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News & ArtsTuesday, June 16, 2009
Politics / Homo NYT, WSJ, MSNBC: Obama Fucked Up
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 7:44 AM
There was some behind-the-scenes grumbling last week after the mainstream media completely ignored the White House's stunning DOMA betrayal. The media apparently didn't think it was a story that Obama—who campaigned on repealing DOMA—came out strongly in defense of DOMA, that it wasn't a story that Barack Obama compared gay marriage to incest and child rape and claimed that DOMA, a law Obama once described a "abhorrent," was a benign statute that did not discriminate against gays and lesbians... because gay people are free to marry opposite-sex partners just like straight people. The gay story that did get coverage in the mainstream media? Some photos surfaced that showed a prominent gay man having gay sex.
But the mainstream media is coming around thanks to the screaming and yelling in the blogosphere and a well-timed letter from HRC.
The lead editorial in today's NYT:
In the presidential campaign, President Obama declared that he would work to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act. Now, the administration appears to be defending it out of a sense of obligation to support a validly enacted Congressional law. There is a strong presumption that the Justice Department will defend federal laws, but it is not an inviolable rule.If the administration does feel compelled to defend the act, it should do so in a less hurtful way. It could have crafted its legal arguments in general terms, as a simple description of where it believes the law now stands. There was no need to resort to specious arguments and inflammatory language to impugn same-sex marriage as an institution.... The administration has had its hands full with the financial crisis, health care, Guantánamo Bay and other pressing matters. In times like these, issues like repealing the marriage act can seem like a distraction—or a political liability. But busy calendars and political expediency are no excuse for making one group of Americans wait any longer for equal rights.
A story at WSJ:
As a candidate for president, Mr. Obama said he would try to repeal the law known as DOMA.... But on Friday, the Obama administration filed a brief seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer, a California couple married during the brief period when gay marriage was legal in the state, who are challenging the 1996 federal act.The letter Monday from Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese included a detailed critique of the administration's filing. "This brief would not have seen the light of day if someone in your administration who truly recognized our humanity and equality had weighed in with you," he wrote.
Last night Howard Dean spent nearly 10 minutes dismantling DOMA on Rachel Maddow:
As for this quote in the WSJ...
In a statement, White House spokesman Shin Inouye said it has already begun working to help gay and lesbian Americans achieve equal rights. "The president remains strongly committed to signing a legislative repeal of DOMA into law," he said.
Does he? And the White House is already working... on what exactly? Not ending DADT, not repealing DOMA. The only action we've seen from the Obama administration where the rights of gay and lesbian Americans are concerned is the despicable DOMA brief filed last Friday, a document that assaulted gay and lesbian Americans in the vilest possible way.
The Obama administration has to file another DOMA brief in Boston by June 22. What's that one going to look like?
2
Before the naysayers log on and start chiding you for keeping the heat up - I just want to say that if it weren't for the efforts of Dan, John, and others who have been working to keep abreast of developments that otherwise might have slipped under the radar and gone unreported we wouldn't be seeing this being covered in the mainstream press.
It is doubtful that they 'would have got around to it' or even given it any notice at all were it not for the alert few who have made sure that situations, like the one with a Bush-holdover trying to sneak in anti-gay legal arguments, are exposed.
For that I and many others thank you.
It is doubtful that they 'would have got around to it' or even given it any notice at all were it not for the alert few who have made sure that situations, like the one with a Bush-holdover trying to sneak in anti-gay legal arguments, are exposed.
For that I and many others thank you.
3
I'm glad we can at least count on Maddow to hold POTUS's feet to the fire on these issues in the tv news world. We have got to maintain our fury until we are definitively answered. Keep it up Dan!
4
This would be a good time to announce a Summer of Marriage march from Me. to DC with gay couples (and their kids) to demand full recognition and equlaity. Go across VT. and hit Albany when they pass a bil, have a mega crowd in NYC, march right up to the white house.
Imagine the kids of gay coupls holding up signs?
"Recognize Us!" and "Obama: Be a Promise Keeper!"
and "Pro-Marriage, Pro Family, Pro Full Faith and Credit!" (okay that's an insider joke).
Traverse G. Washington footsteps whenever possible ("we're seeking our freedom, too, like GW in 1777"). All the stops in cities present huge media opportunities. I would expect the part in NYC to be a million person march, you have about 10 million supporters of gay equality there.
(Just skip Fire Island, ok? Environmentally it couldn't take the crowds).
If you don't do something like that after being royally stabbed in the back, by the PResident of the USA, then really:
--it's never going to be time, and
--you're communicating it's okay to be dismissed and rejected and treated like shit.
This DOMA brief was a throwing down of the gauntlet -- you gotta pick it up!
Imagine the kids of gay coupls holding up signs?
