The leader shouts: "What do we want?"
The crowd replies---(fill in the blank)
The leader shouts: "When do we want it?"
The crowd replies: "NOW!"

In the course of human history any and all change has taken hard work, perseverance-and TIME. . .

Obama needs to do more than just speak. What if MLK and others said "Now's not the time". What if LBJ said "Now's not the time."?

It's a civil rights issue. The same ol', same ol' being said today in opposition to gay marriage was said during the civil rights movement. The same ol', same ol' being said today in opposition to gays in the military was said when the services were integrated.

To say one group of people shouldn't have equal rights because of their color is as silly and narrow-minded as saying another group of people shouldn't have equal rights because of their genetic makeup.

I written extensively about the issue:

http://theworldofhowey.wordpress.com/category/lgbt-issues/

In BHO's America nobody will be getting married except the homosexuals.

In BHO's America nobody will be getting married except the homosexuals.

If only....

In BHO's America nobody will be getting married except the homosexuals.

Hey, let's try that! You know, quash that straight white male patriarchy...

so, also:

"In BHO's America, all the CEOs, Boards of Directors of the major corporations, and members of Congress will be women of color!"

Yes! Now we're gittin' whitey! I like it.

Real change isn't done by executive fiat. Anything President Obama can do in six months can be overturned by the next Republican president in three.

although, my cynical political mind thinks Obama's strengthening his left flank now as he expects a good deal of anger over the accomodationist health care plan.

OBAMA STANDS BY COMMITMENTS IN HRC SPEECH At first I thought it was a speech about Hillary Rodham Clinton.............

He'll be judged on whether he keeps those promises.

Okay... but when? If none of those promises have been accomplished... if next to nothing has been done to move them forward... do we get to say that?

I think it's fine to counsel patience, and to remember that change takes time... but that does not mitigate the fact that, on this and elsewhere, President Obama is exasperating, because of the constant sense that we're supposed to judge him and his administration on what will happen, not on what actually has. We haven't ended DADT, we haven't ended DOMA, we haven't made sure LGBT are better protected and less discriminated against. When we get those things, and if we do during Obama's term... then he gets crdit for it. Until then, he doesn't. This isn't hard... but it's also not about promises. It's got to be, ultimately, about what gets done. And so far... it's not.

My guess is that we'll see Obama manke some major moves on gay issues as his second term begins. I know alot of people won't be happy to hear that. The economy is still in the shit hole, health care reform is on the front burner with energy coming up behind it and Afghanistan has to be resolved. Listen, I'm gay and I realize these other issues are more pressing and need to be delt with. Obama really can't afford to cash in any political capital on gay issues (and he'll have to) now.

I'd rather he focus on those other vital issues first.

I wish he would focus on vital issues as well, such as health care for all that is not a give away to insurance companies (fail), a financial recovery package that is not a give away to big banks (fail), and to get us out of foreign wars as opposed to being more committed to one (fail). And don't even get me and Glenn G. started on rendition and holding prisoners indefinitely without charge, etc.

The left is just going to get more disenchanted with big business as usual. I would think an executive order to repeal DADT would give him some needed street cred.

Equal Rights Amendment, anyone?

Of course he can't end DOMA or DADT. Perhaps the pressure needs to be put on the branch of government that can end those things.

I think this is a misquote:

"it's not important for me to tell you to be patient."

What he said was: "it's not for me to tell you to be patient." As in: it's not my place. Very different.

As a liberal lesbian who campaigned for and voted for Obama, so far I'm actually OK with what he's done so far. I think he'll deliver on these promises AFTER health care reform passes-- if he were able to speak totally frankly I think he'd say that he'd like to get to work on DADT and DOMA but that he can't afford to do anything that might distract from or derail health care reform. I think he's right. Politics is largely a game about timing and right now is not the exact right time to publicly take on DOMA or DADT. It sucks but it's reality.

