Dear DU - While you are busy trashing each other's candidate over

how anti-gay each side is......

Just thought I'd let you know that none of this is news to the GLBT community. It doesn't really matter to many of us whether Hillary did this first or Obama did that next. The simple fact, which we've said all along is that the GLBT community, when it comes to Presidential elections at least, is totally expendable.

Yes, all those candidates want our votes and our dollars. Each of them will get up and say something to placate us over until after the next voting, then boom, we're once again dropped like the hot potato they think we are.

We've also known for decades now that they'll also cater to the other 'interest' groups out there - in spite of it feeling like a knife in our backs at times. Or to give a 'religious pass' to someone's bigotry. Many of you seem more surprised at the outcomes then we are, perhaps we're simply jaded.

Not any sort of rant, just thought it worth mentioning today. Reading through some of the postings, watching the fingers pointing and almost laughing(crying) as I see each side piling it on over which candidate has done more to hurt or harm our community. It is touching to see the support from many of our allies and also to know that there are some candidates who don't really have much of a shot at getting elected saying and acting like we're also 100% American citizens, entitled to all that everyone else in the Great Melting Pot gets.

But we weren't surprised. We started trying to talk about it last weeks, but occasionally got shot down because someone supporting Candidate X or Candidate Y certainly knew better than I did about how the GLBT community was supposed to feel about that - after all, they'd studied the issues and read the official pronouncements.

All we do is simply live with it every day and try not to get too much of blame thrown our way when things don't work out right.

And pandering seems to be the base (in every sense of the word) political strategy in the US anymore.

Damn pathetic what passes for political dialog with most candidates.

obama was wrong for what he did but he's far from the only presidential candidate to look the other way when it comes to LGBT issues. the absolute venom was astounding, given the fact that he's no different from any of the rest of them (candidates).

I'm beginning to wonder why I even bother. :-(

mention the best candidates for your community "don't really have much of a shot at getting elected". Please keep in mind and heart that not a single vote has yet been cast. America may, Ok probably not, but just may surprise all of us, especially all the experts like the ones who tried to crown Dr Dean (no disrespect to the Dr) before the last election. If there is a candidate (I'm assuming and hoping Kucinich) who you feel would represent you equally with all America, do all you can. Best wishes.

at least, my outrage at Obama. To embrace someone so openly anti-gay, someone who says they were "cured", is beyond outrage. What next will this person be "cured" of?? I have not picked a candidate yet, but Obama is off my list.

the OP because I was still watching the Candidate X supporters and Candidate Y supporters use this as simply one more way to bash the other's chosen primary pick.

The support of you and many others has been vocal and sincere and it is very much appreciated.

I'm with you.

I am in solidarity with the GLBT community.

I remember when living in Oregon in 1994 and an iniative was on the ballot that would preclude a gay individual from some right that any and all individual's should possess.

A friend said to me, "Why would I ever vote against this block of people? Any time I've been in deep trouble, it was my gay friendss that supported me."

I feel that way too.

And I say this as a heterosexual minority woman. Promises of actually being treated as sovereign nations and freedom from the paternal grip of the US for self-determination on our tribal lands are just some of the things that keep getting promised and then not delivered. In fact, most of the time, I feel pretty fucking neglected after the election.

One of the things that hurts the most is that minority voters are the ones who help sway elections. Unfortunately for some of us, we're not the ones they feel the need to court right now. We're being taken advantage of, again.

Lip service is a beautiful thing during campaign season but I've long ago given up a lot of hope for an elected official to dig in their heels and make something happen. The more that's promised, the more that's been taken away. At the same time, if it wasn't for us minority communities to have the balls to stand up to our government, we'd be living in an even more oppressive society.

K&R

The Congressional Black Caucus seems to be the only group that is keeping our government even minimally honest. They stand up when everyone else looks the other way. Sometimes I think if it weren't for them, I would be ready to give up. And I have been active for a long time.

I have had to take a good look at myself. I have always supported GLBT rights -- or so I have told myself. But it was not until I saw firsthand, through having a gay daughter, the real hurt that is being done to this community. And it just does not end.

I don't know who to support. I haven't decided yet. But Obama will not be my choice.

To me, there is only one issue that I think is more important than human rights and that is the environment. Specifically, the climate crisis. I want Gore to run. I've never made that a secret. If he doesn't run then I will give my support to whomever I feel will be strongest on the environment. I just think that if we don't have a habitable or sustainable world then all the other things we're fighting for won't mean anything.

I know this sounds stupid but most of my roommates (as opposed to my live-in boyfriends) have been gays and most of my friends are gay. Mostly because as a biracial child in an all-white neighborhood in the 60's I was an outsider and, until I was in middle school, I felt pretty ostrachized. I know how it feels to be on the outside because of something totally out my control. For gays, it is their sexuality. For me, it is my parentage and skin color. We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go.

Your daughter sounds lucky to have you as a mom.

me, there is no way I could put that ahead of the environment now, I don't think there are that many years left to try to fix it.

about this whole mess. It's just sad all around. All of this, and for nothing.