

22. You're offensive

and a disservice to your candidate.

[enfield collector]

23. he]s not a GLBTQ panderer, his position is consistent

with our constitution. He's for civil unions (a state controlled ceremony) and against marriage (a religious ceremony). This position is consistent with the seperation of church and state.

[Creideiki]

28. Ah. So he supports removing the word "marriage" from all federal laws

and replacing it with "civil unions" leaving it up to churches to decide whether or not they will perform a marriage ceremony. Or maybe we should take everyone's marriage and vote on it individually as to whether or not we support it. After all, I've seen straight marriages that I disapprove of because of one partner or the other's treatment toward their spouse. If some people insist that they should have the right to recognize my relationships at the state/federal level, then I think I should have the right to recognize or not recognize theirs at the state/federal level.

[mondo joe]

29. You are deeply confused about separation of church and state. State marriage is not

religious in nature.

[mondo joe]

30. He's gay friendly. But more bigot-friendly. That's the problem for some of us.

[hulklogan]

31. Obama is probably gay friendly but he still doesn't really "get it"

His intentions are on the good side, but he continually does the wrong thing, says too little, or sticks his foot in his mouth when it comes to GLBT Americans.

I want a president who "gets it" but I've resigned myself to having to hold my nose and vote for the Democratic candidate just like every other year.

[Neecy]

32. wow, a new subcategory

also does he support the Gay Curious population, in terms of accepting that they may want to explore options. I hear about GLBT issues frequently, but I feel like the Curious are underrepresented in the conversation

I've never seen a politician pander to 'gay curious' people. Maybe you should start a movement.

Christ, this is getting dumber by the minute.

[AlertLurker]

36. "NOT."

[theboss]

37. His votes and words apparently mean nothing

All that matters who he hires for entertainment.

[mondo joe]

38. It all matters. I don't see why that's hard to understand.

If someone had a decent record and rhetoric on race issues but used David Duke for outreach on a campaign, I'd expect that to count against them - significantly.

And for Obama that's not the only negative.

[theboss]

40. Well, if you view McClurkin as David Duke, I can't help you

I would view it more like hiring Ted Nugent. And if someone really liked "Wang Bang Sweet PoonTang" I could never hold hiring Terrible Ted against them.

[mondo joe]

41. He was a speaker, not just a singer. And every day gay teens are driven to suicide, homelessness

and misery by people like him.

Yes, he's like David Duke -- but with greater social acceptance.

[bigscott]

43. thanks Mondo

some people just don't get it - and they always claim to "care" so much:sarcasm:

[mondo joe]

44. Amazing how many people decide they care about GLBT issues - but only to defend Obama. NT

[BlackVelvet04]

48. Gay friendly is as Gay friendly does. n/t