Anything But Straight: Obama's Honeymoon is Over

[Bluebear]

by Wayne Besen

There are days when I am infatuated with Obama's very existence. These moments usually coincide with vivid reminders of our previous president.

For example, GQ magazine revealed last week that Donald Rumsfeld's presidential defense briefings began with warrior Bible verses. Here is a sample:

"Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand." -- Ephesians 6:13.

Other times, the mere fact that Obama isn't Bush is not enough. At some point, he has to stand on his own record. The big question for gay and lesbian leaders is, "when can we expect 'some point' to happen and what is a reasonable timeline?"

In the Washington Post, Bill Clinton's former liaison to the gay community, Richard Socarides, very effectively raised this issue.

"In December, while trying to quiet the furor over his invitation of Rick Warren to take part in his inauguration, Barack Obama reminded us that he had been a 'consistent' and 'fierce advocate' of equality for gay and lesbian Americans," wrote Socarides. "But at the end of its first 100 days, his administration has been neither."

The frustration of some leading advocates is quickly spreading and beginning to boil over.Note: translation for those here so inclined, poutrage and not getting your pony.



"I have a sickeningly familiar feeling in my stomach, and the feeling deepens with every interaction with the Obama team on these issues," Andrew Sullivan wrote on his blog. "They want them (gay issues) to go away. They want us to go away."

Pam Spaulding, the editor of the blog Pam's House Blend, shares Sullivan's sentiments. On a recent post, she reacted strongly to the Obama administration's inaction on overturning Don't Ask/Don't Tell, which prohibits gay service members from serving openly.

"The White House is backed up against the wall and cannot give a reasonable, logical defense to continue a policy that is hurting our military effectiveness," wrote Spaulding. "He can stop the discharges right now, while Congress moves in its not-so-deliberate speed on the matter. This is embarrassing for the 'fierce advocate', but quite frankly it's irresponsible as commander in chief to act as if he can't do anything right now."

The military issue has received heightened awareness since Lt. Dan Choi was discharged after coming out on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show." Choi, who is fluent in Arabic, wrote a letter to Obama urging the president not to discharge him.


Choi

"My subordinates know I'm gay. They don't care," Choi wrote. "They are professional. As an infantry officer, I am not accustomed to begging. But I beg you today: Do not fire me."

Choi was canned.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), openly questioned Obama on GLBT issues. "Why is he becoming so conservative now that he's got the job?" Conyers asked the Michigan Messenger. "I think he is getting a lot of pressure put on him from the right, from conservatives. And he is trying to prove to the Republicans that he is bipartisan."

Obama's opposition to allowing gay couples to marry has also raised the ire of some, who point out that anti-gay ideologues are parroting his position as cover for their extremism.


He only sang one song!!!!11

"The goodwill, along with Elvis, long ago left the building," wrote John Aravosis, editor of Americablog. "What could have been a disagreement with a friend is quickly heading towards a major, damaging showdown...Obama is quickly approaching the ass-biting phase of the gay rights debate."

Personally, I'm not ready to pass judgment on Barack Obama quite yet. He really does have his plate full with enormously complicated and weighty issues. The president also remembers how addressing "gays in the military" hurt Clinton early in his term -- and this is likely influencing his decision on timing.

It would be incredible to have Obama repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, so the federal government would recognize marriages performed in states. But, I suspect that won't happen until after he signed less controversial measures, like a ban on firing people because of their sexual orientation, or hate crime legislation.

I will not begin to worry about being left out in the cold until the cold weather returns. If the leaves change before key policies do, there could be trouble. This is because the Obama administration and Congress are less likely to rock the boat next year, with midterm elections approaching.

Ever since the modern gay rights movement began in 1969 with the Stonewall riots, we've been waiting for a president who won't stonewall us on equality. Hopefully, Obama will live up to his potential and prove to be a great leader. But, it is clear that the patience of an increasing number of gay rights leaders is wearing thin and they refuse to be patsies.

=====

Copyright: Wayne Besen, May 2009. "Fair Use" encouraged.

http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/4495-anything-but-straight-obamas-honeymoon-is-over.html


Besen

[Why Syzygy]

1. k/r

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. It's still so early,

and Obama inherited a big fat mess of historical proportions, so, while I lose faith every so often and fall into a deep funk, I do honestly believe that he's going to do the right thing.