"Recognize Us!" and "Obama: Be a Promise Keeper!"
and "Pro-Marriage, Pro Family, Pro Full Faith and Credit!" (okay that's an insider joke).
Traverse G. Washington footsteps whenever possible ("we're seeking our freedom, too, like GW in 1777"). All the stops in cities present huge media opportunities. I would expect the part in NYC to be a million person march, you have about 10 million supporters of gay equality there.
(Just skip Fire Island, ok? Environmentally it couldn't take the crowds).
If you don't do something like that after being royally stabbed in the back, by the PResident of the USA, then really:
--it's never going to be time, and
--you're communicating it's okay to be dismissed and rejected and treated like shit.
This DOMA brief was a throwing down of the gauntlet -- you gotta pick it up!
7
Squeaky wheels get the grease evahbody else already got, so let's keep squeakin'. I been emailing le president at whitehouse.gov.
9
@7: It should be at least a weekly thing for anyone who desires change. Unfortunately, we wait until we get slapped around to get outraged.
11
"The only action we've seen from the Obama administration where the rights of gay and lesbian Americans are concerned is the despicable DOMA brief filed last Friday, a document that assaulted gay and lesbian Americans in the vilest possible way."
That's not true, Obama also made jokes about homosexuals at various fundraising dinners.
He's either a liar, or he's ignorant. Neither one is good.
That's not true, Obama also made jokes about homosexuals at various fundraising dinners.
He's either a liar, or he's ignorant. Neither one is good.
12
i never thought i would type these words, but: man, HRC did a good job on this issue. The letter is well crafted, and doesn't tiptoe around the issue that the white house severely screwed up. i'm so used to HRC being afraid to offend anyone, but they really stepped up on this.
14
Thank God for Rachel Maddow.
There's a really good reason why BHO is not acting on these issues now - I wish we all could find out who it is.
There's a really good reason why BHO is not acting on these issues now - I wish we all could find out who it is.
15
Now we've got a healthcare reform, an economic recession and two wars to deal with and Howard Dean is right in that the administration should have kept away from these divisive issues at this time.
The best that can be done concerning this right now is for the administration to leave it to the republicans who feed on this kind of stuff to get votes and concern itself with issues that affect all american citizens.
The vast majority of americans are struggling to make ends meat, to survive, pay their mortgages, that's what needs fixing and that's what most americans put him into office for.
The best that can be done concerning this right now is for the administration to leave it to the republicans who feed on this kind of stuff to get votes and concern itself with issues that affect all american citizens.
The vast majority of americans are struggling to make ends meat, to survive, pay their mortgages, that's what needs fixing and that's what most americans put him into office for.
16
Stand up, keep demanding, fight with integrity. We humans are prone to becoming self absorbed, and "out of sight" quickly turns to "out of mind". Inequality and second class citizenry should never be allowed to become "out of mind".
18
I just sent this e-mail to Obama:
This married heterosexual lady wants to know why President Obama so completely reversed his campaign promises to afford full civil rights to gay people. This week's incredibly insulting white house statement regarding the legitimacy of DOMA and the president's foot-dragging regarding overturning DADT make this administration look like liars, election stealers, and Bush-lite thugs. For the first time in my life, I donated $600.00 of my hard-earned teacher's salary to a presidential campaign (Obama's). I feel like I've been duped! There is no politically sensible reason for throwing gay people under the bus. A majority of Americans now understand that same-sex orientation is like left-handedness -- a minority but legitimate character trait that is neither dangerous nor a character flaw. If the president is trying to pacify the hard-core conservatives, he is wasting his energy as they have clearly shown they will simply scream "NO NO NO" regardless of the president's actions. DADT especially could be overturned with the stroke of a pen without drawing attention away from the economy or health care reform. There is just no excuse. To paraphrase Atticus Finch from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: "For God's sake, do your duty!"
This married heterosexual lady wants to know why President Obama so completely reversed his campaign promises to afford full civil rights to gay people. This week's incredibly insulting white house statement regarding the legitimacy of DOMA and the president's foot-dragging regarding overturning DADT make this administration look like liars, election stealers, and Bush-lite thugs. For the first time in my life, I donated $600.00 of my hard-earned teacher's salary to a presidential campaign (Obama's). I feel like I've been duped! There is no politically sensible reason for throwing gay people under the bus. A majority of Americans now understand that same-sex orientation is like left-handedness -- a minority but legitimate character trait that is neither dangerous nor a character flaw. If the president is trying to pacify the hard-core conservatives, he is wasting his energy as they have clearly shown they will simply scream "NO NO NO" regardless of the president's actions. DADT especially could be overturned with the stroke of a pen without drawing attention away from the economy or health care reform. There is just no excuse. To paraphrase Atticus Finch from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: "For God's sake, do your duty!"
