What Has Obama Done for LGBT Americans? (Infographic)

[Ian David]

Via Unicorn Booty http://www.facebook.com/unicornbooty

[bluestateguy]

1. Is there any president who has ever done more?

Jus' asking.

[Skittles]

2. off to the Greatest Page with ye

:D

[RandySF]

3. Please send this to John Arivosis.

[johnnypneumatic]

4. flamebait

not "the List" again?

[Ian David]

6. But this time, it's in a handy infographic. You're welcome. n/t

[Firebrand Gary]

5. Hey Obama Campaign Team

I hope that these graphics will be issued in poster size. There are many places these informative graphics can be hung.

[Tx4obama]

9. Here's a link to the PDF file on the BarackObama.com website that can be printed out

Chart PDF: http://obama.3cdn.net/e85f5532fe8e79747d_t44nmveb8.pdf

Original blog entry: http://www.barackobama.com/news/progress-for-the-lgbt-community

p.s. Since my printer is out of ink I haven't printed it yet, so I don't know how big it is - my guess is 8x11

[Raster]

13. ...can be WELL hung.

just sayin'

[BloomTownie]

7. Need to shout this from the mountain tops!

I knew he was down with the gays way back in the community organizer days! He walks the walk!

[Ian David]

8. You got it...

[Sapphocrat]

10. Un-reccing. And logging out once and for all.

Thank you, Ian David – you can pat yourself on the back for being the one who finally hammered it through my stubbornly thick skull: So many of my own so-called “community” are so cowed, and so desperate for approval, they will swallow this bright, colorful pict-o-graph version of THE LIST, no questions asked.

I can take all the excrement the Anti-Gays fling at me, but when one of my own supposed “family” tries to shame me into pledging allegiance to a President who refuses to “evolve” until he’s backed into a corner, and budges only on election eve because he fears losing even more LGBT votes... well, that’s the unkindest cut of all.

Judy Shepard worked more than a decade on the Matthew Shepard Act. George W. Bush -- not Obama -- lifted the HIV travel ban. “Key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees” doesn’t mean jack shit, and never did, for the vast majority of us who aren’t civil servants. Where’s the DOMA repeal? Where’s ENDA? Where’s the push for UAFA? Where’s the apology for the McClurkin / Warren / Homophobia Gospel Tour? Where’s the clarification for the “one man, one woman... God’s in the mix” bullshit? Where’s...? Oh, fuck it. Fuck it all. No one but a precious handful is listening, or cares.

And yet, you think because he signed a bill (that isn’t bulletproof) – something he should have done anyway, just because it was the right thing to do – he’s absolved for his homophobia, part and parcel?

I guess so. And if that’s the case, then I am completely out of step with everyone who agrees with that notion, and I do not belong here, and never did.

Need further explanation? If so, you wouldn’t understand it anyway.

Goodbye. And I mean goodbye.

Flame all you like. I won’t see it.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. I will miss you! I hope you don't go. It would be sad to lose your voice.

:hug:

[Raster]

14. Thank you, Sapho. Bless your heart.

:hug:

[Ian David]

15. By all means, keep pushing for all that stuff. It's all very important.

But if all you're going to do is pooh-pooh all the things that HAVE been done, you're not helping anyone.

[Name removed]

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[Ian David]

32. Since when is supporting the Democratic President flame bait? n/t

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

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[Bluebear]

37. Not helping anyone? Sapphocrat? Shame on you. SHAME ON YOU.

[yardwork]

16. Don't leave, Sappho. We need your voice.

[Ian David]

27. I have to agree. I like Sappho. n/t

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[dbackjon]

46. Amen!

[Zorra]

49. It is what it is.

And while I believe that I understand - no, more accurately, I feel - your sentiment, leaving DU will probably not solve anything (except to possibly make you feel better temporarily) or help our LGBT community at DU or in the community at large either.

Obama is not absolved, at least not in my heart and mind, in any way, from his past homophobia driven insults to all of us.

However, I have found that, when working with children, encouragement is a much better motivator than criticism, and should be used whenever the opportunity to instruct a child through encouragement arises.

Baby steps.

In contrast, offering criticism when a child does something positive is counter productive, and most often has a lasting negative impact on a child's behavior and belief system.

Obama played a positive role in ending DADT. I commend him, this is a huge step forward, and I can only hope that his motivations for playing a role in ending DADT were out of respect and understanding of our rights as equal citizens, and not solely motivated by political ambition.