And I think it will start with DADT.

Maybe I'm naive, but the fact that Obama sent a handwritten note to that woman who was being forced out of the Air Force, assuring her that he would see to the changing of the policy makes me believe that he is sincere and will bring this ridiculous and counter-productive practice to an end.

After that, I think he'll have to watch what the states do vis-a-vis marriage laws. That matter could become ripe for the US Supreme Court and rescue Obama from trying to get such a bill pushed through Congress. It reminds me of how Roe v. Wade came to be - different states had different laws either banning or permitting abortions, and Jane Doe sued on the basis of her being financially unable to travel to a state where abortion was legal, thus violating her equal protection right and her right to privacy. I can imagine a formulation like this getting a gay marriage case to the US Supreme Court.

For now, I would love to see President Obama sign an Executive Order suspending the law that prohibits gays from serving in the military, but the political reality is that his doing that would be political suicide. I believe that, if nothing has changed when he's elected to a second term, he'll remedy DADT with a stroke of the pen shortly after his second inauguration.

I hope ....................

[KharmaTrain]

7. Times Don't Always Work How You Want Them...

DADT must and will be overturned. Just as racial barriers in the military were, but when the military is capable of doing so. While I detest the term, the military is still in a "war" footing, with two major conflicts ongoing and problems with morale. As we're learning about anything the boooosh regime tinkered with, the messes are all around. Until the actions are scale down (the sooner the better AFAIK) then I can see where real change starts to happen. The guide here would be the desegregation of the military that should have occured prior to or during WWII, but had to wait until 1948 to become official military policy.

The Lt. Choi case was brought prior to January 20th. Let's see if any new cases are brought...if DADT will be as rigorously enforce post Obama as opposed to pre-Obama. One will hope this administration lives up to being more compassionate and DADT will be shitcanned.

Cheers..

[LooseWilly]

8. That's not true. Dan Choi came out on national tv on March 23, 2009

There was no case pending before then. He came out, probably assuming that, as an Arabic Linguist, his usefulness in the "war on terror" might cause him to be a watershed case to change things once and for all. Obama apparently didn't think one Arabic Linguist in the army was worth the political liabilities of being tie-able to a gay rights issue...

Gulp.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Thanks For The Clarification...

I know his dismissal came afterwards, but was the investigated begun during that time?

Nonetheless...you are right, President Obama is picking his fights right now. And there are lots of fights out there. He chooses or ignores these fights at his peril (as we're seeing with the torture matter). The concern is the bigger ticket items won't fly if the "little ones" get in the way. I think this is a trade-off...not to rock the boat with the military at this point while trying to get other things passed. As is said, it's one thing to campaign, it's another to govern.

Pressure still needs to be applied and these cases need to be brought public. I hope this is an isolated case, not a pattern of future actions.

Cheers...

[Creideiki]

16. The military talks an awful lot about "integrity"

and then requires gay members to continually lie because the President is among the hoard that find gay people ooky.

At the very least, the best moments of the last couple weeks have been watching Gibbs squirm during press briefings. He's probably lying awake at night dreading the next DADT question.

And don't get us started on promises to fight for repeal of DOMA.

[HillbillyBob]

49. WHEN?

My partner and I have been waiting 52 and 46 years respectively.
I was outed in the navy in 82, I lost my career, my livelihood and my benefits earned by my military service.
Now I have to live on disability.
Frankly Obama lost me at FISA vote.
Im pissed and disillusioned and not given to forgiveness at this point.
so fucking much for freedom of choice etc etc etc.
He has cast us under the bus as trash. I don't give a damn about political realities I LIVE IN REALITY and I don't have anymore to give.
We live law abiding lives, pay taxes etc.
its bullshit and I call it that.
As Ossie Davis said , "Gays are todays N----."
I am angry and left and left the fuck out.
We cannot marry, we cannot claim our military earned benefits.
My partner was Army Intell I was Navy Air Traffic control.
I do not have retirement, I have medicaid and medicare because I am now disabled, but cannot access my military benefits, I have to get by on what I can get.
I call bullshit.
DADT should never have happened. I was outted during the runnyraygun admin.
Our godam country should have woken up then, but now we had the fucking kkkrestian reich what a godam bad joke that this country went that way.
Yea this is a rant Im pissed off and not likely to forgive the voters for voting for that son of a bitch raygun or the following 30 years of bullshit since.
Just because I am gay I am seen as less than others.
If you think that this is the extent of my anger and greivance it is only a mere hint.
I won't do anything stupid or violent, but I sure as hell won't give over.
I heartily hate kkkrestian fools. How the hell did we fall victim to the rpuke nazis? Americans are fucking stupid.
I am so godam fed up with my rights being subject to fools.

