The administration's increasing betrayal of the LGBT community

I'm beginning to wonder. Despite the support of top military officials and the Secretary of Defense, we once again received hints that serious efforts to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell may be relegated to the bin of Political Issues Democrats Fear with word that http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dcnow/2010/02/pentagon-to-study-ending-dont-ask-dont-tell.html">another year-long study is required.

The message is clear - despite exorbitant promises, the administration has no intention whatsoever of expending any political capital on our major issues.

A one year study moves this issue past the 2010 election. If a Democratic Congress with these majorities could not be moved to work seriously on a repeal, what kind of efforts can we expect should November result in a loss of power? Does anyone seriously believe an erosion or loss of majority status will cause the Democratic caucus to fight harder for LGBT issues?

The Obama administration had a unique two-year window to address major LGBT legislation. It is throwing the opportunity away. This is either by design or by magnificent political incompetence. (Right now, I'm at 50/50 on which)

DADT repeal is a highly popular issue with a unique characteristic that allows the executive to take some unilateral action to assuage the injustices currently being brought down on our worthy service men and women.

What does this say about the potential of more politically prickly issues like DOMA?

If President Obama will not fight for this, right now, during this unprecedented two-year window he has been given, why should we in the LGBT community believe he will come out swinging for something like DOMA?

This is all very disheartening. Predictable, but disheartening.

No, no. Save the lists of various minor things the administration has done. Speeches are also not accomplishments. It's ok. I know many of you want to say "Pony!" You can refrain. I read that subtext in all of your other posts. After the past year, I very much understand that LGBT equality isn't really "your issue" and you're just ducky with our treatment by this Democratic administration.

After 12 months, many, many things are becoming crystal clear about many, many people.

people should be ashamed of themselves!!!

I fear that "our" politicians are simply mirroring the attitudes of the population, instead of leading toward progress.

IF the Democratic Party and the politicians we elect do not stand for - and fight for - equal rights for everyone, then the party has lost its moral center.

Bullshit "political" concerns should not compromise principles. Period.

Sadly.

I'm afraid before this is all over we will have the "End of DADT" in name only. Sufficient protections won't be in place for current members, and future members will be able to be segregated/harrassed to some extent.

Just frag those queers - no problem. As for the followup investigations - We won't ask so please don't tell.

By the way when was this unique window...?! Can you give me a date?!

And yes, I do have dates for that "unique window" I reference in the OP.

They would be January 20th 2009 through January 3rd 2011.

During this time, Democrats have the presidency and healthy congressional majorities.

You know, you do realize that LGBT rights aren't simply message board fodder, right? That there are real lives at stake in all of this?

Yes, no, maybe?

And last I heard there was a strong possibility or a leak since summer of last year they were going to be putting the repeal of DADT in the upcoming defense bill, which was eluded to once again in the during the meeting with the top military advisers and Gates in front of the Defense committee I believe.

Lastly, you know nothing about me to see where I am coming from and I see nothing in my posts that have made light of the oppression and inequality facing the LGBT community. As a matter of fact what affects the community directly affects me. You make a lot of assumptions about me which is rather annoying. What I did comment on was this already dismissive disregard toward the efforts of the Administration that has made some headway in regards of rights also, the massive blockage they face legislation or repealing is facing---not from the Administration but from the ENTIRE Republican party government officers and a few BlueDogs and Conservadems.

Obviously if you you were paying attention many of the people who were obstructions of many of the initiatives Obama has been pushing were not only Republicans, but were also Dems. Especially in the bloody Senate. It didn't matter that the Dems were the majority and I think that semi surprised Obama. That even with the majority he has his own party who clearly don't care for changes in initiative. I find the people to rightfully blame is Congress here because I've seen a regular push and steps taken by the Administration to change DADT and push forward for more equality beyond DADT.

Edited for spelling.

If you follow the link in my OP, you'll find an article discussing how the Secretary of Defense has stated the Pentagon requires one year of "further study" before any kind of serious repeal effort can be made. This is the signal for a delay. LGBTers are very attuned to what political-speak means for our issues, and we've heard precisely this sort of thing before, and we know precisely where it goes.

We need a year to study this = no movement before the 2010 election.

Period. That's what it means. Period.



