Obama Administration and Gay Rights
The White House to Celebrate LGBT Rights
Published June 29, 2009 @ 10:05AM PT
President Obama still has some splainin' to do when it comes to the issue of LGBT rights, but this afternoon his White House will host an event honoring the tireless work of LGBT rights advocates in a ceremony that will be live-streamed from the White House's Web site.
You can view the ceremony live, beginning at 4:25pm EST, at this link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/
Joining in celebration with Obama at the White House will be a host of LGBT leaders, including two veterans from the Stonewall Riots, as well as dozens of organizations working for equal rights. Brian Bond, who is the (openly gay) Deputy Director of the White House Office on Public Engagement, had this to say about the historic gathering today in DC:
To me, today’s event is more than just a reception honoring LGBT Pride month. It is an opportunity for the Administration to provide the world with a snap shot of the real heroes across the country that do the day-to-day work fighting for equality. People like State Representative Patricia Todd in Alabama to Sheriff Lupe Valdez in Dallas, and many other local LGBT elected officials that will be here today. And it’s people – ordinary families – that by simply living their lives openly are changing hearts and minds. It is also an opportunity to welcome the people upon whom shoulders we stand, people like Frank Kameny, as well as Phil Wilson, Bishop Robinson and Ambassador Hormel, who I know personally, and those who stood up to bigotry at Stonewall. I really wish people like Bayard Rustin could be standing here with us today. He would be up for the fight ahead of us and proud of the place we now stand.
It's still necessary to keep up the pressure on this Administration and Congress. But today should rightfully be a day of celebration, both for the victories achieved (in large part because of the work of people outside of the Beltway) and for the work ahead; the work to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, to enact hate crimes legislation, to institute a federal non-discrimination act, and (to one day) achieve full marriage equality in all parts of this country.
A Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Begins with an Executive Order
Published June 24, 2009 @ 01:09PM PT
Despite the fact that the thought seems to make the Obama administration skittish, it seems clear that in order to move a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" forward, action must start with the Executive Branch first. That's not only the conclusion reached by the Palm Center in California, and by 77 members of the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week. It's also the conclusion reached by the Center for American Progerss (CAP), which released a report today detaling the "practical steps" that need to happen in order to stop a flawed military policy that has fired more than 260 gay and lesbian soldiers since Obama took office in January.
CAP's first suggested step for ending Don't Ask? "Signing an Executive Order banning further military separations based on DADT and sending a legislative proposal on DADT repeal to Congress." Which means action, if folks from the Obama administration are reading.
Here are some of the statistics cited by the CAP report. Reading this, it becomes even clearer that Obama should publicly start the wheels turning now to end this bad policy:
- DADT has resulted in the discharge of more than 13,000 patriotic and highly qualified men and women since its enactment more than 16 years ago;
- At least 1,000 of these 13,000 have held “critical occupations,” such as interpreters and engineers;
- Approximately 4,000 service members leave the service voluntarily per year because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell";
- By the end of fiscal year 2003, a few months after the fall of Baghdad, the military had forced out more than 320 service members with vital language skills such as Arabic and Farsi; and
- “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is no longer supported by the majority of the American people, nor is it even supported by a majority of service men and women.
It would be a sign of national security strength for Obama to take leadership on this issue and sign an executive order suspending the firing of openly gay and lesbian soldiers. Yes, legislation is necessary to put "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" into a grave. But legislation is not necessary to put an immediate halt to the discrimination unleashed by the U.S. Armed Forces.
According to CAP, here are steps they're recommending for the Obama administration as a means of addressing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":
1. Sign an Executive Order banning further military separations based on DADT and sending a legislative proposal on DADT repeal to Congress
2. Form a presidential panel on how to implement the repeal
3. Repeal DADT in Congress and change the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, or UCMS
4. Change other necessary military guidelines to conform to the new policy
5. Follow-up to ensure that the armed forces implement the policy changes
Obama can and should start this on his end. Anything less will keep in place a policy that makes the U.S. less safe, and will send the message that the military isn't strong enough to handle a fully integrated and equal membership.
Leveraging Stonewall Anniversary for LGBT Outreach
Published June 23, 2009 @ 09:28AM PT
The Stonewall Riots mark their 40th anniversary this week, and a number of organizations are using the week to commemorate both the history of the LGBT rights movement, as well as push forward an agenda that continues the fight for equal rights. SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders) is hosting an event this week to commemorate the founding of the Gay Liberation Front (which laid its foundation in the immediate aftermath of the Stonewall Riots). And the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has put together a "Stonewall Toolkit" to help reporters and bloggers cover the historic week.
The reason? Well, as GLAAD acknowledges, the Stonewall anniversary is an opportunity to couch history with present-day struggles for equality.
With the 40th anniversary of Stonewall occurring this month, GLAAD is encouraging media professionals to use this important milestone as an opportunity to look at the progress made by the LGBT community and its allies over the last 40 years, as well as to examine recent progress and setbacks on LGBT-related policy issues at the federal, state and local level. GLAAD also encourages journalists to frame their coverage of 2009 Pride events, many of which will occur in June, in the context of these past 40 years of cultural, legal, political and community progress.
