Lane Hudson: The Gay Guide to Obama’s Remarks Today

Today marks the first time he has spoken about the gay community since his election. That’s a step forward, but only a very small step in and of itself.

Here are a few things that could make the President’s remarks today a home run:

1. Extending the full range of benefits (whatever they may include) to same sex partners of Federal employees in a lasting Executive Order. According to Chuck Todd of NBC News, a Presidential Memorandum will not last past his Presidency.

2. Calling on the Congress to immediately pass legislation that would extend the balance of benefits not able to be extended via Executive Order.

3. Announcing that he will instruct the Department of Justice not to defend section 3 of DOMA, which deals with Federal benefits, that is being challenged in a federal lawsuit by the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) in Massachusetts.

4. Signing an Executive order that bans employment discrimination against transgender persons in the Federal workforce.

5. Announcing a concrete path forward on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

6. Calling on Congress to pass the far too long delayed Employment Non-Discrimination Act and Federal Hate Crimes Legislation.

7. Urging Congress to include the Uniting American Families Act in immigration reform legislation to be considered this year.

8. Committing the National Institute of Health to undertake a new effort for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and the Department of Health and Human Services to commit to new efforts on prevention of HIV/AIDS.

It’s not asking too much. It’s taken this long for the White House to address our community. There is much to be done to end discrimination and this would be a great start. The President could announce everything on this list today. Don’t ask, don’t get.

via Lane Hudson: The Gay Guide to Obama’s Remarks Today.

Emma Ruby-Sachs: Obama Offers Gays a Consolation Prize of Extended Benefits

When I first read the brief in support of DOMA, I was astonished.  President Obama promised so much to the gay community during his campaign, yet it seems that each time he has an opportunity to stand up for the basic civil rights of LGBT people he cowers away.  Today Obama plans to announce health benefits for the same-sex partners of federal employees.  And while I’m happy that more same-sex couples will have access to health care, this is nothing more than a carrot given to the LGBT community to quell the outcry against Obama and his administrations backpedaling on LGBT civil rights issues.  Ruby-Sachs says it best in a post on HuffPost:

Well, I hate to be the one to explain a rights struggle to the first Black President, but the equality movement is not a grab bag of rights. You don’t get to reach in and see which prize you’ve won. Each of the rights discussed above – the right to benefits for your partner, the right to serve openly in the military and the right to access the same tax breaks and immigration privileges given to heterosexual couples – should be granted. Immediately. Granting one does not absolve trespass over the other rights.

As Ruby-Sachs calls for later in her post, I believe national outrage is looking more and more like our only viable option.  We are constantly mentioned in speeches and promised that soon we will see change, and then thrown under the bus as more of our best soldiers are discharged while our families are denied the dignity afforded to heterosexual couples.  This simply cannot continue.  We cannot allow ourselves to be ignored any longer.

via Emma Ruby-Sachs: Obama Offers Gays a Consolation Prize of Extended Benefits.

HuffPost: North Korea Sanctions Unanimously Expanded By U.N. Security Council

The U.N. Security Council on Friday punished North Korea for its second nuclear test, imposing tough new sanctions, expanding an arms embargo and authorizing ship searches on the high seas.

In a sign of growing global anger at Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of the council, the North’s closest allies Russia and China joined Western powers and nations from every region in unanimously approving the sanctions resolution.

via North Korea Sanctions Unanimously Expanded By U.N. Security Council.

HuffPost: Holocaust Museum Shooting In Washington D.C.

An elderly gunman opened fire with a rifle inside the crowded U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday, gravely wounding a security guard before being shot. Authorities said they were investigating a white supremacist as the suspect. The assailant and his victim were both hospitalized, said Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty, who added that the gunman was in critical condition

via Holocaust Museum Shooting In Washington D.C..

Contessa Brewer Steamed By Palin Defender: You’re Insulting Me, “Cut His Mic”

I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about Sarah Palin (other than she doesn’t show well in an interview), but I find this MSNBC report to be a bit funny.  Click, read, and watch.  And then please tell me why Palin needs a lunatic as her spokesperson?

Full article via HuffPost:

Contessa Brewer Steamed By Palin Defender: You’re Insulting Me, “Cut His Mic”.

