Articles tagged with: Barack Obama
Sara’s News, 10/30/12: Obama v. Romney on marriage equality & 3rd Circuit DOMA decision
When it comes to marriage equality, it’s no contest between Obama and Romney; a landmark decision on DOMA by the Third Circuit; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska, with additional info from Bent Alaska.
Sara’s News, 8/15/12: Mitt Romney’s VP pick Paul Ryan just as antigay as he is
Mitt Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan: just as antigay; “Matrix” co-director Lana Wachowski (formerly “Larry”) comes out publicly as transgender; unethical off-label medical attempt to and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
Bent News, 2012-05-24: Tyler Clementi’s roommate sentenced; concentration camps for gays
Dharun Ravi sentenced on charges related to death of Tyler Clementi; North Carolina pastor calls for concentration camps for gays/lesbians; and other news of the week from Bent Alaska’s Twitter feed @bentalaska.
Sara’s News Roundup 4/25/12: Obama endorses safe school laws
Pres. Obama endorses national safe schools and nondiscrimination laws; the shrinking antigay base; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
Bent News,10/4/11: Booing a gay soldier — presidential politics, post-DADT
Post-DADT presidential politics, as illustrated by continuing reaction to the booing of an active-duty gay soldier at a Sep. 22 GOP candidates debate; and more in this edition of Bent News.
(Based on @bentalaska tweets and Facebook shares from October 2–3, with supplementation.)
Presidential politics, post-DADT
- Cain says he should’ve defended booed gay soldier; McCain says all GOP candidates should’ve. (via @AMERICAblogGay) http://t.co/EirAGYud #
Nearly two weeks after audience members at a Republican presidential debate booed Stephen Hill, a gay soldier serving in Iraq who asked if GOP candidates planned to “circumvent” the repeal of DADT, Republican candidates and politicians are defending — or not defending — their lack of response to the disrespect shown an active-duty servicemember.
Herman Cain said he should not have stayed silent, and Sen. John McCain agreed that none of the candidates should have; whereas Mitt Romney said,
I don’t know when they booed and I don’t know why they booed. But I will tell you, that the boos and applause hasn’t always coincided with my own views, but I haven’t stepped in to try and say, ‘this one is right, this one is wrong.’ Instead, I focus on the things I think I will say.
ThinkProgress reports that “Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman, and Herman Cain are the only candidates to publicly distance themselves from the jeering after last month’s debate.” Both Rick Santorum and Herman Cain have stated they would reinstate Don’t Ask Don’t Tell if elected president.
President Obama, by contrast, told the audience at the annual Human Rights Campaign fundraising dinner last Saturday,
We don’t believe in the kind of smallness that says it’s okay for a stage full of political leaders — one of whom could end up being the president of the United States — being silent when an American soldier is booed. We don’t believe in that…
“We don’t believe in standing silent when that happens. We don’t believe in them being silent since. You want to be commander in chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient. We don’t believe in a small America. We believe in a big America — a tolerant America, a just America, an equal America — that values the service of every patriot.
Audience members gave the President a standing ovation. ThinkProgress has video — watch:
ThinkProgress also has analysis and text of President Obama’s full speech at the HRC dinner.
Notably at Saturday’s dinner, there was a table filled with servicemembers — both active-duty and retired — wearing their uniforms. HRC spokesman Michael Cole-Schwartz said it was a first for active-duty members to do so, since it’s also the first post-DADT dinner.
However, President Obama is “still working” on his views about same-sex marriage, and is still stopping short of advocating for full marriage equality, though he endorsed the end of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Other tweets
- Week in Review of LGBT news from @gaycivilrights Wall Street, Saudi women suffrage, DADT cases, Obama at HRC http://t.co/48RLl1GG #
- Why do conservatives oppose military chaplains’ religious liberty? (via @TPEquality) http://t.co/R5QfrMSp #
- @afterellen tells us about five documentaries to watch during LGBT History Month http://t.co/OKvFUFeG #
- Country singer Toby Keith OK on same-sex marriage? Yep! Whaddaya know. Good for him. (via @TheAdvocateMag) http://t.co/QFwfC3lN #
- South Africa: So-called “corrective rape” of lesbians — & now a serial killer may be stalking gay men. The Advocate http://t.co/AK5sDIBM #
Obama declares Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month
Yesterday President Obama released a proclamation for LGBT Pride Month which detailed his achievements toward LGBT equality since he took office in January 2009, and the work yet to be done. Notably absent: any mention of marriage equality, repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), or even same-sex civil unions.
Bent News, 5/31/11: Pride fundraisers, & solidarity against hate
Last weekend’s Pride fundraisers, a presidential proclamation, Old Navy Pride t-shirts, and Moscow repression; solidarity against hate in Portland; marriage equality updates from California and Minnesota; a memorial to gay Holocaust victims in Munich; and more in this edition of Bent News.
President Obama on DADT
President Obama discussed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in remarks yesterday morning after his post-election press conference. Video with transcript.
Obama: It Gets Better. Dan Savage: Thanks, now Make It Better
Over 10 million people viewed the It Gets Better project started by columnist Dan Savage, millions participated in Spirit Day events wearing purple to raise awareness of anti-gay bullying, and thousands attended vigils for the gay teens who killed themselves recently. Yet the suicides continue, with another gay teen taking his life this week.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton uploaded an It Gets Better message on Tuesday, and President Obama followed with his message on Thursday. They are strong messages against prejudice and in support of LGBT youth.
Clinton’s video was appreciated as the highest level government official to join the project at the time, while Obama’s message sparked anger in the LGBT community because the good words are contradicted by his lack of action on behalf of gay rights.
Watch President Obama’s It Gets Better video:
The It Gets Better project is about kids, anti-gay bullying and suicide prevention. This is the first time a sitting president has told gay youth that there is nothing wrong with them. He is a good speaker and his message can reach many people, including those who might not have heard this kind of message before and those who have been told otherwise. A speech like this from the president has the ability to save lives, and that’s what the It Gets Better project is all about.
Now it’s time to follow those words with deeds that actually make it better for LGBT youth and adults.
On Friday, Dan Savage responded to President Obama’s video, voicing the mixed feelings expressed by the LGBT community:
Thanks to Dan Savage and his husband for creating a project that brings national attention to the problem of anti-LGBT discrimination and the harm it causes our youth and our society.