19
Loveschild @15,
Oh, so the only problem is that this is bad timing? Busy guy with the economy and war and whatnot?
So tell me, when would be a convenient time for me to want my civil rights?
Oh, so the only problem is that this is bad timing? Busy guy with the economy and war and whatnot?
So tell me, when would be a convenient time for me to want my civil rights?
20
My HRC baseball cap may have to come out of the closet if they're going to start acting all good and true and also fierce.
Nice letter, 18. Thank you!
Nice letter, 18. Thank you!
21
@18 Thanks for the letter. I sent mine off to my representative and senators last night.
And I've never been one to get into politics too actively (aside from giving what I could afford to the Obama campaign--I've called them up asking for a refund).
But thanks to this betrayal I've been motivated to actually get out and start volunteering. We'll see what happens.
And I've never been one to get into politics too actively (aside from giving what I could afford to the Obama campaign--I've called them up asking for a refund).
But thanks to this betrayal I've been motivated to actually get out and start volunteering. We'll see what happens.
22
Reverse Polarity @ 19,
I could be wrong, but I don't think its a timing issue (see # 43 and # 48) http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…
I could be wrong, but I don't think its a timing issue (see # 43 and # 48) http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…
23
For all of you demanding a march on DC -- you'd accomplish a lot more if you were out as couples in daily life. Where are all the publically gay couples outside Capital Hill? Why do we never see any of you holding hands in line at the movies, or at the mall or in the parks, as the straight couples do constantly? How about a "march" as couples in hometown USA?
25
19 Do you think that it's prudent for DADT to be repealed during this time when we're engaged in two conflicts in Muslim lands? Probably another one with Iran on the horizon It may seem alright to you but the lives of our service men and women depend in part in the decisions that the President makes, things change once you realize that the lives of others are in your hands. It's not even a year since he's taken office, he's trying to bring back our economy to health, people our loosing their jobs, he's trying to fix a healthcare system in shambles, he's on the verge of signing a hates crime bill into law (even if Mr Savage belittles it), something that Bush nor any other republican would've done and people like you think that gay marriage needs to be at the front of his workload?
So tell me, do you think this is the appropriate time for instigating this?
So tell me, do you think this is the appropriate time for instigating this?
26
@23 for the insightful win.
Until you start treating yourself as married and demanding your rights - in public - every second of every hour of every day - you won't win.
Just ask those in South Africa why Apartheid crumbled.
Marching may feel good, and it does have it's place, but conscious confrontation in a polite but assured manner forces more change.
Until you start treating yourself as married and demanding your rights - in public - every second of every hour of every day - you won't win.
Just ask those in South Africa why Apartheid crumbled.
Marching may feel good, and it does have it's place, but conscious confrontation in a polite but assured manner forces more change.
27
I am very thankful to you, Dan, for not shutting-the-fuck-up about this. I really like your in-one-ear-out-the-other response to those cruds and trolls on Slog, and I should try to emulate it when dealing with real-life trolls.
28
@25, yes, now is EXACTLY the time to repeal DADT. Kicking out Arabic translators because they're gay while we're in the middle of a war and desperately need Arabic translators seems like the height of stupidity to me. Kicking out ANYONE who actively wants to serve at a time when we are using stop-loss to prevent people from leaving the military at the end of their enlistment and lowering standards for new recruits to try to fill vacancies seems like the height of stupidity to me.
I get that you are against gay rights, and have consistently been so as long as you've been on Slog. I just think your timing argument is a completely specious one.
Obama has a staff. He seems quite capable of multi-tasking. Civil rights isn't an either/or thing. Pursuing civil rights doesn't mean that we have to give up working on the economy for a month while we deal with DOMA. It doesn't mean we stop fighting a war to deal with DADT. If you recall, we were in the middle of the Vietnam war and yet still managed to pass the civil rights act in the late 1960s. Both at the same time!
I get that you are against gay rights, and have consistently been so as long as you've been on Slog. I just think your timing argument is a completely specious one.
Obama has a staff. He seems quite capable of multi-tasking. Civil rights isn't an either/or thing. Pursuing civil rights doesn't mean that we have to give up working on the economy for a month while we deal with DOMA. It doesn't mean we stop fighting a war to deal with DADT. If you recall, we were in the middle of the Vietnam war and yet still managed to pass the civil rights act in the late 1960s. Both at the same time!
29
Unfortunately, #25, you phrase this as a rhetorical question, and I don't think you really care for an answer.
So tell me, do you think this is the appropriate time for instigating this?
1. The appropriate time is now if not before.
2. "Instigate" is a provocative word - we're not storming the Bastille here - we're "asking" that our IOUs be honored.
Once again, Harry Truman had just as large a mess on his plate when he integrated the US military by executive order in 1948. Because it was the right thing to do and Harry had a pair. Obama has the opportunity to obviate DADT and DOMA because it is the right thing to do. Whether he has a pair or not remains to be seen.
