Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Obama woos LGBT leaders


The president welcomes 300 prominent gays to the White House. But when will his rhetoric translate into action?

By Mike Madden

June 30, 2009 | WASHINGTON -- The last time the president of the United States marked gay pride month with anything official at the White House, it was June 2006. George W. Bush decided to throw the weight of his office behind a proposal to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage. After all, the fate of Western civilization hung in the balance. "Our policies should aim to strengthen families, not undermine them," Bush said at the time. "And changing the definition of marriage would undermine the family structure."
On Monday, 40 years and a day after the Stonewall riots began to bring the gay rights movement into the mainstream, Barack Obama took a slightly different tack. The administration brought nearly 300 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered guests -- and, in some cases, their partners or children -- to the East Room for an open bar and some hors d'ouevres. "Welcome to your White House," the president said. "We have made progress and we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I've made, but by the promises that my administration keeps. 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."
Of course, part of the reason he hosted the event at all is that it was starting to become clear that the gay and lesbian community may not have had such good feelings about the Obama administration so far. After winning broad support from gay voters last year, Obama had promised to push Congress to overturn the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which makes it possible for states to refuse to recognize gay marriages performed in the increasing number of places that allow them. He'd sworn he would end the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which has forced more than 13,000 people out of the military since 1993. But he followed up by inviting the Rev. Rick Warren -- a prominent supporter of California's ban on gay marriage -- to speak at his inauguration. And then his Justice Department filed a brief defending the DOMA, using language that some activists read as lumping homosexuality in with incest and child marriage (though that point has also been disputed). By Monday, Obama had some damage to repair.
"I know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that," he said. "It's not for me to tell you to be patient, any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago."
That may have helped buy him some, well, patience. "He acknowledged the sense of frustration and disappointment and disillusionment that many in our community have been expressing -- very justifiably so," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who attended the event with her 13-year-old son. By making clear he knew he had disappointed many supporters, Obama won a chance to persuade them that he'd follow through with action. The administration has also been more open to hearing from gay and lesbian activists in recent weeks, Kendell said. "He acknowledged without condescension, without defensiveness, the fact that there was a sense that we had expected and been hoping for more ... I do believe, and feel comforted, that part of his value system includes full equality for LGBT Americans."
Like every event it puts on, the White House carefully managed the stagecraft at the LGBT reception. Invitations went out about a week ago, shortly after aides began to realize the grumbling among gay activists was teetering on the edge of becoming a real political problem -- the reception was the second move to ease concerns, after an order Obama issued two weeks ago to give some domestic-partner benefits to some gay and lesbian employees of some federal agencies. Media access to the event was limited; a small group of reporters and a camera crew were allowed in, but officials directed attendees to leave through the White House's East Wing, which meant there was little danger they would wander past the press workspace attached to the West Wing on the other side of the building. Perhaps as a result, the media's interest was also limited -- cable networks didn't bother carrying Obama's full remarks live.
Still, Obama struck a sympathetic tone, frequently comparing the struggle for gay rights to the 1960s civil rights era. Before the reception, the president met privately with two men who were part of the Stonewall protests, and he mentioned them several times in his remarks. "When these folks protested at Stonewall 40 years ago, no one could have imagined that you -- or, for that matter, I -- would be standing here today," he said. "So we are all witnesses to monumental changes in this country. That should give us hope, but we cannot rest."
Whether that rhetoric translates into any meaningful change soon, of course, remains to be seen. Obama said he'd asked Pentagon officials to begin planning for how to end "don't ask, don't tell," but 77 House members have already asked him to eliminate the policy faster. Likewise, there's been no real movement on overturning DOMA, even though Obama says he wants it repealed.
And while those who were at the reception seemed mollified, other critics were still blasting away. The Servicemen's Legal Defense Network, which represents gay and lesbian troops, held a protest outside the White House over the weekend to urge faster action on "don't ask, don't tell." "We keep hearing that the noble people who are going on Monday are planning to talk about issues and really let the White House know we've got problems," wrote Joe Sudbay on AmericaBlog. "That's BS. Many of them had a chance two weeks ago in the Oval Office to tell the president what they thought, and how many of those groups let him have it?"
Still, the message Obama was trying to convey -- relax, I'm with you -- seemed to sink in. "He's been in office six months, and in six months, not much has happened to help us," said Jerry Hoose, one of the two Stonewall veterans who met Obama privately before the meeting, and a founder of the Gay Liberation Front in New York not long after Stonewall. "But again, six months. I mean, what do you expect? The man is president, not a miracle worker." If nothing has changed a few years from now, keeping gay and lesbian supporters in Obama's corner may indeed take a political miracle. For now, though, the White House is hoping some kind words will do.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Come out! Come out! Where ever you are!


This is the weekend to take steps, new or familiar, and remember that whatever the challenges, we have a large, wonderful community to be part of!!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Make difference with your time!

Pride is this weekend and we have some great opportunities for you to be part of making a difference in Colorado, with us!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Put your dancing shoes on!


This is the week to be queer in Boulder!

Tonight is our monthly Happy Hour at the Bside Lounge

Tomorrow (June 18) we are cosponsoring a small sampler of LGBT groups, A Fair to Remember, with PFLAG.

Saturday, June 20, start your evening off with a Bent Lens Summer Salute to Pride and then head over to the PWord Party, an all womyn's event in the heart of downtown Boulder!

(You can get discounted tickets in advance to Bent Lens and the PWord Party!)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Trust.

I don't know much about how Washington politics works, so I can't say if I really understand how things get done in that far away land. But I do understand why the queer community has concerns about where things are going with the current administration. We, as a community, put a lot of effort into the recent election cycle. And, just like anyone who has baggage from previous relationships, we've got our memories of the last Democratic President. Who we believed in and who we believe failed us. And we've got our memories of the ENDA fiasco, and who we thought was on our side. And who we saw leave part of our community behind. So with our tentative hope and our worry that it's misplaced, interviews like the below aren't too helpful.