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I need him to continue to follow this progressive course. We need him to follow this progressive course.

It is my firm belief that all human behavior is based on some type of motivator, and I believe that anything we can do to instruct and encourage the president regarding our equal value as equal human beings deserving of equal respect, dignity, acceptance, and human rights could be the very thing that leads to full equality in the relatively near future.

If Obama can be led to really "get it", and if he really has a conscience, it could mean the beginning of the end of our long struggle for equality.

So again, while I believe I very closely share your sentiments with regard to Obama and many of his past actions with (lack of?) respect to LGBTs, he most likely will be the only buffer between us and a republican president that may very well try their hardest to make our lives as close to a Ugandan like hell as they possibly can.

Honestly, at this time, I would probably vote for any progressive challenger to Obama in a Democratic Primary, unless I am dancing on DOMA's grave prior to the General Election, or something of similar magnitude.

However, out of very real concern for my personal safety and security, and the safety and security of LGBT's, when it comes to the General Election for POTUS, I am compelled by conscience to vote for anyone that has a possibility of defeating the republican presidential candidate.

If you don't care to participate in DU anymore, yeah, I, and probably most of us here totally get that. But I believe many of us here at DU, particularly our LGBT community, will miss you, and your insightful posts.

So, dear Sapphocrat, please don't go. But if you feel that you absolutely must, I wish you all good things, and hope that you someday resurrect lavender liberal, because, sadly, I missed it the first time around because I was unaware of it's existence.

Well, that's all I got.
peace

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Oh goody..."Teh LIST" in brightly color-form!

How fun! :puke:

[yardwork]

17. Ian, I don't mind your posting this and I understand that you want to reelect the president.

But don't be surprised that many GLBTQ people and their straight allies find this graphic to be disingenuous. I don't know anything about this facebook group, but their name for themselves - "unicorn booty" - is offensive. I mean, really.

GLBTQ voters in the U.S. fall into three large groups -

1. The ones who are Republicans and won't vote for Obama anyway. This graphic might change a few minds - probably not.

2. The ones who are progressive and haven't been paying a lot of attention, so they aren't aware of the many insults that Obama has hurled our way over the past three years. They're going to vote for Obama anyway. Maybe this graph will encourage them a little.

3. The ones who are progressive and have been paying attention and recognize that Obama has been a reluctant ally, but an ally nonetheless. Most of us are going to vote for Obama, but this graphic just makes us angry.

So you have to ask yourself, is posting this today the best strategy? How many people who see it here on DU will be encouraged to vote for Obama who would not otherwise have done so, vs. how many people who see it here on DU today are finally so discouraged and angry by this tone-deaf lalalala I can't hear you fingers in my ears attitude by the Obama administration - an attitude so tone deaf that they would put "teh list" in graphic form even though they've heard many times how counter-productive it is to tell angry people that they don't have a right to angry - you have to ask yourself, Ian, was this worth it?

[joeybee12]

18. I agree...especially the part about leading the UN to retsore sexual orientation...

The US followed on that...and most of this is stuff that was done easily..and quite frankly, a PLAN to end homeless ness...hell, I can write a plan to end homelessness...are you going to do anything about implementing that plan????

[Ian David]

23. I see your points. n/t

[yardwork]

39. Thanks. Anyway, it's not your fault. The Obama reelection people put this together and pushed it out

They're the ones who are tone deaf.

[NMMNG]

19. Oooooh, Teh List--new and improved with rainbow colors

That makes it so much more impressive. What's next, sparkles?

[Behind the Aegis]

21. NO! Get with the program!

It went from B/W, to color, the next step? THREE-D! Then I am guessing some sort of "scratch and sniff."

[QC]

31. Sparkles, you say? Your wish is my command!

[Vanje]

41. That list RULEZ!

!

[blkmusclmachine]

20. McClurkin, Warren, the '09 DOJ Legal Brief defaming GLBT, The Oak Initiative, "God is in the mix:"

Tells me exactly where this WH is on GLBT issues, BS lists notwithstanding. I WON'T be supporting the WH bid in 2012, although I WILL be supporting downballots for REAL Democrats.

[Pab Sungenis]

22. See detailed breakdown here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x777933

[xchrom]

30. tell it to donnie mcclurkin & rick warren over coffee & donuts. nt

[Prism]

34. It's been fixed up for you.

Now it's aesthetically consonant with the ideological purpose.