I also think that after Obama gets re-elected in 2012 that he'll come out of the closet, so to speak, and forcefully come out in support of full equal marriage rights. Then all the dems who have felt like they have to play the we-support-everything-but-marriage word game can come out in support too-- Hillary, etc.

After not quite nine months in office, the Obama record on gay rights is not a blank slate. ... personnel appointments, ... domestic partnership benefits for federal workers, ... diplomatic passport issue, ... Pride Month proclamation, hosted a White House event ... and is moving towards signing an expanded hate crimes bill into law.

The point of the march and the lgbt communities' so-called impatience is that not a single one of those items has any effect on my life or the lives of millions of regular everyday Americans who are gay, lesbian or transgender. With the possible exception of the hate crimes expansion -- which, let's face it, is a post-facto punishment, not a deterrent -- those are crumbs that will disappear when Obama leaves office. Nothing he's done is permanent or leads to more stability for heartland queer kids or heartland straight kids with two mommies or two daddies. He has demurred on signing a stoploss executive order on DADT, even as a stop-gap measure until Congress can enact legislation repealing DADT. Pilate-like, he has washed his hands of the deaths, beatings, rapes, harassment, and deprivation of rank and veterans benefits that gay and lesbian service members would have earned except for being separated from service because of DADTDP (Don't Pursue, which is the part of the policy that is rarely mentioned and has been routinely violated), saying that it's the "Sanhedrin's, the Pharisees' responsibility, not mine." He refuses to own any responsibility as Commander in Chief for Dan Choi, and Amy Brian, or any of the other 300-plus gay service members discharged since he took office in the midst of TWO wars.

Not that I want gay people to volunteer as military i.e.d. fodder, but some feel it as their calling, and some think the sacrifice and risk are worth the access to training and eventual benefits. They should get to choose whether or not to volunteer for the military, just as other Americans get to choose.

Also largely missing from discussions of Obama's determined inaction on DADTDP is any discussion of the history: The first military report on the impact of gay service members was the Navy's Crittenden report issued FIFTY-TWO YEARS AGO. The report concluded that gay sailors were no more likely to be a security risk than straight soldiers, but stopped short of recommending a change in military policy because of "social mores." But the President says he's waiting for the "right time."

One of his heroes, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, once said, "It's always the right time to do the right thing."

Hah, Steve. Read Aravosis or FiredogLake. Realize that you, former Democratic party flak, are being accused by the WH of being a "pajamas wearer."

You two-party idiot.

Vote Green if you want gay rights.

"Vote Green if you want gay rights."
Posted by: SocraticGadfly on October 12, 2009 at 2:42 AM

Huh.
Y'know, some of us did just that, back in 'oughty-ought.
Remind me how that worked out again?
Cause I've -- very conveniently -- forgotten...

I have faith that Obama will come through on many of the BIG issues that we expect him to fix. Healthcare is going to take time. Ending these wars - same. End to DADT - will take time. Energy Bill, Middle East Peace, Economy, etc.

I think this is going to be the first president in a long time that has what it takes to follow through on much of his agenda. I think the expectation that he can make something happen in any lasting way, can be done in 6 or 12 months especially considering what's on his plate, is expecting way too much. What expectation did we have for Bush? Or Clinton or the other Bush, etc. compared to Obama?

Obama will get it all done and I pray that he has two terms to do all that he can. He'll do it and he'll do what no one would expect from other 'less capable' presidents. I'm not going to expect any of this to be done in any particular time period. I just expect it to be done at some point in his presidency.

X-mas will come when it comes. You can't move it up to October just because, as we'd all agree, it'd be better. Just be happy we're getting it.

I'm amazed at his ability to get this far and be able to publicly commit to this without any real damage to him politically. This and other issues will get dealt with and I'm willing to wait for it and not criticize him until it gets done. I don't need him to tell me to be patient either, because I know it'll get done and I would defy anyone to show me someone who could get everything done that Obama will get done in his presidency, looking back (in 4 or hopefully 8 yrs).