Even the White House is getting in on the act, with the announcement today that on Monday, June 29 (one day after the 40th anniversary), a special event will be held at the White House for LGBT folks, with an address by President Obama. The NY Times is noting that the gathering at the White House is intended as a celebration and commemoration of Stonewall, but also an opportunity for Obama to address the growing tensions that have popped up between his administration and LGBT voters, over certain issues like the Defense of Marriage Act, delays in overturning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and lack of any substantive statements from the Obama administration on the issue of marriage equality (despite four states legalizing same-sex marriage this year alone).
One other thought in terms of leveraging the Stonewall Anniversary; how karmaliciious would it be if during the week of Stonewall's 40th anniversary, the New York State Senate voted to enact marriage equality in the Empire State. It could happen, with Governor David Paterson calling for a special session this week where it's expected marriage equality will be debated.
Seventy-Seven House Members Urge "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Suspension
Published June 22, 2009 @ 12:35PM PT
Seventy-seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives issued a letter this afternoon sent to President Barack Obama, urging the Obama administration to issue a "Presidential Moratorium" suspending the U.S. Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The suspension, if ordered by the President, would stop the U.S. military from firing openly gay and lesbian soldiers. Since Obama took office, more than 260 soldiers have been discharged because of their sexual orientation.
The Congressional letter, orchestrated by U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, is a bilateral approach to dealing with the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." According to Rep. Hastings, a suspension of the flawed policy "would allow openly gay and lesbian service members to continue serving their country and send a clear signal to Congress to initiate the legislative repeal process"
Now that would be attacking this issue on all cylinders. A copy of the letter is after the jump, with a list of the 77 U.S. Representatives taking bold leadership on the issue of equal rights for LGBT soldiers.
The Fallout of the DOMA Brief on DNC Fundraising
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.
The Best Quotes from Military Leaders on Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Published June 22, 2009 @ 06:56AM PT
Yet another military leader added their voice to the growing chorus of military brass calling for an end to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the policy that has resulted in nearly 13,000 soldiers being fired from the military because of their sexual orientation. The latest is Clifford Alexander, who was the former Secretary of the Army under President Jimmy Carter and the first African American to hold the post. Alexander spoke with Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, and went so far as to call "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" absurdity. Below we'll give what we think are five of the best quotes from military leaders denouncing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and calling for its repeal.
Former Secretary of the Army, Clifford Alexander:
"The policy is an absurdity and borderline on being an obscenity. What it does is cause people to ask of themselves that they lie to themselves, that they pretend to be something that they are not. There is no empirical evidence that would indicate that it affects military cohesion. There is a lot of evidence to say that the biases of the past have been layered onto the United States Army."
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John M. Skalikashvili:
While the proper timing of repealing "don't ask, don't tell" remains uncertain, it is evident to me that a policy change is inevitable. More than three-quarters of the public favors the change. Polls show that even a majority of Republicans support allowing openly gay people to serve. Within the military, the climate has changed dramatically since 1993. Conversations I've held with service members make clear that, while the military remains a traditional culture, that tradition no longer requires banning open service by gays. There will undoubtedly be some teething pains, but I have no doubt our leadership can handle it.
You’re basically asserting that straight men and women in our military aren’t professional enough to serve openly with gay troops while completing their military missions. You know as a former Army officer I can tell you I think that’s an insult to me and to many of the soldiers. To answer your question, Mr. Jones, it was 24 countries that allow military personnel to serve openly without any detrimental impact on unit cohesion.
Three-star Retired Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy:
Army values are taught to soldiers from their earliest days in the Army. Those values are: Loyalty, duty, mutual respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. We teach our soldiers that these are the values we expect them to live up to. I believe that as an institution, our military needs to live up to the values we demand of the service members. Military leaders need to respect all service members. We need to recognize that loyalty and selfless service are exhibited equally, by service members of every color, gender and sexual orientation.
We have to correct this. It's just not right. I can remember being out there in command, and someone would come up to you and start to tell you -- and you just want to say, no, I don't want to lose you, you're too good.
Counting Same-Sex Couples in the 2010 U.S. Census
Published June 20, 2009 @ 08:20AM PT
The White House has announced that the U.S. Census Bureau will count gay and lesbian married couples in the 2010 U.S. Census, reversing an earlier policy put in place by the Bush administration (and which for a period of time, the Obama administration seemed to defend). This is great news...and hey, is it a sign that as influential and wealthy LGBT donors start to shut their pocketbooks to the Obama administration and the DNC, that these folks are starting to listen to issues important to LGBT voters?
Technical changes to the census have already started to be identified by administrators in order to accurately count gay and lesbian couples, according to Census Bureau spokeman Steve Jost. Here's what Jost told the AP:
[Same-sex couples] will be counted, and they ought to report the way they see themselves. In the normal process of reports coming out after the census of 2010, I think the country will have a good data set on which to discuss this phenomenon that is evolving in this country.
This is a massive reverse from last year, when the U.S. Census Bureau's director, Steven Murdock, said that the census couldn't count same-sex marriages because it was outlawed from doing so under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
The census announcement also comes on the heels of a letter campaign from more than four dozen lawmakers in Congress, urging the Commerce Department (the Cabinet office that oversee the census) to make changes to better recognize same-sex couples. And it's a good move. Yes, it may be Obama reacting to criticism from LGBT voters, as opposed to mandating change because it's the right thing to do. But props are deserved here for putting this change in place.
The census is one of the leading sources in determining social policy and data. Federal funds are (in large part) heaped on places because of census counts. Having an accurate count of same-sex couples also helps make the case that gays and lesbians in marriages are not invisible. They exist, and they deserved to be counted.