[LooseWilly]

51. Actually, Anna Marie Cox brought out the fact that racial barriers in the military...

... were ended by executive order by Truman.

No later Presidents un-executive ordered it. Congress never did any work on it.

In other words... if Obama whipped out his "magic CIC wand", and issued an executive order to end DADT... that would be precisely the same action that ended racial segregation in the military.

Just saying...

[Revolution9]

17. and?

prolonged detention
no prosecutions
silence on DADT

the list goes on.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

22. Duh.......

Read my subject line again, and for god's sake, brush up on your reading comprehension skills...........

[Creideiki]

24. Why would suspending discharges pending action

on EXISTING LEGISLATION be "political suicide"?

And if it is "political suicide", then isn't any move forward on LGBT rights "political suicide"?

Somewhere between 70 and 80 percent of the population are in favor of repealing DADT. This should be the easiest slam dunk to hand off to LGBT civil rights. He could do this intending to string us along for the next 7 years on the false hope that he'll stop pandering to the religious nuts, and at the very least, his most ardent supporters could point to this one thing that he did.

No other plank in the civil rights platform has that level of support. Pretty much unless you're a brain-dead Republican, you're in favor of repealing DADT.

[arcadian]

33. That argument is a cope out

He should have been on his feet and ready from day one. Scratch that. From the moment he took office.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

37. Right ..........

Yeah, sure, absolutely, damn straight, for sure, you got that right, indeed, uh-huh.

What's a "cope out"?

[arcadian]

45. It's funny

When I told you that Cheney was living in Mclean, you were adamant that he was not. When you were proven wrong you didn't own up to the fact that YOU WERE WRONG. That speaks volumes about you.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

46. That was you?

Yes, you were right, although you claim was backed, as I recall, by very iffy information.

I concede - you were right and I was wrong. My goodness, you remembered that! What a long and wonderful memory you have! I forgot about it. It's a message board.

Feel better? I'd feel better if he were living somewhere else, but ...............

[arcadian]

47. Wow thanks.

Actually, I appreciate it. The only reason why I brought it up is because that was a pet project of mine for a little while, my pics of his house were posted on Wonkette among other places. That was very big of you, now I feel like a jerk pointing it out. But I'm sure a lot of people think I'm a jerk anyway so I'm at least keeping them happy. :-)

[Tangerine LaBamba]

48. Naw, you're not a jerk -

you were right, although, as I said, I didn't take as authoritative the VP's residence address as probative, but I've spent a lot of years as a lawyer, so I am sometimes far too skeptical.

You did good, and good for you. Now, what can you do about getting that fat fuck out of my jurisdiction?

[ZombieHorde]

53. "but the political reality is that his doing that would be political suicide"

Siding with bigots for political gain?

[bridgit]

3. Mm, well, many have an entrenched disunity with what is politically expeditious & nuanced

Including DU :kick:

[FrenchieCat]

4. Obama's honeymoon lasted about 3 seconds with many....

if that.

But it does seem like this guy does understand quite a bit, and that's good.


In particular, at the end of the piece where he writes....

Personally, I'm not ready to pass judgment on Barack Obama quite yet. He really does have his plate full with enormously complicated and weighty issues. The president also remembers how addressing "gays in the military" hurt Clinton early in his term -- and this is likely influencing his decision on timing.

It would be incredible to have Obama repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, so the federal government would recognize marriages performed in states. But, I suspect that won't happen until after he signed less controversial measures, like a ban on firing people because of their sexual orientation, or hate crime legislation.

I will not begin to worry about being left out in the cold until the cold weather returns. If the leaves change before key policies do, there could be trouble. This is because the Obama administration and Congress are less likely to rock the boat next year, with midterm elections approaching.

