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News & ArtsTuesday, November 18, 2008
2008 / Homo The LGBT Community: Acknowledged by Obama
Posted by David Schmader on Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 8:05 AM
Sent last night to Last Days, from Hot Tipper Michael:
I know I wasn't alone in being very disappointed when I checked Obama's change.gov website the last few weeks and couldn't even find the word "gay", not using the search facility, not under civil rights, nothing; I saw many people comment on this, and it was very disappointing, especially in light of Prop. 8.Well, at some point in the last few days that has changed.
1
Wow! They say everything right except using the word "marriage." I'll take that -- full federal civil rights equal to marriage while leaving the naming up to the states for now. He even includes banning discrimination based on gender identity/expression, something not even the (now obsolete) HRC supported. Now he just needs to act on his promises -- I'm keeping my hopes up.
5
Wow - I'm dumbfounded and at a loss for words.
Obama just keeps on inspiring me.
He's gonna be shot....
Obama just keeps on inspiring me.
He's gonna be shot....
6
oh. my. god.
pretty dammed good.
can you even imagine a McPalin or a Bush putting that in writing? they would implode.
pretty dammed good.
can you even imagine a McPalin or a Bush putting that in writing? they would implode.
8
Wahhhh, we need special attention. You're like everyone else, thats how you want it, then act like it.
9
Wow. Taking on topics like needle exchange programs and topical AIDS creams seems ballsy to me. And wonderful, of course.
p.s. I dislike the new comment system. Can't we just register for user-names?
p.s. I dislike the new comment system. Can't we just register for user-names?
10
The job application page also says the transition team will discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
http://change.gov/page/s/application
http://change.gov/page/s/application
12
I like it.
My only comment would be that empowering women to prevent the spread of HIV is a little misplaced under LGBT rights.
My only comment would be that empowering women to prevent the spread of HIV is a little misplaced under LGBT rights.
13
Erin,
I thought the same thing, and used the contact form on the change.gov website to point this out to them. A few days after the site launched I used that contact form to point out a technical issue and it was fixed almost immediately, so hopefully they will respond to this as well. I pointed out that having the empowerment of women to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS under the LGBT rights "section" could perpetuate the myth that HIV/AIDS is an LGBT-only problem, which, I'm sure, is not their intent.
I thought the same thing, and used the contact form on the change.gov website to point this out to them. A few days after the site launched I used that contact form to point out a technical issue and it was fixed almost immediately, so hopefully they will respond to this as well. I pointed out that having the empowerment of women to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS under the LGBT rights "section" could perpetuate the myth that HIV/AIDS is an LGBT-only problem, which, I'm sure, is not their intent.
15
Uhm, it was the campaigns civil rights agenda. Not their GAY civil rights agenda. I'm more than happy they gave so much lip service to that group, though. That's awesome.
16
I think what's said there is indeed a really good step on the right direction. However, it is true that the HIV/AIDS subject (which is directly under 'Support for the LGBT Community') should be addressed in a different point. Nowadays, the spread of HIV/AIDS is much higher in the heterossexual community than in the gay one.
I'm even more amazed with the placement of the last point: 'Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS'. Since we are under the topic of LGBT I suppose that again it addresses this community. But the reality is that HIV/AIDS was never a problematic concern on the lesbian community which has the lower spread of all. It can be a bigger concern of the bissexual women's community (spread numbers not known, at least by me), but still not as problematic as it is to the heterossexual group.
I do agree with all it's said -- just not with the placement of the last 2 points, which should be, the first, under general health (and education) and the second under (women's) general civil rights.
I hope that someone will write Change.gov and pass along the concerns. (Not me, since I'm not American. Writing my opinion here is different than expressing it directly to the next presidential administration.)
I'm even more amazed with the placement of the last point: 'Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS'. Since we are under the topic of LGBT I suppose that again it addresses this community. But the reality is that HIV/AIDS was never a problematic concern on the lesbian community which has the lower spread of all. It can be a bigger concern of the bissexual women's community (spread numbers not known, at least by me), but still not as problematic as it is to the heterossexual group.
I do agree with all it's said -- just not with the placement of the last 2 points, which should be, the first, under general health (and education) and the second under (women's) general civil rights.
I hope that someone will write Change.gov and pass along the concerns. (Not me, since I'm not American. Writing my opinion here is different than expressing it directly to the next presidential administration.)
18
Here's another glass of Prop 8 lemonade.
Mike Rogers over at BlogActive identified a Subways franchisee as a donor to Yes on Prop 8. Since Subways gets regular checks from its franchises, Rogers figured the parent company had a responsibility to respond. So he quietly followed up and gave the head office time to act before it blew up in their face.
Of course, Rogers suggested that the appropriate response would include an equal contribution to a pro-LGBT organization and the immediate addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to the company's non-discrimination policy. And the slight threat of a boycott if the company didn't act quickly.
And what do you know? Subways did it. So now employees at 30,000 franchises are protected against discrimination.
The whole story is at www.blogactive.com.
Mike Rogers over at BlogActive identified a Subways franchisee as a donor to Yes on Prop 8. Since Subways gets regular checks from its franchises, Rogers figured the parent company had a responsibility to respond. So he quietly followed up and gave the head office time to act before it blew up in their face.
Of course, Rogers suggested that the appropriate response would include an equal contribution to a pro-LGBT organization and the immediate addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to the company's non-discrimination policy. And the slight threat of a boycott if the company didn't act quickly.