Federal Challenge to DOMA – Kentucky Fairness Alliance

Dear Andrew,

Right now, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) is filing a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Boston – Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management et al. - fighting for fairness. This lawsuit is on behalf of eight married same-sex couples and three surviving spouses from Massachusetts, each of whom was denied federal benefits because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The case against DOMA states that Section 3 of the legislation denies legal rights and protections by overriding a state’s determination on same-sex marriage. It also argues that DOMA Section 3 violates equal protection guarantees by requiring all federal departments to disrespect the valid state-licensed marriages of same-sex couples, but follow state determinations of marital status for other married couples.

This lawsuit seeks a ruling that DOMA Section 3 is unconstitutional as applied to the plaintiffs in Federal Income Tax, Social Security, federal employment benefits, and the issuance of passports.

According to GLAD, this case has no bearing on state laws about marriage. It focuses on discrimination by the federal government against a class of people who are already married in their state.

“Same-sex couples have been marrying in Massachusetts for five years… it’s not right for the federal government to follow state’s determinations of marital status except for a subset of people” said Travis Myles, KFA Board Chairperson.

GLAD has launched a website for you to track the progress of this case as it proceeds through federal court. At some point down the road, this case may end up in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.  We should watch it closely.

In fairness,
Your KFA Team!

Founded in 1978, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) is New England’s leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression.

Tauscher to Introduce Bill to Repeal DADT | News | Advocate.com

It about damn time!

Rep. Ellen Tauscher will re-introduce a bill in Congress Tuesday to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” an action that she was supposed to take yesterday but was reportedly delayed.

via Tauscher to Introduce Bill to Repeal DADT  | News | Advocate.com.

NAACP Calls for Overturning of Proposition 8 | News | Advocate.com

Yes!  Score for intersectionality and coalitional grassroots work.  I know that most of us are waiting with bated breath to see exactly what the court will say — and I can’t help but be hopeful.  And with all the debate surround exit polls and the “overwhelming” black vote in favour of Prop 8, I see the NAACP statement as a way to heal wounds (which were, as we’ve now come to see, probably never existent, or at least not in the staggering numbers we once thought), and a furthering of coalitional work for the advancement of all civil rights.

via NAACP Calls for Overturning of Proposition 8  | News | Advocate.com.

U.S-Backed Nondiscrimination Statement Fails | News | Advocate.com

Of course…  For once the US is backing the right ideology but other in the international community fail to get on board.  South Africa and the Vatican are notable dissenters.

Yet the US backing this one is a change of tune.  Thank the goddess that Bush is gone and that Barack is on board with these issues.

A version of an international statement condemning violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation backed by the United States failed to win approval this week by participating nations of the Durban Review Conference.

The purpose of the conference, to be held in April in Geneva, is to review the progress and implementation of the Durban Declaration established in 2001 at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance.

via U.S-Backed Nondiscrimination Statement Fails  | News | Advocate.com.

Rick Warren, LGBT Outrage…

Image credit: http://minnesota.publicradio.org

Since President-elect Obama selected Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, I’ve been flooded with e-mails protesting Obama’s selection of Rick Warren, citing his anti-gay and anti-abortion rhetoric.

I feel like I’m supposed to be upset – but I’m not.  I feel like all the press reports, blog posts, and myriad e-mails have inciting me to outrage as their project.  But I’m not.

It should be no surprise that Rick Warren is anti-gay.  Many evangelical pastors are.  We know this.  Moreover, I applaud Obama for trying to bring people of all views to the table.  So why should we be upset when someone joins the discussion that has oppositional views?  Rather we should look at Rick Warren and his invocation as a departure point, a way to bring the evangelical right and the progressive LGBT movement to the table to talk about our differences, find some common ground, and work together to pull this nation out of a disastrous eight years of horrible policy, failing economy, and pointless war.

Many will oppose our views.  Many will defame our movement.  Yet I don’t believe that we should throw a fit each time Obama does something that doesn’t exclusively cater to our movement.  There are many voices and many stories, and we need to be respectful of each.  I believe that Obama is doing a wonderful job of bringing people together to work in coalition to solve our nations problems.

So no, I won’t sign your petition.  No, I will not email someone to tell them how dissapointed I am that Rick Warren was selected to deliver the inaugural invocation.  No, I will go out and call Rick Warren a bigot, even if I don’t argee with his views.

Bladewire: Obama defends choice of pastor Rick Warren…