Well, this paragraph reads a bit funny, doesn’t it?
Just days after winning the presidency, Obama vowed that he would be “a fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans.”
But nine months later, many in the community say he has done little to make good on that statement. They accuse the president of putting their agenda on the back burner — behind Wall Street regulation, health care, climate change and a series of foreign-policy issues.
When you’ve spent a good part of your life fighting for gay rights and equality, and/or suffering from the lack thereof, it may seem like seeing your concerns addressed is the most pressing issue imaginable. You may be in no mood for delay. But, while it is far from certain that Obama couldn’t have moved on some issues of special concern to the gay community before now, accusing him of putting their agenda behind Wall Street regulation, health care, climate change, and foreign policy issues is a bit insane. In the priorities facing the nation, those four obviously come out on top. I’d add job creation and foreclosure mitigation to the list. In fairness, the Washington Post reporters who crafted that paragraph were not quoting anyone. That was their interpretation of the criticism that Obama has been receiving, but it is probably not a fair interpretation. Perhaps we should work with actual quotes:
“As someone who supported Barack Obama early on during the primaries, and raised nearly $50,000 for him during the campaign, it gives me no pleasure to burst the pink champagne bubbles of hope,” John Aravosis, a gay rights activist and popular blogger, wrote in the Huffington Post. “But President Obama’s track record on keeping his gay promises has been fairly abominable.”
I don’t interpret that criticism to be aimed at Obama’s setting of priorities. I think Aravosis expects Obama to be able to do more than a few things at a time. And, regardless, pressure needs to be kept on so that Obama doesn’t forget that fulfilling his promises to the gay community is somewhere in the queue.
Tonight, Obama gave a speech before the Human Rights Campaign and reiterated his promises.
…inside the $250-a-plate black-tie event, some 3,000 guests from around the country were in a festive mood. Pop singer Lady Gaga and cast members from the Fox comedy “Glee” performed at the dinner. C-SPAN broadcast Obama’s portion of the event live — one sign of the interest surrounding his first address to a big gay rights gathering as president…
“I will end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ ” Obama said at the Human Rights Campaign dinner. Recounting the ongoing effort to bring full civil rights to gays and lesbians, the president said: “I’m here with a simple message: I’m here with you in that fight.”
…”I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I’ve made, but by the promises that my administration keeps,” the president said to sustained applause. “We’ve been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration.”
The Democrats crammed the Hate Crimes Bill into the Defense Authorization Bill, infuriating Republicans. But it will soon pass. I fully expect that the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy will end before the end of his first term. A bigger question is whether or not Obama will be willing or able to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. That will be a tougher battle.