And what do you know? Subways did it. So now employees at 30,000 franchises are protected against discrimination.
The whole story is at www.blogactive.com.
19
"Uhm, it was the campaigns civil rights agenda. Not their GAY civil rights agenda. "
Gay rights are civil rights, you dumbshit. Don't be such a negative queen.
Gay rights are civil rights, you dumbshit. Don't be such a negative queen.
20
The news that Focus on the Family is laying people off because they spent so much $ on Prop 8 should warm people's hearts:
http://coloradoindependent.com/15287/aft…
http://coloradoindependent.com/15287/aft…
22
I'm just wondering, what do other people think of the hate crime statutes? I don't like the idea of punishing thought. Although I don't agree with them, people have the right to be bigoted asshats. When their thoughts turn into violent actions, then there's a problem. That's why we have battery, murder, etc. charges. I just get nervous when we start regulating thoughts. Thoughts?
23
LaLupe, hate crime statutes are a way to force the hand of cops, prosecutors, judges and juries who customarily have gone easy on straight people who attack queers.
So it's not aimed at the offender, it's aimed at the system. It's a blunt instrument, but it's kind of been a last resort, having tried everything else.
Let's be patient, but keep on the watch for any troubling "thought police" type spillover, which would be a very unwanted secondary consequence.
So it's not aimed at the offender, it's aimed at the system. It's a blunt instrument, but it's kind of been a last resort, having tried everything else.
Let's be patient, but keep on the watch for any troubling "thought police" type spillover, which would be a very unwanted secondary consequence.
24
@7 - being this progressive would make him unelectable. It's on his site now because now it is safe to take a stronger stance on this stuff. I was optimistic all along that he would "do the right thing" once in office, and really wished that people would lay off him for not coming out strong against prop 8. Now he is in a position to effect real, lasting change (like appointing pro-civil rights supreme court justices who will eventually overturn laws such as prop 8). Slow and steady people. I hope you will remember this in 2012, when he will probably again distance himself from issues like gay rights and abortion: He is on the right side of these issues, but if he rams his views down the throats of sex-terrified, overchurched middle america, Sarah Palin will be our president in 2012. Please make a note of it.
25
Ugh. Can you imagine what a stripper in Toledo might actually look like? I just threw up a little in my mouth.
26
I honestly can't believe any self respecting LGBT even bought into this guys BS. It is no secrete that he never supported gays or gay marriages. It was all over that he refused to be photographed with Mayor Newsom
http://blog.oregonlive.com/qpdx/2008/02/…
He put on a Tour of the south promoting many anti-gay singers last year
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/us/pol…
http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2…
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story…
And now you all are pissing on yourself because he has decided to put this up on his new website... after, and only after he got bitched slapped by the results of this, now he is supportive of Gay rights??? You've got to be kidding me.? This guy is such a fraud and we are stuck with him and his lies for 4 years, what a joke.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/qpdx/2008/02/…
He put on a Tour of the south promoting many anti-gay singers last year
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/us/pol…
http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2…
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story…
And now you all are pissing on yourself because he has decided to put this up on his new website... after, and only after he got bitched slapped by the results of this, now he is supportive of Gay rights??? You've got to be kidding me.? This guy is such a fraud and we are stuck with him and his lies for 4 years, what a joke.
27
@22: We already "punish thought" in a number of other ways in our legal system. I suppose one of the better examples might be the fact that we consider first degree murder to be a more serious crime than second degree murder, which is more serious than voluntary manslaughter, which is more serious than involuntary manslaughter. I mean, it shouldn't matter, right? The victim's dead, regardless. But intent - the killer's thoughts - makes a difference in how we treat these crimes.
A person who is determined to have attacked/murdered a member of a minority group specifically because of his or her membership in that group has not only attacked/killed one person, but has also carried out an explicit threat of violence toward all members of that group. Like burning a cross on the lawn of a black family--you're not just trespassing and destroying property (or whatever the individual charges would be there), you're also committing an act of terrorism against all black people in that neighborhood.
A person who is determined to have attacked/murdered a member of a minority group specifically because of his or her membership in that group has not only attacked/killed one person, but has also carried out an explicit threat of violence toward all members of that group. Like burning a cross on the lawn of a black family--you're not just trespassing and destroying property (or whatever the individual charges would be there), you're also committing an act of terrorism against all black people in that neighborhood.
29
#26 say obama never supported gay causes before..
but these says otherwise
on pop 8
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1051404.…
this from a speech given at ebenezer baptist church last january
'
For most of this country’s history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.
And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.
We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity. '
president elect buying gay ads in february
http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2…
and of course this mention in slog last february
http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2…
all this BEFORE he got 'bitch slapped' by the gays..
but these says otherwise
on pop 8
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1051404.…
this from a speech given at ebenezer baptist church last january
'
For most of this country’s history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.
And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.
We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity. '
president elect buying gay ads in february
http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2…
and of course this mention in slog last february
http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2…
all this BEFORE he got 'bitch slapped' by the gays..
30
I read this post this morning and could hardly believe it. I wondered if change.gov had been hacked. Soon, tears were streaming down my face. There's the plan for change. I'm sure it will take time and work by all of us to get there, but I'm hopeful it will be only a few years, not another generation. I think the nationwide (plus 9 countries) protests last Saturday made an impact. I am glad I participated.
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