President Obama's attacks on LGBT's reached new lows on Friday when his Justice Department defended the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to the Supreme Court, repeating some of the most notorious anti-LGBT stereotypes such as gays as child molesters.
This latest insult comes on the heels of Obama's backing away from his promises to repeal DOMA and Don't Ask / Don't Tell, the wiping away of most of his pro-LGBT promises on his website, and his repeated courting of anti-gay bigots like Rick Warren and Donnie McClurkin. Even many of Obama's biggest LGBT supporters are now furious at him.
If we are going to get different results out of this administration, this anger must be turned into action. We must cease being polite and DEMAND pro-gay action out of this administration.
Please join the Gay Liberation Network and other organizations in a protest against President Obama's visit to Chicago on Monday morning. Join us as we DEMAND the change he promised:
* Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act
* Repeal of Don't Ask / Don't Tell
* Legalized and readily accessible needle exchanges to reduce HIV / AIDS transmission
And no more coddling of anti-gay bigots. Just as most public figures treat open racists and anti-Semites as pariahs, the same treatment should apply to anti-gay bigots.
Obama's support for Bushite "faith-based funding" must end. Those who refuse to employ LGBT people should not receive government funding.
Support for full legal equality – not cowardly "separate but equal" civil unions – must become the new minimum standard. Not too many years ago when he was in the Illinois statehouse, Obama said he supported equal marriage rights. But then political expediancy led him to kick us under the bus. Now even Dick Cheney is more progressive on the issue.
It's time to end the honeymoon with the politician who has run away from virtually every promise he's made to the LGBT community.