Ever since the modern gay rights movement began in 1969 with the Stonewall riots, we've been waiting for a president who won't stonewall us on equality. Hopefully, Obama will live up to his potential and prove to be a great leader. But, it is clear that the patience of an increasing number of gay rights leaders is wearing thin and they refuse to be patsies.

[Lorax7844]

5. Anyone that thought Obama was going to have honeymoon was deluding themselves

just look at the media's hate on for Bill Clinton. Obama never had a honeymoon and anyone that says he did is lying.

[varkam]

6. No kidding. From day one it was all "Obama's a socialist muslim terrorist!"

I swear, it's been how many years since McCarthy kicked it and these clowns still can't come up with anything more damning than communist? Feh.

Welcome to DU, BTW! :hi:

[TheWraith]

13. Except here on DU, where it was "Obama is a Bush-lite torturer war criminal!" nt

[redqueen]

19. Yep. And add "guilty of high crimes" to the list. (nt)

[Orsino]

12. Right. He never had a honeymoon.

It was merely his immense popularity that held the corporate media off for a while.

[Bluebear]

52. Yes, it's all the media's fault.

:silly:

[Bluebear]

29. And that is ALL you got out of that article? Wow.

[Psychic Consortium]

10. Obama will accomplish his agenda items in his time and his way.

Sometimes his route will be circuitous and subtle,
but at the end of the day he will prevail.

[Starry Messenger]

11. Good statement from Conyers--

"Why is he becoming so conservative now that he's got the job?" Conyers asked the Michigan Messenger. "I think he is getting a lot of pressure put on him from the right, from conservatives. And he is trying to prove to the Republicans that he is bipartisan."

I am reading Chris Hedges book American Fascists this week and just found a quote by him that is keeping me awake tonight:

Debate with the radical Christian Right is useless. We cannot reach this movement. It does not want a dialogue. It is a movement based on emotion and cares nothing for rational thought and discussion. It is not mollified because John Kerry prays or Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday School. Naive attempts to reach out to the movement, to assure them that we, too, are Christian or we, too, care about moral values, are doomed. The attempts by many liberals to make peace would be humorous if the stakes were not so deadly. These dominionists hate the liberal, enlightened world formed by the Constitution, a work they blame for the debacle of their lives. The have one goal-its destruction.

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. Because bipartisanship works so well with republicans. Obama was a Senator, he should know better.

His trying to prove to the republicans that he is bipartisan is just enabling the screwing over of vast majorities of Americans by those same republicans Obama wants to make nice with. :wtf:

[zbdent]

14. the "honeymoon" was over the moment that

it became obvious that Obama had trounced McCain ...

[LostinVA]

15. What does that mean?

[Creideiki]

18. It's galling that the public would insist a public leader live up to campaign promises

The sheer Audacity of Hope.

The galling Desire for Change.

The thought that Yes, We Can be treated as well as other citizens even though we're icky LGBT people.

Don't we realize that there's an election coming up in just 2 years? And that we've got yet another President who can't multitask? And it's only been a "few" weeks! (Hint: "Few" means 3-5. We're now past "several" weeks. We're well into "few" months. In a "few" months, I was able to multitask to completion 4 final projects to graduate projects while simultaneously juggling two part-time jobs and two performing groups. This is called "multitasking".

Granted, it's likely that Obama has been busy doing the hard work of justifying life in a science fiction novel where we know what people are going to do before they do it and punish them before it happens. So glad we have a Constitutional scholar as President. Next time, I'm going to vote for the Constitutional scholar who actually respects the Constitution.

[Bluebear]

30. So you picked up on the honeymoon part...and NOTHING else?

[lonestarnot]

20. Bluebear. It's not over yet!

:hug:

[Vidar]

21. K&R.

[ConcernedCanuk]

23. Here's a plan that I'd support - EVERY GLBT PERSON IN THE MILITARY COME OUT AT ONCE!

.
.
.

I read somewhere that the military has over 50,000 "non-heterosexuals"

If they all "tell" at once - is the military gonna fire them all?

I don't think so . .

hmmmmm

:freak:

[Sebastian Doyle]

26. Hell, maybe they should ALL "come out" - even the straight ones

The military would either have to repeal DADT or end all the ridiculous occupations. Seems like a win either way.

