President Obama: Homosexuality is not a choice

[cal04]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/14/obama.homosexuality/

President Barack Obama said Thursday that he believes homosexuality is not a choice, but the result of people being born with "a certain make-up."

Asked directly if gay or transgender people have a choice or are born that way, Obama told a town-hall style event with students that he was no expert, then added: "I don't think it's a choice. I think people are born with a certain make-up."

"We're all children of God," Obama said. "We don't make determinations about who we love. That's why I think discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is wrong."

[rug]

1. Then he has no excuse for disparity.

[ClarkUSA]

2. You should have told that to Bill Clinton before he signed DADT and DOMA into the law of the land.

[rug]

5. The phone call was too short.

:eyes:

[d_b]

73. lols

[firedupdem]

8. Come on Clark...

You know Bill gets a pass. Every rep who voted against ending DADT gets a pass as well. It's all about OBAMA!

[rug]

10. .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9318624

[ClarkUSA]

26. Big deal. That makes up for Bubba signing the most homophobic laws this nation has known?

Bill Clinton never wanted to do anything to repeal DADT and DOMA. But keep giving him a pass and blame President Obama for everything to do with DADT.

You are so obvious.

[rug]

31. It's been ruled unconstitutional. All he has to do is nothing.

Doing nothing is such a risk.

[ClarkUSA]

34. Go tell it to Congress. Scapegoating Pres. Obama is absurd considering he needs Congress to act.

You're so obvious.

[rug]

37. Nice try. Congress doesn't control Justice.

You're so obvious.

[ClarkUSA]

40. Neither does President Obama, a fact you and others seem to forget daily. Congress can repeal DADT.

These facts are clear, no matter how much some people would like to muddy the waters with the Outrage of the Day.

Yes, I'm obviously an Obama supporter, like 85% of all self-described liberals in this country (see Gallup poll for week ending Oct. 3).

[rug]

41. Oh really? Kindly show me the link demonstrating the Justice Department is an independent agency.

You're recycling arguments.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ClarkUSA]

47. lol! Strawman arguments are not meant to be proven.

And your graph doesn't prove that President Obama is able to directly control what the Justice Department does.

Quote the part in the Constitution where it says a POTUS is allowed to do that. No more lame graphs, please. :eyes:

[rug]

48. Still no corroboartion that Justice is independent.

Fortunately, I'm patient. :boring:

[ClarkUSA]

50. Prove that I said that in this subthread. Quote me.

:)

[rug]

52. "Neither does President Obama".

If he doesn't control this executive agency, it's independent of the President.

[ClarkUSA]

54. lol! Nice stretch of the imagination ya got there. Is that all you have?

Why do you think BushCo's Alberto Gonzalex had to resign?

[rug]

57. Really? Where in the Constitution?

Conversely, what document establishes the Justice Department outside the President's "direct and total control"?

[ClarkUSA]

59. lol! You tell me.

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ClarkUSA]

62. The Justice Dep't.'s orderly defenses of laws passed by Congress is constitutionally sound.

Unlike you, my "point" is not mere opinion.

[rug]

63. Give my regards to Clarence.

[ClarkUSA]

64. Give my regards to Jane Hamsher.

[ClarkUSA]

51. Who said that? Quote me. I never said that.

:)

[rug]

53. You said it once and denied it twice.

What part of the word "control" eludes you?

[ClarkUSA]

55. Still no quote? That's probably because I never said that.

Why do you think BushCo's Alberto Gonzalex had to resign?

[rug]

58. You're repeating yourself.

[ClarkUSA]

60. Just covering the bases. Scapegoating Obama re: DADT is truly absurd.

[CBR]

29. and we all know why. nt

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

30. EXACTLY!! Everyone else's dirty laundry has to be blamed on Obama! n/t

[AtomicKitten]

9. Some people seem oddly okay with BClinton signing DADT & DOMA into law.

They claim signing these prevented a Constitutional amendment, a lame excuse as it turns out because there was never any danger of getting the required two-thirds vote.

Go figure.

[ClarkUSA]

35. Some people think everything Obama has said or done has been an OUTRAGE since 2008.

Don't worry, when Hillary takes her rightful place as co-president next to the homophobic asshole who signed DADT and DOMA into law, all of America's troubles will melt away!

:eyes:

[Exilednight]

67. Alright. Well this is another chance for Obama to keep a campaign promise, and the courts made ....

made it simple for him. All he has to do is not appeal the court rulings and DADT will come to an end. He promised to stop it, and now is his chance. All he needs to do is sit on his hands for 60 days and the law comes off the books - end of story.

[scheming daemons]

He's working the problem.... Not easy in a centrist nation....

...but he's moving it to the left on LGBT issues, albeit slower than would be ideal.

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

33. "centrism" is a false construct.

It comes down to common sense, fairness, and decency. And none of those words can be used to describe discrimination of any kind.

