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Counterpoint

An emotional response to the ongoing boycott of the DNC fronted by AmericaBlog.

Party Unity My Gay Ass

AmericaBlog has announced the cleverly titled "Don't Ask, Don't Give" to urge voters not to donate another penny to the DNC, Organizing for America or the Obama campaign until "the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is passed, Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) is repealed, and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is repealed—all of which President Obama repeatedly promised to do if elected."

 Their announcement includes a lengthy list of things the president and Democrats have done to earn this dishonor. Most of the items are indisputably offensive to the LGBT community; only a few are really silly and petty (he looked "uncomfortable" talking about gay rights, he "flubbed" a question on gay issues).

They don't address this, but I imagine they are not against directly supporting progressive candidates, which is good. Part of our problem is we have a supermajority of Democrats, not of progressives.

My reaction is that this kind of thing is fair, but I only want to involve myself in a boycott if it's going to work. This one is already impossible; we simply do not have the votes to toss out DOMA, for example. Right now, we're several votes away from ENDA, the easiest of the litter.

All Or Nothing

A rather dispiriting thread at AmericaBlog on the topic of (what else?) a gay boycott of Obama/the DNC vs. sticking with the Democrats.

DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias (pictured), himself an out gay man, argues with AmericaBlog's John Aravosis and is skinned alive by commenters who simply are not moved by the idea that the president has done anything positive for gay people and/or who are not going along with "better the Democrats than the Republicans."

Maybe They Were Busy Tweeting About Jacko?

Despite valid complaints across the blogosphere and some pretty overheated rhetoric over at the otherwise excellent AmericaBlog, the controversial LGBT DNC fundraiser yesterday made significantly more than last year's ($1 million, up from $750,000), Vice President Joe Biden received multiple standing ovations for his pledges to follow through on the administration's promises on DOMA, DADT and more and there was only a group of 25 (or "about 40") people there to protest.

So much for shaming the traitorous attendees in every gay living room from now until the end of time.

On a separate note, I've been guilty of this myself, but...why is it that gay people seem incapable of fighting for our rights without screaming "black! black! black!"? I think there are valid comparisons between the gay and the black struggle for rights in this country, but it's becoming an embarrassing, lazy crutch. (I mention this because of the "Gay Uncle Toms" sign that was captured in Towleroad's coverage.)

We deserve equal rights. No need to bring race into it like we're jealous little sisters. "Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! African-American! African-American! African-American!"

Biden's best:

"I want to thank you for being a critical—critical—voice for keeping the nation focused on the unfinished business of true equality for all of our people; and I know, and this administration knows, that we have so much more to do. I promise you, I promise you, with your help we'll get there in this administration."

Give Till It HURTS

John Aravosis has done a lot of good in standing up to the Obama Administration's unconscionable neglect of the gay community—and by that I mean not only things they've left undone so far, but attempting to adjust promises already made and reacting poorly to some in the LGBT community's anger toward them. It's only good to keep the president on his toes, and I, like John, can't imagine attending a gay-targeted fundraiser for the DNC at this moment in time. (Yes, even considering recent baby steps by the administration.)

Plus, if he and his team hadn't gone through the DOJ brief, would we even be talking about it?

Which is why I'm disappointed that I am so turned off by his latest post and hope it's an aberration. He's already called for gay people who attend the fundraiser to be videoed (which I've said is silly because it's not like they'll be sneaking in), but check out the language he's using:

"The DNC should be telling their gay donors the truth: If you attend this fundraiser, you will be photographed and caught on video by the Washington Blade, and then outed to the entire community, nationwide, as a scab on YouTube, on blogs, and in the media. If you attend this DNC fundraiser, prepare to be excoriated in every gay bar, restaurant, resort and living room you ever visit in the future. Because if you go to this fundraiser you are a traitor to your community."

For Our Benefit

A gay holy war is brewing.

The post-by-post anti-Obama (on LGBT issues) drumbeat of AmericaBlog can be a turn-off for me—even where I think valid points are being made. Maybe I'd be better of reading the blog and skipping the comments, which are at times so venomous it's enough to make one less inclined to agree with things one might otherwise endorse wholeheartedly.

But John Aravosis's article at Salon, "President Obama betrays the gay community," would be hard to refute in any respect. In it, he describes the Democrats being "on the precipice of an ugly and very public divorce with this once-solid consituency," which is something I think is true and a shame. But not inevitable.

Swatting A Fly

I think it's great that President Obama will extend some benefits to partners of gay employees of the federal government. 

But I agree with others that it's a joke when you consider the benefits don't include, of all things, healthcare (because of DOMA, which is behind his latest and greatest misstep with the LGBT community) and when you consider it's nothing more than a hastily prepared memorandum that will evaporate once he's out of office.

Why can't the president see that he needs a "let's start over" moment on gay issues? And don't tell me it's because he's a bigot who secretly hates gays. I was asking for a real reason.

Pam's House Blend names it correctly: "It's amateur hour at our expense."

Not Against Is NOT The Same As For, But...

John Aravosis at AmericaBlog rides Obama's ass harder than just about anyone regarding gay issues; I respect that position, the idea of keeping the feet to the fire, even if it can become like a broken record when every move the man makes is interpreted to be a huge slap across my gay face.

Still, today, I think his analysis of Obama's answer on NBC regarding marriage equality is very insightful and true—he is willing to give Obama points for what could be beginning extricatory moves from his previous position against marriage equality, and seems to think Obama's true position would be to keep the federal government completely out of all marriages. In other words, we shouldn't be dealing with marriages, but civil unions for all.

But he does and I do find Obama's awkwardness on gay issues perplexing. I think he's right that this is coming from Obama's need to not simply suddenly state, "Changed my mind!" overnight, and not from personal animosity toward gay issues. (If I've read one angry gay commenter seething that Obama is a "bigot" I've read a thousand. But that is Obama's problem, and one that is highly fixable—if the guy can endear the U.S. to the Muslim world after all that's come to pass between us, why can't he speechify those against marriage equality and just tell them, "It's none of your business and it won't hurt a bit"?)

It's Not All About You

Guess I'll settle into the apologist mode (I feel like I did before I switched from Hillary to Barack, always defending my girl, now my guy!) because while I respect that MANY of the blogs I love (Towleroad, JoeMyGod, HuffingtonPost, Pam's House Blend, AmericaBlog...the list goes on!) seem to agree with the New York Times's slanted report that Obama made light of LGBT protesters, the video I've seen in no way seems like mockery, and in fact seems to be reiterating he believes he should keep his promises.

Which promise? The real answer is all of them, of course. But check out the above video—the protesters he was allegedly "mocking" were not the LGBT protesters, but the Armenian Youth Federation.

It's not allll about us...

But I still agree—his administration is fucking up royally on LGBT communication and implementation.

Holy Acrimony

Marriage-equality foes have launched a new initiative to protect traditional marriage between a man and a woman. Again exposing their stupidity, they've named it Two Million For Marriage, or for short...2M4M.