GLN holds Obama protest

GLN IN THE PRESS

GLN holds Obama protest

by Wes Lawson, Windy City Times - LINK

2009-07-01

GLN permalink posted July 1, 2009

The Gay Liberation Network held a protest during Obama's visit to Chicago June 15 near the Chicago Hilton, 720 S. Michigan, where he was scheduled to speak. Andy Thayer of the Gay Liberation Network, which organized the event, said that the purpose was to protest Obama's recent policies in regards to LGBT individuals.

“We felt it was particularly important that Chicago voices be heard in protest against Obama's recent attacks on the LGBT community, such as his rancid pro-DOMA [ Defense of Marriage Act ] brief, however unpopular that may be,” said Thayer.

The protest largely took place because of a fear held by Thayer and many others that Obama is repeating the same mistakes of President Clinton.

“The reason why we're getting things like his slide away from promises to repeal DOMA and DADT is because ... too many in our community have written him and the rest of the Democratic Party a blank check. Feeling that there would be no threats of payback, he's done what Clinton did before—slide to the right,” said Thayer.

Thayer hopes that these protests are the first in many across the nation.

“If Obama was to face angry pro-gay protests in every city he visited, we might actually see him begin to live up to his promises rather than running away from them and slapping us with insults of the Rev. Rick Warren variety,” Thayer said.

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