The attitude in your original response communicated precisely this. People cannot sit there whistling the same song over the course of an entire year and then take umbrage when some of us happen to recognize the tune.

Sorry.

And yes, I know, it seems like everyone who spends an inordinate amount of time telling the LGBT community to stop pushing so hard or so loudly knows all kinds of LGBT individuals. "But I have gay friends and family . . ." You do realize that comment is every bit as insulting in its privilege as when clueless white people talk about having black friends when breezily dismissing African-American issues, yes?



Obviously you weren't paying attention when the administration repeatedly clamped down on any and all Congressional mentions of bringing up the issue over the past year. You cannot blame Republican or Blue Dog obstructionism on the DADT delay, when the White House itself has told members of Congress to quiet down about the repeal until we reach the moment of President Obama's choosing.

No, the administration owns this time-line all by itself.

That was mentioned during the meeting---which I sat and watched in full. And again the head of the committee stated quite clearly that it doesn't matter if it takes a year for them to have this review, they could still put it in the bill, pass it--ultimately repealing it. Even Rachel Maddow stressed this in her review of the meetings proceedings which you can watch.

I never said that the LGBT community should stop it's push. I'm tired of the displaced blame. We should be looking at all of Congress, but I saw more of a push onto the Administration as the cause of nothing happening, which is what I was commenting on in my post. I don't even waste my time with the Admin (even though I see they are doing a lot). My concern is entirely with the congressman--beneficial for me is that my congressmen and women ---well I should say my senators are advocates for the repealing of DADT and as such I contact them regularly to keep pushing their agenda through.

Did I use a statement that "I have gay friends..." I don't believe so, so I'm not sure where you're going with your statement.

Actually no, I didn't notice that. I did know that the President was like he has a problematic congress and he clearly explained that they were shutting him down on many issues. If he brought up repealing DADT at that time, he'd never get anything done. And I agreed. Once again I'll say it, his Congress is full of obstructonist...actually his House is no where near as bad as his Senate. But his Senate Dems are ready to destroy him. They ultimately are the ones destroying his health bill and I can see them holding up everything if DADT was put on their plate early on---well for written legislation.

This is why it was said and once again I'll stress,that it would be pushed or might be put into the Defense bill (which means it wouldn't be it's own separate bill) which would lead to less obstruction. They destroy the Defense bill they slight the veterans, end of story.

Pentagon policy comes from above. The President is the Commander-in-Chief. Congress has repeatedly signaled it would like to move forward on the issue, only to find a "Please, not right now," note waiting for them from the West Wing.

This is an election year. In election years, controversial issues don't magically become easier. Congress and a President seeking to hold onto his party's majority don't suddenly become more willing to take on issues that are perceived as politically treacherous. The time to move forward on a major LGBT initiative was a non-election year. If Congress and the President perceive a real danger to their power in front of an economically-motivated uprising of conservative independents and motivated Republicans, the LGBT community will be the first one thrown overboard in the desperate bailing required to keep the majority viable and afloat.

The golden opportunity, that first, non-election year is gone. So now we must wait and see what November holds. All indications are that Democratic power will diminish to some degree. That will not encourage an already reticent administration to move forward.

And let's not forget, when it comes to constituencies, politicians tend measure their progress on a small drip. If this administration spends three years messing with DADT, DOMA will be unaddressable until a second term. It will not be brought up, end of story.

We have no guarantee of a second term. We had to get what we could when we could with this term and this Congress. It is why the LGBT is pushing so hard. We know, more than anyone else, that a more Republican or Republican-majority Congress could kill our chances for serious movement forward. We know, more than anyone else, that if things go wrong and a Republican wins the White House in 2012, we can kiss a DOMA repeal good-bye for perhaps a decade.

I would like to see those who fought for me before I was born achieve full equality. I want to see the Stonewallers who gave me the chance to come out and live an adult life free of massive consequence and hatred get what they deserve while they're still young enough to experience it to the fullest. I want to see those who survived the great plague of the 80s and 90s to know and see what it was they held on to, what got them up in the morning, what pushed them forward and made them survive even while they were burying scores of friends and family.

This President does not get this. He has never gotten it. If he truly understood the LGBT community, he would never ever behave in this fashion. Because no one could. Someone who truly empathized and truly knew injustice and inequality would know the limited window of opportunity we've been given and take full advantage of it.