There is a follow up to the story on the Gist with the following update:

UPDATE: Senator Schumer's office has put out a statement refuting the Daily Beast story: "Sen. Schumer has never said the White House didn't consider the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' a priority, and he never said the Human Rights Campaign struck some quote-unquote deal on this issue. Any rumors to the contrary are flat-out wrong." Jason Bellini had tried to get a response from Schumer's office when he produced his piece, but they offered no comment at the time.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

My Pride Month Essay


Every year, as we dive into Pride Month, I have to reflect on what, exactly, are we proud of? I can't say what everyone is proud of, but I can tell you a few things I am proud of.

I am proud of how far our community has come. Corporations market to us; our national organizations are participating in federal conversations at the white house; we are organizing ourselves more and more effectively to create a world where we are recognized as equal participants in society. There are more services for our communities and our youth. Still too few, but more than there were 20 or 30 years ago.

I am proud of all of us who have survived coming out. I came out a few times, in different ways, and it was heart wrenching to lose friends and family because my way of loving and being was too different for them to understand or accept. Every time each one of us does this, we humanize our community and our experiences. We are making profound changes in the world by living honestly. That is powerful, unstoppable, and absolutely something to be proud of.

I am proud of the ways in which we have eaten our words and backed up when we have made mistakes. I am sure we will have to do it again, but it means something that we are really stopping to recognize that queer doesn't just mean the most mainstream parts of our community. And that to connect to a broader representation of who we are, we need to start thinking about the inclusive nature of social justice. Organizations like the Task Force really lead the way with their focus on inclusion.

I am proud of the way we keep going, even when things are difficult. My favorite saying: fall down 6 times, get up 7, really applies to our community. So many of us have experienced incredible losses and defeats in this journey of change and hope. Activists who have worked for decades who are still working to make this world into something a little better for us all. In 1992, Hawaii was one of the first states to pass an anti-marriage act, inappropriately named DOMA. Now Iowa has marriage equality. The tide will roll in and we will get up as many times as we need to.

Come celebrate your pride at any one of the many events happening in Boulder and Denver this month. And tell me why you are proud.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Friday, June 5, 2009

Now everyone is doing it!

Gay bishop rejoices in NH's gay marriage vote

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — It was tough enough to get New Hampshire's lawmakers and governor to approve gay marriage, but Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson says there's an even tougher job ahead: getting churches to fully embrace gay marriage and gay people.
"What we have to work against is countless centuries of tradition which has judged homosexual people to be an abomination before God," said Robinson, the Episcopal church's only openly gay bishop.
Robinson sat in the front row of the gallery in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, hands clasped at times, praying for lawmakers to push a little green button that indicates a "yes" vote.
In the end, there were 198 green lights to legalize gay marriage, and 176 red ones.
The gallery erupted and Robinson was caught up in a sea of hugs, which continued as he walked through the Statehouse to a rally outside.
"There are a lot of people standing here who, when we grew up, could not have imagined this," Robinson said. "You can't imagine something that is simply impossible. It's happened, in our lifetimes."
But Robinson, who was elected bishop six years ago this month, said more must happen to change attitudes in churches.
"The law says that every church gets to choose what it will do," he said, meaning they can refuse to perform gay marriages. Robinson approves, saying the law protects religious freedom.
"But now we need to be working in our religious institutions to come to this new place about what is God's will about this," Robinson said. "I think a close look at that will reveal God loves all of God's children, not just certain ones, and that's the harder work."
The law spells out that churches, their employees and religious groups cannot be forced to officiate at gay marriages or provide other services.
They were key elements pushed by Gov. John Lynch to win his approval.
But gay marriage opponents said the constitution already provides those protections to religious institutions. They argued the protections should be expanded to cover commercial vendors, such as photographers and caterers. That drew fire from gay marriage supporters who said the state's anti-discrimination laws would be unraveled by allowing people to discriminate at will.
The law goes into effect in January.
In a speech in Washington last month, Robinson said despite recent momentum, the struggle continues for gay rights supporters in churches.
"Religion in general still presents the greatest obstacles we face in full equality," he said. "Ninety-five percent of the oppression that we know in our lives comes from the religious community."
Robinson's election in 2003 caused a rift in the global Anglican Communion, intensifying a long-running debate over what Anglicans should believe about salvation, sexuality and other issues. The Episcopal Church, the Anglican body in the U.S., is more liberal than growing Anglican churches in Africa and elsewhere.
Meeting in Egypt in February, Anglican leaders requested their churches continue a temporary ban — enacted after Robinson's election — on consecrating openly gay bishops and writing prayers for gay unions.
New Hampshire legalized civil unions for gay couples last year, but in a pastoral letter, Robinson told Episcopal clergy he would prefer they not preside at civil unions, instead, presiding over a blessing, afterward.
"It is my hope that we will be able to provide for the private, pastoral needs of the faithful people entrusted to our care, while causing a minimum of further furor in the Church," he wrote in February, 2008, a month after civil unions became legal in the state.
But he said he would be "personally and institutionally supportive" of clergy who did not want to bless a civil union.
Robinson and his partner of 20 years were united in a civil union a year ago this month.
He said legislators recognized that gay marriage is more than a policy question and hopes churches will do the same.
"A lot of New Hampshire families have come to know people in their families who are gay, co-workers, former classmates and that's what really made this difference. We are no longer talking about an issue," he said. "We are talking about people."

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Press Release from the White House on Pride Month

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA



http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGB
T-Pride-Month/