[Exilednight]

75. A centrist nation where over 70% of the population want DADT done away with. n/t

[mkultra]

13. when he gets it done you can claim that it was all you then

that your irrational hatred actually made a difference.

[rug]

19. Thank you for a rational post.

[mkultra]

36. all thanks for rational posts go to you and The League of Unusual Anger

[rug]

38. My regards to the League of the Usual Shill.

[mkultra]

39. otherwise known as democrats?

[rug]

42. You may want to rethink what you typed.

[Capn Sunshine]

56. Yeah, I hear people have to watch what they say and do these days

Zombie Ari Fliesher stalks the WH Press room at night

[treestar]

25. Or Congress has no excuse?

If the bill to repeal it was on his desk, he would sign it.

That's why he needs support rather than blame. And work on the Senators. It's not going to go away for good until there is a Senate that will allow a vote on a repeal.

Why do not people put effort on where it needs to be put?

[rug]

32. Congress is not appealing.

[Phx_Dem]

45. Then it's a good thing he has never disparaged them. Or anyone else.

[rug]

49. Stop casting asparagus.

[derby378]

3. What about discrimination on the basis of gender?

Which, last I heard, is what health insurance reform does.

[Thrill]

17. Didn't he sign the Lily Ledbetter law?

[NJmaverick]

20. The last I heard the President tripled the female representation on the Supreme Court

[derby378]

21. But do those female justices enjoy the same unfettered access to medical care...

...that their male counterparts do?

The insurance reform bill, thanks to Stupak, says they do not.

[NJmaverick]

22. Those females are the gate keepers of ALL rights

details of a medical bill is TRIVIAL by comparison

[treestar]

27. Aren't they post menopause?

Women should be that old before they can get on the court. (kidding)

[Behind the Aegis]

4. "That's why I think discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is wrong."

Did he explain his stance against marriage equality?

[geek tragedy]

7. "I'm a politician running a national campaign, what do you expect me to say?" nt

[The Doctor.]

69. How DARE he be a politician!!

What with the calculating to get and stay elected in order to affect some good!

Hell NO! We want an IDEALIST community organizer in Chicago with REAL equality principles bringing full equalit to America!

[LonePirate]

14. Slow down! He sort of just acknowledged being gay is immutable. Those must have been painful words

For him to speak. We shouldn't expect him to end his opposition to same-sex marriage until at least 2021 or maybe 2017 if he loses re-election in 2012.

[firedupdem]

6. K&R n/t

[Smashcut]

11. "That's why I think discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is wrong."

Obama quickly added, "Unless you want to get married. Because marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."*

* Barack Obama - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/us/politics/01marriage.html

[DCKit]

12. OMG, now he's saying all gay's wear make-up.

Will the nightmare never end? :sarcasm:

[Radical Activist]

23. lol

[JNelson6563]

28. lolz

:toast:

[mkultra]

15. this is bad because its clearly not true

wait...uh....It is the truth and its good. DAMMIT i wanted to bash him. quick, someone give me an anti-obama talking point!

[VMI Dem]

16. President Obama: "I consider marriage to be between a man and a woman."

:shrug:

[ClarkUSA]

24. So did every presidential candidate incl. DLC darling Hillary. Bubba felt that way until Sept. 2009.

Your point is?

[Cleobulus]

68. not Dennis Kucinich. n/t

[The Doctor.]

70. Which is why he sits in The White House today.

It may suck, but here in reality TPTB won't allow a DK into power. He makes his positions as a people's advocate too well known.

[Arkana]

18. That's the biggest "uh DUH" of the century.

[Arugula Latte]

44. I ain't no child of Gawd.

I get the point he's making, but I want no part of the mythological deity, thanks anyway.

[cherokeeprogressive]

65. Your subject line is a pretty good spin on what he actually said. "I don't THINK it's a choice"

He kicked the ball back into the other court by not saying "I KNOW it's not a choice".

[young but wise]

66. ...............

:eyes:

[gaspee]

71. I cannot believe

How much bullying is in this thread. I kind of stopped posting at DU when the anti-GLBT attitudes (Pony, shrill, wait, wait, wait to be considered human, it's "the gays" fault we're going to lose the house, etc) of many of the loudest members became quite apparent. I didn't need the grief or the emotional gut-punch that could happen on even a seemingly innocent, unrelated thread. . But this one thread, the one that made me think Obama might actually get it, finally, is so filled with bullying, I won't make the mistake of reading these threads any more. I don't need the grief.

[Lyric]

74. I highly recommend Ignore.

I look at this thread and see an ocean of "Ignored"s and a few interspersed replies from the sane. It's like cutting out a disease. So refreshing. Try it--believe me, you won't regret it.

:hi:

[readmoreoften]

72. It's an inborn deficiency that you should be punished for.

Apparently.

[terrya]

76. I wish he didn't reference god in his answer.

Honestly, I had enough of that "god" crap from his predecessor.

And...you shouldn't have to "think" that it's not a choice. I did not wake up one morning and decide I was attracted to men.