[glitch]

35. I like that idea even better. It's got a "general strike" aspect to it that is very appropriate. nt

[progressoid]

27. Don't be so sure.

I bet there are plenty of military brass that would love an opportunity to "purge" the forces of all GLBT at once.

[Hissyspit]

28. Decorated Air Force Lt. Colonel Discharged For Being Gay

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x314461

[bluedawg12]

31. Looking back, it's clear the first 100 days would have been the best time to repeal DADT.

Now, as problems mount, once again, there are new reasons and "more compelling problems" for this administration to tackle and not among them are gay rights.

It's a shame - DADT was pushed back and back, till it's off radar.

[snowdays]

32. But the WH

has used that excuse since day one---my plate is full.

[democrank]

34. K & R

[katandmoon]

36. Obama is a coward. I don't believe for an instant he even gives a shit one way or another about gay

marriage and he doesn't personally care if gays marry. He's too educated, too sophisticated, too intelligent, too logical, to truly have any personal anti-gay marriage convictions.

He just pretends that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman because that is the politically expedient position. And Obama is not about to stick his neck out where it might be at any risk from comimg into contact with fundamentalist swords.

Obama is just a coward on this and many other issues. He's all show and no go.

[nevergiveup]

38. Obama is anything but a coward

He has more determination and intestinal fortitude than any president I have seen in my lifetime and I am older than dirt. He inherited a monstrous mess including two wars and an economy that has basically shut down. Hundred of thousands of folks are losing their jobs monthly and several thousand folks are losing their health care on a daily basis. He would have been a total fool to immediately jump into the issue of gay marriage or the abolishment of DADT. He will get there but to label him as a coward is counter productive and to talk about some "honeymoon" that never existed is silly. Having said this I do believe we as gay constituents should continue to hold his feet to the fire. I love it that Anna Marie Cox is on a daily basis confronting his press secretary. We need to keep active and above all keep the faith. It is going to happen sooner than I would have ever dreamed in my lifetime. IMHO

[cali]

39. whatever else he may be, he's clearly no coward.

[livefreest]

40. repealing DADT is not about the changing of a policy only. it's about the lives being derailed,

being disturbed. It's about careers, very promising careers like Lt. Dan Choi's, brilliant, stellar careers like Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach's, and many more women and men in the military seeing their careers destroyed, all due to bigotry.
This makes waiting for an opportune time, after moving less controversial agenda ahead, intolerable. This far nothing President Obama has done or proposed has met any support or respectful disagreement from the republicans or the conservatives. so why wait to repeal a law that discriminates on the grounds of waiting to get less controversial bills out of the way?

I believe he should have suspended DADT on January 20th, and let the right wingers hammer him over it at the same time as their hammer him over abortion, spending, redistribution, etc...President Obama can still suspend implementation of DADT today, get criticism now, and it will blow over. However with Dick Cheney making such a ruckus over security i don't think the evangelical right will have much air-time.

President Obama has no justification for not repealing DADT

[Dragonfli]

41. K&R

[skepticscott]

42. People need to ask themselves

and continue to ask themselves on a regular basis, what things have Barack Obama and his administration fought hard for and what things have they fought hard against? Not just what has been talked about in flowery and elevated language, or what has been accomplished with the stroke of a pen, but what things have real political effort and capital been expended on. By this shall we truly know him.

[placton]

43. Let's Not Criticize Obama!

He has a secret plan! It will all turn out great! He has our best interests at heart! Such a pretty family! He needs to break promises to get things done that he promised to do!!

[fair trade soy chai]

55. I heart Bo! n/t

[Canuckistanian]

44. SOMETHING, Obama. Just give us SOMETHING.

A clue, an indication, just ONE SMALL THING.

It doesn't have to be much. Just a concrete, meaningful.... WHATEVER.

NOW is the time to "get the powder wet". You have the power.

Do SOMETHING!

[Lorien]

50. What Obama and congress fail to grasp is that they were hired to "rock the

boat". How that fact managed to so quickly leave their minds-after saying "Change we can believe in" thousands of times, and winning because of it-absolutely baffles me.

"Fortune favors the brave"-old British saying.

[Bluebear]

54. .