Obama's speech at HRC

[MNBrewer]

<http://www.hrc.org/apps/obama/>

Does anyone else see the elephant in the room?

[Name removed]

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[Ian David]

5. I'm just glad we could keep this civil. n/t

[MNBrewer]

6. I give as good as I get

[Ian David]

8. I apologize for my choice of words.

I shouldn't have said "ungrateful."

I should have said, "unsatisfiable."

My bad.

[MNBrewer]

14. I'd be satisfied if Obama would stop using homophobia as a political tool

e.g., his refusal to fully evolve on gay marriage.

[Ian David]

15. "Fully." I rest my case. My work here is done.

The Ten Worst LGBT Moments of George W. Bush's Presidency
http://news.change.org/stories/the-ten-worst-lgbt-moments-of-george-w-bushs-presidency

John McCain on Gay and Lesbian Issues
http://gaylife.about.com/od/politics/p/johnmccain.htm

2012 Republican Presidential Candidates on Same Sex Issues
http://2012.republican-candidates.org/Same-Sex.php

[MNBrewer]

19. D, for incomplete work

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[dsc]

33. I am glad you decided to apologize

grateful implies that we were given something we hadn't earned. We deserve these rights, they aren't gifts given to us by some great straight father.

[Ian David]

34. That was pretty much what I was thinking. n/t

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[Ian David]

22. I've been there on the front lines, too. For years. n/t

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[MNBrewer]

10. Certainly no evidence of "evolution"

that was the perfect opportunity to come out of the marriage equality closet, but...

[William769]

12. He has come out of the closet.

He's for states rights on this issue!

Good thing Lincoln wasn't.

[MNBrewer]

13. Is "god" still in the mix?

I wonder...

[William769]

16. Well if God is still in the mix.

I'll be happy to give him a Bible lesson about same sex relationships staring with David & Jonathan.

[MNBrewer]

20. Maybe he, like Rick Perry in his rain invocations, should have picked a different one

[Ian David]

17. Obama: DOMA Unconstitutional, DOJ Should Stop Defending In Court

Obama: DOMA Unconstitutional, DOJ Should Stop Defending In Court
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/obama-doma-unconstitutional_n_827134.html

[MNBrewer]

18. that's a far cry from recognizing gay marriages

[Ian David]

21. It's a further cry to declare him an enemy to gay rights. n/t

[MNBrewer]

23. His homophobic god is in the mix

evolve already!!!

[Name removed]

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[dflprincess]

28. What irks me about about Obama claiming a religious base to his homophobia is that

for at least 20 years he was a member of the United Church of Christ the first mainstream denomination to endorse same sex marriage. I think it makes it pretty clear that he's just pandering to bigots with this position which, in some ways, is even worse than if he actually believes what he's saying.

[Pirate Smile]

9. Geezus - sometimes DU just sucks. Reading this thread is one of these times.

[frazzled]

26. Yeah, you come home on a Saturday night

and find the place all stunk up. Happens every weekend.

[tblue]

27. I feel like I'm watching boxing.

I hate boxing.

[Pirate Smile]

29. Weekends are the worst. Go watch the actual speech if you haven't seen it yet.

Links to it are in multiple threads in GD: P

It was excellent. He called out all the Repub POTUS candidates for not standing up for the gay soldier at the debate or following it. The intro was good too.

[frazzled]

30. I just finished watching it.

Both the outgoing head of the HRC who gave the introductory speech and the president were phenomenal. The audience was phenomenal. It's staggering to contemplate the things that have been accomplished since the beginning of 2009. There's a lot still to do, and a lot to make sure doesn't come undone in a few years.

But you know what part got to me--the part that made me realize how far we'd come? When the president said in the latter part of the speech (paraphrase): but I know that these are not the only things you care about. As parents you care about education, as citizens and workers you care about jobs and the economy, as students ....

It was very unusual to hear that at an event for a so-called "interest group." And it was the biggest nod to the full status as equal citizens the president could give to that room. We have come that far. I've felt the sting of being pigeon-holed by a politician, in my case because of my gender. I've told the story before here, so I won't repeat it at length. It was a discussion I had with Bob Reich when he was running for governor of Massachusetts, when I told him I'd been upset by a fundraiser for his campaign refusing to talk to me when my husband wasn't home. Bob wrote back to apologize and said he'd have his wife write me. His wife! She did write, and told me about Bob's excellent record on women's issues like abortion rights and equal pay. Frankly, I was insulted, and wrote back to both of them that as good as that was, they should know that as a woman I am also interested in issues of the economy, labor, health care, etc. I was as fully interested as any citizen in the whole range of issues facing our Commonwealth.

So when I heard the members of the audience tonight--my fellow citizens--being treated as WHOLE human beings, not just a special interest group to be catered to, I cheered a little. It may not have seemed so to some, but to me that was a special moment in the speech. (And of course the moment when the Republican candidates were called out for their silence at the disrespect for a brave member of the US military.)

Wish I could have been in the audience to cheer along with everyone else--for the amazing work they have accomplished. I never thought 10 years ago my own family would be able to sit so comfortably around the holiday table--with my 95 year-old father having conversations with his grandson's husband, and watching their beautiful little daughter, his great-granddaughter hug her Papa and Daddy. The country has changed. The rest of Washington will soon come around to complete the final tasks.

[Pirate Smile]

31. Thanks for the wonderful story about your family.

:)

[mich975]

38. great point

I appreciate your words, I too felt empowered when Obama addressed the audience as his fellow citizens. I felt his speech was amazing and hope it opened a lot of eyes and hearts. It is clear we have made a lot of progress during these last couple of years but a lot more needs to be done. I like how you stated we need to make sure a lot does not come undone. I hope others realize we need to protect the progress we have made and hopefully one day we can all be equal and prosper in the BIG America Obama spoke of in his speech.

[OhioBlue]

32. awesome speeches by both the Pres and the outgoing

head of HRC. thank you for the link.

[blkmusclmachine]

35. An election must be on the horizon.

n/t

[Name removed]

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[Vanje]

37. Wow . Look @ all those deleted posts.

Another day in the DU GLBT neighborhood.