Seder Calls Foul on Obama's Lackluster Gay Advocacy

[Drewbie]

http://www.queersighted.com/2010/06/21/oh-...r-gay-advocacy/

Can't say I disagree with sam.

[Guest Fritz]

I agree that it is hard to disagree with Sam. In fact I'd go a little further and say that I find Pres. Obama's leadership on gay issues simply appalling. While I can understand Pres. Obama not wanting to spend a great deal of political capital pushing his promises on gay issues, I find some of his actions and choices--such as his choice of ministers at his inauguration, the briefs filed in the defense of marriage lawsuit, and the lack of any executive action in DADT-- so contradictory to his promises that it leaves me wondering if his promises mean anything or if they were simply words designed to attract voters and to then be forgotten until the next election where they will be trotted out again with the hope that no one remembers that he said them before and did not deliver.

Were I a cynical person I would say that many political parties advocate certain positions in order to get certain groups to vote for them, but have no plans to carry through on their promises because they would then no longer have those promises to dangle before the voters. In the case of gay rights in the U.S., the Democrats had the votes in Congress and the presidency so they had the power to advance such rights, yet they did not do so. Was their reason for not doing so because they wanted to continue to dangle the carrot of gay rights in front of gay voters so they would continue to be elected? Based upon the actions of the Obama administration and the Congressional leadership it very much looks that way.

[JamesSavik]

Remember: Obama never promised the gay community anything directly. He spoke to the gay community through surrogates and didn't really address the issue himself.

What you really got from Obama were 2nd hand platitudes.

Obama's core supporters are homophobic black ministers.

Don't expect him to do anything that will alienate them.