[Bluebear]

38. Beautiful! Crying here.

:cry:

It's magnificent.

[Ignis]

48. !

:rofl:

[Politicub]

51. Self delete

[Duncan Grant]

35. Is this a PR campaign or an object lesson? I'm guessing both. (nt)

[Bluebear]

36. "PAID FOR BY OBAMA FOR AMERICA". Lovely.

[Creideiki]

40. A deconstruction:

June 27, 2009

What does this mean again? Just curious, because far as I can tell, the VA won't try to determine what stuff in my apartment is mine and what is my partners if I move and the VA is actually offering relocation.

I can't, for example, put him as my spouse for insurance like I could if I found a random tramp and went to Vegas with her 15 minutes after we met.

June 29, 2009.

I'm not an A-List millionaire gay. Not for me.

August 12, 2009.

I'm really glad that some recognition went to two people who happen to be gay. Not sure this is an "accomplishment" of Obama's. What did he accomplish, exactly? Signing the certificates without puking?

October 21 and 28.

These are good. We have 2 accomplishments.

January 2010.

I'm with you.

March 23, 2010.

Not an LGBT accomplishment. But I understand--you needed to pad the space. For some reason.

April - June, 2010.

Accomplishments. Sort of. I still can't take FMLA if my partner becomes ill. However, if we had a kid and I wasn't on the paperwork, I could take FMLA. Lackluster and barely showing respect. But he managed to not puke while signing and you needed to pad some more.

June 22, 2010.

Really? What?

October 2010.

Great. But I'm in Denver. Not LA. Does Obama want me to move? Will he find me a job within the federal government when I move to LA where apparently Obama wants us. Since Colorado isn't a gay-zone. Or something.

October 21, 2010.

Mild accomplishment. I was actually more impressed by the Chicago Cubs' video.

December 21, 2010.

Does this mean that I can actually take a vacation to the Maldives before Obama helps hammer the last nail in their coffin? Oh. No. Can't. Because it's illegal to be gay in the Maldives (a Muslim country), and I actually have much more sympathy for them than they have for me and I don't want their country destroyed even if they want me destroyed.

December 22, 2010.

Could have not fought the LCR court fight. Or after losing the fight. Could have accepted the decision. Then DADT would have ended and Open Service started almost a year before it was.

January 20, 2011.

This is precious. On the one hand, thanks! On the other--it took 2 years to decide not to discriminate against poor LGBT people? Why? And this is six months after saying that homelessness even among LGBT people is bad? So it takes 6 months from deciding that LGBT people shouldn't be homeless to think that maybe allowing the same access to government housing that straight people get is a good idea? Six months? I mean. I know He's not all that bright, but 6 months is a tad long, don't you think?

Feb 14, 2011.

A--Good. The HIV epidemic is not over. And protection and treatment are being slashed by the states.

B--Mixed bag. Discriminatory legislation is bad and shouldn't be defended by society. However, He maintained the defense against DADT long after declaring that it is bad and shouldn't be defended by society. But I guess we can't let even the LCR's to get any kind of "win", right? Because this is all about the color war.

March 10.

I'm glad. Really. I understand that He needed to make sure He didn't lose any Republican votes in 2012, so the delay is understandable.

[xchrom]

42. +1 - Ian won't understand this. Nt

[mitchtv]

43. thanks

especially to Sapphocrat and Yardwork.

[Not Me]

44. I am sure President Perry will build on this.

Really people. Sure I wish he would have been more forceful in his committment. But there are some pretty impressive accomplishments given the opposition party.
And what's not on the list is the fact that these changes (like the elimination of DADT) are influencing the public's sentiment and shifting it toward gay rights.

Do I wish he had done more? Certainly. Do I think he could have accomplished more? Probably not, given the political landscape.

We've already lost Sappho, this infighting is non-productive.

[Creideiki]

45. Very impressive! If I worked for the State Dept. they would even evacuate BOTH of us!

[dbackjon]

47. What is not productive is the refusal by Obama and his team

Too not embrace the ideal that we are all Americans - and should be equal in every aspect.


Until Obama realizes this, he is not much better than a President Perry.



And if anything, Obama's reluctance to call us worthy of equality is impeding progress. We are making progress IN SPITE of Obama's bigotry.

[Politicub]

50. +1 - The Obama admin is a strong ally for the LGBT movement

[laconicsax]

52. I thought it was "fierce advocate."

:shrug:

[Occulus]

53. Ow.