This President does not do this. No excuse. The more he delays, the more he shrugs us off, the more he politically calculates, the more venal and cowardly he appears.

It isn't merely unjust, it is cruel. Is President Obama a cruel man given to subvert all to his ambition? In regards to the LGBT community, he needs to start answering that question sooner rather than later.

Look...because he hasn't directly moved forward last year on it. Its most likely because it would have been killed then. Why? Check out the fact Obama still doesn't even have his entire cabinet filled as an example of why. It would be held up in Congess for infinity. Now with health reform the only looming detriment he has an open field to make DADT the primary. He had an economy that was joke and he had to pass bailout funds and all a stimulus package in lieu of massive angst. Even then the administration were making allowances by sidetracking DADT and DOMA to give the LGBT community rights. That's undeniable and even the Pentagon last year came and said that the President has brought it their attention. They got the memo and I saw the press conference where they declared it. So for you to tell me he hasn't done anything is absurd.

Now you talk about this golden opportunity. You gave me a date until 2011 and now you say it's gone?! I don't understand your statement. And lastly he has a obstructionists in the Dem party---and I've said this countless times. Further more I've already stated that there are talks of him putting it in the defense budget and repeal it the same way it got into law---defense bill.

Well then there's nothing to say. You think this President is against you...then don't vote for him next time. I personally think he's fighing for all of us and I'm targetting the people who aren't.

Currently this news came out: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=176506&mesg_id=176506

But I'm sure you'll say this is nothing too in a few months as you said the same about the other things he's done for the LGBT community.

And it's rather horrendous for you to use him as such. Choi's service is a net positive, but it also serves to highlight the immorality of this administration's persistent foot-dragging.

You cannot win a game if you refuse to take the field. This President and Congress need to get on the field and fight.

A "study" is not a move towards repeal. A study is "We're going to delay this at the moment, because we don't feel the current environment is politically advantageous." That's cowardice, and it's something the LGBT community has seen and heard before innumerable times. We know what this language means.

Right now, with Secretary Gates' recent statements and others, we're getting repeated signals that DADT may be delayed until after the election. We know what these signals mean. We watch them, and their real consequences, all the time in the community. We know dog whistles when we hear them.

Perhaps you do not. Perhaps the disappointment of politicians on LGBT issues doesn't hit you quite in the gut as it does to us. So when you hear various statements, you don't have the experience or interest to really derive just what the politicians are getting at.

That's understandable to some degree, but it's unconscionable to approach LGBTers and explain to them "Because a politician said he would! That should be good enough for you," is an acceptable or even valid attitude at this point in time. Far, far too much history has passed, and the administration has already accrued a track record of being somewhat chilly to LGBT concerns when it's scrambling for political advantage.

If Democratic prospects for November do not improve over the next three or four months, this administration will have even more reason to push DADT onto the back-burner - and they will do it.

You keep on pushing the Gates statements and within his statementsto the committee the comittee chair even stated very clearly we could repeal it before the year is out. There is no basis, that the review will have any substantial affect on the repealing of DADT. It seems to me, that you're using that as political armour to prove your point. when there's a lot of information, at least from the democratic side that it will be added to the defense/war authorization bill (whatever it's called) and it will be used to repeal DADT. I'm not saying to stop any fight, however the push is all on Congress becase even the Admin is dealing with pushback from them---McCain is a perfect example.

Further more, I'm not using Choi as some sort of "political armour" that's really fucked up to assume...but then I figured you'd be along the lines of the first poster---that he's token. However, I see him as an example of things moving forward o something better, something successful and a bit more justice for a persecuted group in the US. I actually see it as enforcin Obama's agenda and hopefully that pushback from Congress will lessen and I'm a offended that I'm assumed to use his happiness as such.

Please. In any event, believe what you want. Because this is ending into an exhausting circular discussion.

ie "LeftyMom alluded to certain Obama supporters ill-concealed distaste for GLBT rights, expressing her feeling that that particular snake rotted from the head down."