So tell me, do you think this is the appropriate time for instigating this?
1. The appropriate time is now if not before.
2. "Instigate" is a provocative word - we're not storming the Bastille here - we're "asking" that our IOUs be honored.
Once again, Harry Truman had just as large a mess on his plate when he integrated the US military by executive order in 1948. Because it was the right thing to do and Harry had a pair. Obama has the opportunity to obviate DADT and DOMA because it is the right thing to do. Whether he has a pair or not remains to be seen.
30
What would happen if every day 50 gay couples legally married in Canada or California or some other state demanded their rights at King County Courthouse?
And the Seattle School District?
And every other public or private office?
No one will give you your rights.
You must take ACTION and demand them.
Marches won't do it - they may embolden your spirit - but it's the persistent ACTION that will cause change.
Learn from Gandhi - be polite but demand your rights as equals. Consistently. Persistently.
This is what causes change. ACTION.
And the Seattle School District?
And every other public or private office?
No one will give you your rights.
You must take ACTION and demand them.
Marches won't do it - they may embolden your spirit - but it's the persistent ACTION that will cause change.
Learn from Gandhi - be polite but demand your rights as equals. Consistently. Persistently.
This is what causes change. ACTION.
31
28 Believe it or not I agree with you, kicking out those arabic translators was a stupid move. If your gay and serving in the military, so long as you're not disrupting unit cohesion and other service members then I agree with you that the generals should look the other way.
All I'm saying is that it would be a wrong headed move for the President to take this issue on now and risk loosing it all, when there's so much he can accomplish now that he's still relative fresh on the job and has so much goodwill going on for him.
And to be clear just because I support traditional marriage and I'm not for gay marriage doesn't mean that I'm "against gay right", I shouldn't have to say this because I'm a firm believer in Matthew 6:3 but just as I have contributed to organizations like protect marriage WA I have also contributed to others for AIDS research and I have contacted my representatives and contributed for hate crimes legislation and even for enda. I believe many other commenters here on Slog are just like me, and its alienating to us when we are characterized wrongly as being against gay people. I've made jokes here that on hindsight now I recognize I shouldn't have but that in no way means that I feel any animosity for gays.
All I'm saying is that it would be a wrong headed move for the President to take this issue on now and risk loosing it all, when there's so much he can accomplish now that he's still relative fresh on the job and has so much goodwill going on for him.
And to be clear just because I support traditional marriage and I'm not for gay marriage doesn't mean that I'm "against gay right", I shouldn't have to say this because I'm a firm believer in Matthew 6:3 but just as I have contributed to organizations like protect marriage WA I have also contributed to others for AIDS research and I have contacted my representatives and contributed for hate crimes legislation and even for enda. I believe many other commenters here on Slog are just like me, and its alienating to us when we are characterized wrongly as being against gay people. I've made jokes here that on hindsight now I recognize I shouldn't have but that in no way means that I feel any animosity for gays.
32
@28 - I'm so confused...
Matthew 6:3 ---[quote] But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. [unquote]
Your right hand is hoping your left hand is like 'don't ask, don't tell' - so long as you're not disrupting unit cohesion and other service members then I agree with you that the generals should look the other way.
Matthew 6:3 ---[quote] But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. [unquote]
Your right hand is hoping your left hand is like 'don't ask, don't tell' - so long as you're not disrupting unit cohesion and other service members then I agree with you that the generals should look the other way.
34
I don't mind Dan keeping the pressure up. I too am bothered by this DOMA brief. However, Howard Dean didn't tear DOMA up on Maddow. He's a doctor, clearly not a lawyer. The Constitutional arguments he were making were highly debatable, if not completely wrong. While I agree that this brief was bad law, bad policy, and bad politics, Dan and Dean continue to make poor legal arguments in order to justify their anger. Be mad, I completely support you, but leave the law to people who know what they're talking about.
35
#31:
No, being against gay marriage precisely means that you are against gay rights. It's definitive of the position. You are insulting everyone here by presuming that we will allow you to define gay rights only in terms of things that are uncontroversial to the religiously-insane community.
Religious people hate gays. We get it. Don't pretend like you're supporting gay people while you, in the same breath, declare your opposition to their gaining of equal rights. It's pathetic, weaselly, and transparently deceitful.
No, being against gay marriage precisely means that you are against gay rights. It's definitive of the position. You are insulting everyone here by presuming that we will allow you to define gay rights only in terms of things that are uncontroversial to the religiously-insane community.
Religious people hate gays. We get it. Don't pretend like you're supporting gay people while you, in the same breath, declare your opposition to their gaining of equal rights. It's pathetic, weaselly, and transparently deceitful.
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