The full speech can be watched on CSPAN at:
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/10/10/HP/R/24123/Pres+Obama+addresses+gay+rights+group+on+ending+discrimination.aspx
New York Times: “Obama Pledges Again to End ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ but Offers No Timetable“
“I will end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ ” Mr. Obama told an audience of nearly 3,000 people at a fund-raising dinner for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay advocacy group. “That is my commitment to you.”
CNN: Obama to gay group: ‘Still laws to change, hearts to open’
The president said he backed the rights of gay couples, saying they should have the “same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country.” He said he has urged Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and to pass the Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act.
Obama also touched on protection against hate crimes, noting that legislation was passed in the House this week that expanded the definition of hate crimes to include attacks based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Washington Post: Obama vows to end restrictions on gays in military
At the dinner, Obama acknowledged that work on those issues was “taking longer than you’d like” as the push to overhaul healthcare and dealing with the economic crisis dominate his domestic agenda.
But he promised “unwavering” support for broadening the rights of gays and lesbians and said he would not allow the issue to be sidetracked.
My feelings about this march are that LGBT/T people have waited long enough, Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
As a number of people have pointed out. What part of equal rights do people just not get? It is after all the primary foundation of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United State which rectified its initial failure to write that implied equality by adding the 13th, 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments.
How long are we supposed to wait? How much pandering to Christo-Fascists are we supposed to put up with? All things considered with our slogan about being a “Gentle, loving people fighting for our rights we come off as being closer to what the man-god espoused by Xianity than the Bible thumpers do.
Perhaps it is time to harken back to the words of Mario Savio and put our bodies against the machine. Toss sabots into the gears. Target bigots in the congress and support anyone running against them. Perhaps it is time to put aside petty differences and focus on applying some direct pressure. Hell we have enough artists, writers, performers to stage agit prop and creative political action from now until we win.
Enough with the apathy.
Obama promised it now it is the time to follow FDR’s advice and for us to make him follow through on his promises. I’m wiling to think he won that Nobel Prize for a reason and that he is the most promising President we have had since FDR. Like FDR he faces a lot of problems including 40 some years of malignant right wing fraud, criminality and insanity that he has to undo.
We too in the words of Allan Ginsberg “Must put our queer shoulders against the wheel” and provide the needed push to get the country to live up to its promises of equal rights for all.
Women Born Transsexual 