Eluded means something else entirely. For example: "After quitting her role as unofficial Tea Party spokesperson and declaring her candidacy for Empress of the Moon, Sarah Palin jumped on a waiting snowmachine piloted by her husband Todd, and the two eluded a pack of reporters, led by hard-nosed bastion of journalistic integrity Katie Couric, by darting into the tranquil, meth lab-dotted woods of Wasilla."

You are always there to remind us to stop complaining and you never seem too miss the chance to tell us how much more you know about the issues that directly effect our lives. Thank goodness you are here!

I'll hop back into the closet like a good little queer so I don't interrupt your historic 1st term.

Some how... And i'm sure it'll be explained
ad nauseum any moment now.

Of course, it's not really an explanation so much as:

{roll eyes} "Like, what...ever!"

No, ya bastids, it won't be forgotten. This will always be an important issue. Equality for everyone!

And given how many Democrats, including many prominent ones right here on DU, feel LGBTers are a giant political liability in election years, I'm beginning to think the DADT kiss-off by the administration is intentional.

as the fact that they don't seem to be able to advance ANY progressive agenda.

Sadly, our congresscritters seem to have forgotten that they are the majority.

Unfortunately, that means that nothing gets done.

Also, though I am not a member of your community, I really did think that jobs, health care, and all that were also LGBT issues. We're all people and we all need the same stuff in the end. Who you choose to love shouldn't even enter into it at all. It is unfortunate that the narrow minded among us (read: religious folk mostly) are unable to see this simple fact.

Certainly a full DADT repeal requires Congressional effort, but whenever someone in the House or Senate has said "All right, let's tackle this. What's the hold up?" the White House has come down rather hard trying to get everyone to shut up about it.

I think this delay comes from the top. Definitely the Obama administration seems to have a vested interest in delaying it as much as possible - their actions to date have proven it. Whether or not Congressional complicity in this delay involves a hard clamping down by Reid and/or Pelosi I'm still somewhat agnostic on. Is this delay also their desire, or are they conceding to the White House's wishes here?

though the wait is not a good thing, demographics will eventually do what politics won't.

The fact is that younger people generally don't have the same level of interest in oppressing those who are not exactly like them. (Children of right-wing whack jobs excepted of course).

In the end, there are lots of things that need to be done and precious little getting done.

DADT needs to go. DOMA is just stupid and needs to go.

There need to be protections built in to keep GLBT people safe from those who would harm them simply because they are "different".

There also need to be jobs, health care, regulation on businesses to keep them relatively honest. The list goes on and on.

Lots of issues and lots of lip service with very little actual action.

You'd think we were the minority party still.

The whole thing is frustrating to all of us.

Once again. :(

I think all hopes for O on genuine equality action are for naught, He has shown himself to not have the stomach for the kind of all out, brass knuckles fight that would be needed to make things happen for GLBT.

Sadly, I agree with you. I didn't a year ago. A year ago, I posted the slowest progress I expected on LGBT rights from this administration. Even that had DADT happening by 2010. Secretly, I hoped it would be one of those "first six months" items from this Congress and administration.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

Really, a lame argument.

That's all, no rebuttal, no facts, just an insult.

Way to go.

I'm not saying you're an asshat, but that's a real asshat thing to do.

Must be to be poor and gay.

This administration has used the GLBT community to help it get elected and then it turned it's back.

I can think of only two reasons for this, President Obama and his administration is in reality anti-gay, or they want to keep the GLBT community on the line so they can use them again in the next election.

Either way, it shows these people to be the bullshit artists that they are.

I'm pissed, and I'm not even gay.

It was strange to watch that clarion call for a DADT repeal in the SOTU, only to find repeated delays in the offing. Was it merely politics?

Because if this President thinks mere rhetoric and political kabuki are going to assuage the LGBT community and get us and our wallets in line for November, he's in for one ugly surprise.

I, quite literally, do not know one single LGBTer who is going to lift a finger this year for candidates who are not out there fighting in the trenches. Words are over. Words are very 2008. It's 2010. It's time for this president to put up or shut up.

What about the thousands of others?

We need more than a token gesture.

just one person and I know people aren't happy about this, neither am I. The process has been disgustingly slow, and to add a year to review it is a slap in the face.

Just trying to spread a bit of cheer.

I hope you understand I'm not trying to be snarky with you. There are real reasons for this outrage.

Peace.

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Aren't you just the nicest person?

