The Fallout of the DOMA Brief on DNC Fundraising

by Michael A. Jones

categories: Defense of Marriage Act, Gay Boycotts, Gay Marriage, LGBT Rights and Politics, Marriage Equality, Obama Administration and Gay Rights

Published June 22, 2009 @ 07:59AM PT

By now, the Obama Justice Department's "Defense of Marriage" brief, which was filed more than a week ago, has essentially become known as the brief heard around the LGBT world, in large part due to its insulting comparisons of homosexuality to incest, and it's general support for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which the brief called a "rational" policy.

In response to the DOMA brief, as well as the Obama administration's silence on LGBT rights (the outlier is last week's extension of some limited partner benefits to LGBT employees), many LGBT donors to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) have been making their anger known by bailing on DNC fundraisers.  A fundraiser in D.C. scheduled for Thursday night with VP Joe Biden has already seen its fare share of prominent LGBT folks backing out, and now comes word that a fundraiser to be held at Fenway Park in Boston is going to be protested by local LGBT organizers with Join the Impact Massachusetts, who are upset about the DOMA brief.  Here's the scoop:

As we've all seen, we've gotten more in the past 6 days for the LGBT community than we have in the past 6 months. Once this firestorm of criticism and public pressure began over the repugnant DOMA brief, we began hearing that the Hate Crimes bill may pass very soon. Then once the boycotting began of the DNC fundraiser in Washington, DC, we then learned about the relocation benefits memorandum which seemed to be a direction reaction to the boycott.

Money talks folks and we have a HUGE opportunity here. Putting on this protest will be emblematic of a larger issue at hand for the Obama administration and the Dems. No longer is the protest singled out just in Washington, DC, but now they're spreading. If the Obama administration and the Dems want to tamper down frustrations, the only way for them to do so will be to take concrete strong action to pass substantive LGBT civil rights measures. Let's make them do it!

It certainly does seem that one way to get the Obama administration to listen to the concerns of LGBT voters is to shut down the LGBT ATM that funds the Democratic Party.  And this is all the more relevant this week, as the Obama administration must issue another brief in response to a challenge to DOMA, this time in a case put forward by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).  All eyes will be on the Obama Justice Department as it weighs in again with its thoughts on DOMA.