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The 'Out' Crowd at the Inauguration
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP Photo
Even as they sipped Obama-tinis and danced to Melissa Etheridge, the revelers at the LGBT ball on Tuesday night questioned whether Obama’s soaring rhetoric about equality will be backed up by his policies on gay issues.
When singer Rufus Wainwright took the stage at Tuesday night’s Out for Equality Ball in Washington, D.C., hosted by gay-rights groups, he adjusted the lyrics of his song “I’m So Tired of America.”
“I’m so tired of Rick Warren,” he sang, and was greeted by roars from the crowd.
The moment captured the frustration felt by some of President Obama’s gay and lesbian supporters on Tuesday night—even as they celebrated his inauguration by sipping Obama-tinis and dancing to Madonna, the Scissor Sisters, and Beyoncé. While Obama’s policies on gay rights represent a sea change from those of the previous administration, many feel his soaring rhetoric on equality and civil rights—a key theme of his inaugural address Tuesday—has been undermined by his actions in the weeks leading up to the inauguration.
“There’s some overwhelming issues going on right now…and everyone may have to wait a little while for their issue to come up.”
The chief complaint is, of course, his selection of the pastor Rick Warren—who helped wage a vociferous fight against gay marriage in California—to give the invocation at the inauguration. But the grumbles have extended to other issues. While Obama has unequivocally promised to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, added a qualification last week, saying the economy must come first. Gibbs’ comment was a disappointment to those who hoped the repeal would be one of Obama’s first actions as president.
The actor Sir Ian McKellen reminded the crowd during his brief appearance that, as excited as he was about Obama’s inauguration, “You’ve got to keep him to his promises.” That theme was echoed by Gene Robinson, the openly gay pastor who delivered the opening prayer at Obama’s opening concert, as well as by Melissa Etheridge, who has reached out to Warren in an effort to build a dialogue.
The LGBT community is still grappling with the shock left by the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which dashed a sense of optimism about its fight for equality. Although Obama unequivocally backed same-sex marriage in 1996, he opposed it during the campaign while vowing to allow same-sex couples similar rights to those conferred by marriage.
Co-sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG, GLAAD, the Service Members Legal Defense Network, and several other LGBT organizations, the ball took over nearly the entire ground floor of the Mayflower Hotel—a venue undoubtedly eschewed by many a Democratic party planner due to its recent association with former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal.
Many in attendance expressed optimism. Immigration Equality’s Julie Kruse said her organization is working toward helping the same-sex partners of Americans be treated as spouses for immigration purposes. She’s been told Obama “supports the goals” of the Uniting American Families Act, of which immigration equality for same-sex partners is a part. It’s not as big or as well-known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but Kruse is willing to give the new administration a bit of a pass on the pander to the right embodied by Warren if the administration sticks to its guns on policy changes the LGBT community is pursuing.
How Rich People Smoke Pot
Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
Justice Clinton?
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
sonofloud
Delude yourselves all you like, Obama does not support equality for gay americans.....just look at his marriage stance.
Of course he'll be better than Bush but that's not exactly saying much is it?
johnozed
Exactly how does one dance to Melissa Etheridge?
TimNCGuy
I hate the position that other "more important" issues must be dealt with while civil rights issues must be put on the "back burner".
Just how much time does it take to repeal DADT and DOMA? How much time does it take to add LGBT to existing civil rights and hate crimes legislation? One day for each? IT's not like both the ENDA and Hate Crimes legislation need to be written from scratch. Both bills have been introduced before.
And, NONE of these costs any money at all.
Aren't there enough talented people working in government to focus on more than one issue at a time?
Czarkazem13
So Obama was for same-sex marriage and then was against when campaigning? This must be more of that "change" he was promising.
With that said, Obama - and Biden - made it clear that they were against gay marriage (ie: equality). So why gays so blindly supported him thinking he would do the same I can't answer. (truthfully, judging how he ran his campaign and his rhetoric, I would also question why blacks and Muslims - Arabs, Turks, Persians - did too)
First response would be, "better then McCain." Of course that's the problem with the average American, they think they only have two choices.
As far as Proposition 8 goes, why did people even vote on it? What other civil rights bill/act has ever been voted on by the general population? Correct me if I'm wrong, but when was there a vote for equal rights for blacks, Native Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asians and so on? When was there a vote for worker's rights? Equality for women? Interracial marriage?
So why vote on gay marriage?
It doesn't matter if most heterosexuals are against it just like it didn't matter that most people (ie: whites) were against interracial marriage if it had come up to a vote.
In the end, Obama is human. Expect to be disapointed.
LOL at Johnozed.
writerforhire
When one is close to an issue the passion of one's opinion and convictions at times overrides any other argument. The federal constitution has defined marriage as between man and a woman. States are then left to decide what is best for their constituents. Some states face this issue and referendums are passed that support unequivocally same sex marriages or, and mostly in it defined as, a same-sex union. The recent set back for those in California must be met with an intelligent response in order to have it placed back on the ballot.
I believe that love is a necessity in life for health and happiness. Religious boundaries are often closed borders without any possibility for compromise in man's interpretation of how God would want us to act toward our fellow man.
As a born again Christian with deeply rooted biblical beliefs I am comfortable in my religious beliefs to allow you to "Chose today," as the bible says, "Whom you will serve." Christian principals according to the bible are deeply in choice. Every miracle in the New Testament is based on a choice after receiving direction. (Rise and be healed, stretch out your arm, cast your nets on the other side). I can't make the choice for you and, yet, I can give you the room and, after explanation of my beliefs, give you the freedom to choose
ScottRose
I am against don't ask, don't tell, including when that policy is extended to the questions surrounding whether Bush and Cheney are war criminals.
Irrational bigotries and hatreds are so malignantly part of the fabric of American society that to see one of those bigotries so visibly repudiated in the election of President Obama,I feel justified in the hope that all other irrational bigotries too in time will be similarly rejected.
At this juncture, it is impossible for me to feel pessimism about the long-term chances for the elimination of bigotries, including bigotries against GLBTers.
Death to hate!
cbraak
Yeah, I don't know from all of this. Switching his policy from an unequivocal support of gay marriage to opposition to it, but in favor of civil union sounds like campaign rhetoric. If he comes out and says, "Gay marriage, yes!" can he still get elected? Who knows? But Proposition 8 passed in California, and California's a pretty big state to lose if you want the presidency.
And, of course, support for gay rights aside, he was still a much more reasonable choice than the alternatives--as a voter, am I supposed to vote on one single issue, or on an aggregate of issues? I don't know that, either.
Then it becomes a question of political capital; does the president want to use it now on gay rights, thereby running the risk of losing it because of senators whose constituents are vehemently anti-gay? Or does he spend it on fixing the economy, in the hopes that if he actually does that, he'll basically have cart blanche where gay rights policies are concerned?
He's been president for three days. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. It's not like we could unelect him if he turned out to be a homophobic bigot, anyway.
Thank you.
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