It seems, at least culturally, people have less and less patience for DADT. It is already highly unpopular among the electorate, and Choi putting a prominent face to the injustice has, I think, accelerated sentiment in our favor.

It makes the endless political stalling less and less tolerable.

DADT is such an "easy" move for the administration. The pace of its approach is becoming less and less explicable in terms of rightness and common sense.

and end DADT. Its not that easy. If you want to end the policy and do it in a way where you won't have fragging of gay service members or other problems both politically and in the realities of military life, you can't just do it by decree and be responsible about it. Having women serve in the military still creates problems among service members and they've been able to serve for a few decades now.

The military is a HUGE institution. If you want to institute what for the military would be a radical new policy, you have to plan for all contingencies and do it slowly and do it right.

Obama is making strides, ending DADT is one of many issues he has to handle.

So that's a relief, I suppose.

Let us be grateful for small mercies.

Mock it. You'd rather have GLBT members in the military fragged so long as DADT is repealed immediately? Thats the reality. Women in the military are still getting raped years after they've been allowed to serve.

Military culture is shameful in many ways, but you DONT WAVE A MAGIC WAND and stop atrocities like that.

. . . the ones who will bear the brunt of any reaction, then it should be good enough for you.

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:patriot:

asap. The only question is, do we have the votes? If we can't get enough, then that truly is pathetic.

We'll see. As I said in an article a few weeks ago. I cannot look my gay friends in the face right now I am so embarrassed by the lack of progress on LGBT issues thus far.

All of this has been in motion for some time. Left alone, I suspect it would eventually collapse from sheer momentum. Which is why the refusal to give it that strong, final nudge is all the more perplexing.

Similarly, gay marriage could probably sort itself over time as the culture continues changing.

But that's never an excuse to do nothing or drag one's feet, yet that's what we keep getting.

That's how politics works. If you do not continue to push, they will do nothing except sit back and improve their own lives. Nothing gets done when people sit down and shut up.

Obama is not God!

:eyes:

Can Obama executive order it?

:/

I got the impression he was saying that the military needed a year to study the issue and make the transition. In other words, he told congress to pass the bill whenever they want to but write into the bill that the provision doesn't go into effect for a year so that the military has the time to fully study the issue and make necessary changes to other policy areas before the new provision goes into effect.

Granted gays should've been allowed to serve in the military yesterday and the change can't come soon enough, but if the law passes then that's a victory.

Sen. Lieberman was unctuously agreeing with the Repubs that it would take at least a year's "study" plus 60 votes, and Levin said no it would not. If I understood the exchange correctly, DADT was originally enacted into law by attaching it to a Defense appropriations bill. According to Levin, it would take a simple majority to pass the bill -- but a super-majority to remove any part of it, such as the repeal of DADT.

I took that bit as a very good sign.

Now, you can take issue with this, but the President is the Executive Branch. Carl Levin is the Legislative Branch -- that's where laws are made and unmade. Whatever is done by Executive Order does not have the same sticking power as a law passed by Congress -- essentially, the next POTUS can decide to undo his predecessor's executive orders. Pres. Obama has already undone quite a few of Bush's more egregious executive orders, but he can't undo an actual Law.

President Obama was making it crystal clear, it seemed to me, that he wants Congress to move on DADT -- to legislate, which is their job. And Senator Levin was making it just as crystal clear that he gets that and it will happen.

Hekate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7677244

This is huge. I agree about this study bs, the data is already clear. But, sending Dan Choi, such an outspoken advocate of the repeal of DADT, back in to active duty is a signal, imo. :hi:

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There is nothing more important than basic freedoms and rights for people. I would say that equality for gays, blacks and women are at least equal to the other issues you listed.

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That's my general read on whats going on. I don't actually think he is going to ignore the issue i just doubt he will deal with it until the economy and Healthcare are done.

Just saying.

It has been pretty clear that President Obama was happy to receive GLBT votes and contributions as long as he didn't have to expend too much political capital.

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Obama and our Dems have NO SPINES and are NOT WILLING TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT!!!

All they care about is getting re-elected so they can wimp out STILL again.

Seeking power for power's sake is no virtue at all and does no good if once you get the power you squander it all on "triangulating" and "waiting" and all the rest...