DNC - Another survey... 'The Gays' Marginalized again!

Well, it happened again. Remember when I complained about the DNC sending me a 2010 - Presidential Survey that wanted my opinion on national and local issues without addressing "the gays."

I just received my 2010 Presidential Survey from the Democratic National Committee. Of course, it is just another nifty way for them to ask for money to get their agenda accomplished by their support of Democrats. The survey covered President Obama's performance, National Priorities and a section on Democratic Party priorities. Funny, but there was not one word mentioning civil rights for LGBT Americans.

In the margin, where I was to rank my priorities from #1 - #14, I wrote, "#1 Following through on progressive promises regarding civil rights for the LGBT community specifically on ENDA, DADT and DOMA."

Well, the DNC never got the message or worse, they got the message, and they just don't care. I had to write in the margins again and complain they covered EVERYTHING but civil rights for the LGBT community and then had the nerve to ask for my gay dollars. What a fine metaphor. MARGINALIZED, AGAIN, by our supposed friends and "fierce advocate." I'm loving the open letter John and Joe are asking us to sign, "Dear Democrats - We need to talk. -The Gays" It is obvious we, "The Gays" are being sidelined with our "supposed friends" when they can't even mention us when asking for money. Read the rest of this post...

Malawi earns homophobic reputation

UPDATE @ 7:19 PM: Via Joe.My.God, a spokeperson said the U.S. State Department is "deeply disappointed" by these convictions, which he also called a "step backward in the protection of human rights in Malawi."
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The U.S. Government has supplied Malawi with over $70 million worth of aid. I find it particularly egregious that part of the aid was to "increase civic involvement in the rule of law."

The primary goal of USAID assistance is poverty reduction and increased food security through broad-based, market-led economic growth, focusing on four areas: sustainable increases in rural incomes, increased civic involvement in the rule of law, improved access to and quality of health services, and improved access to quality basic education. The USAID program is implemented in partnership with the Government of Malawi, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), other U.S. Government agencies, U.S. private voluntary organizations, contractors, and other partners, including the private sector through public-private partnerships.

The State Department needs to pressure Malawi to shape up or we need to threaten to cut aid to them. Our tax dollars shouldn't be supporting this kind of terrorism against gay people.

Malawi, a deeply impoverished, landlocked nation of 14 million, has also received international condemnation for prosecuting the two gay men. But most of its leaders — political and religious — have reacted with defiance. Last month, President Bingu wa Mutharika was quoted as calling homosexuality “evil and bad before the eyes of God” and an act “we Malawians just do not do.”

Magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa Usiwa, in delivering Tuesday’s judgment in a small courtroom in Blantyre, the country’s commercial capital, was similarly stern. He referred to the crime as “buggery,” using language from when Malawi was a British colony and the current law was written.

He found both men guilty of “carnal knowledge” that was “against the order of nature.” He said the two had been “living together as husband and wife,” which “transgresses the Malawian recognized standards of propriety.”

I don't mind my gay tax dollars going to help educate other countries, or fight HIV / AIDS but I'll be damned if our American taxes, paid by the LGBT citizens of this country, should go to increase "civil participation" of a populace and leadership who are so proudly and defiantly homophobic. Read the rest of this post...

More Dowd on Kagan ...

Maureen Dowd elaborates on the homophobic, anti-feminist spin surrounding Elena Kagan's sexuality. This time, she skips the satire. Once again, Dowd is right on:

But there were also the whispers — is she or isn’t she? — and the guys in the White House got all defensive, protesting too much that she isn’t. If roughly one out of nine Americans is gay, why shouldn’t one out of nine Supreme Court justices be? After all, President Obama has quoted Oliver Wendell Holmes as saying that “it is experience that can give a person a common touch and a sense of compassion; an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live.”

Kagan has told a friend in the West Wing that she is not gay, just lonely. Even so, that doesn’t mean her sherpas in the White House, in their frantic drive to dismiss the gay rumors, should be spinning a narrative around that most hoary of stereotypes: a smart, ambitious woman who threw herself into her work, couldn’t find a guy, threw up her hands, and threw herself further into her work — and in the process went from single to unmarried.

It’s inexplicable, given that this should be Kagan’s hour of triumph as potentially only the fourth woman ever to serve on the highest court.

Read the rest of this post...

DNC responds to my analysis of Obama's gay 'accomplishments'

The DNC's openly-gay treasurer, Andy Tobias, posted a list of President Obama's gay "accomplishments" while in office, so I decided to go through the list and see how much of it was for real. Unfortunately, there were a lot of holes, and even a few outright lies. You can read my analysis here.

Tobias has now responded. And, oddly, he's now made the community's understandable, and increasing, concerns about the President's inaction on DADT, ENDA and DOMA all about me. Here's Andy's letter, with my analysis inserted.

Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 20:39:11 -0400
From: Andrew Tobias, DNC Treasurer
To: Rex Wockner
Subject: RE: NC26563: Aravosis looks at what Obama has done for you. Is it enough?

Thanks, Rex.

Even John grudgingly calls some of the things on the list "good."

Even John? I supported this President during the primaries Andy. I raised $43,000 for him via AMERICAblog. I did more of the campaign's dirty work taking on John McCain and Sarah Palin than I can ever share. Can't we agree to keep this discussion about whether or not the President and the Democrats have come through for our community, rather than pretending that this is about you and me?

I admit that, unlike John, I think it's wonderful, and meaningful, that two gay activists would be awarded the same Presidential Medal of Freedom that Rosa Parks was . . .

Perhaps it's a generational thing, Andy, but it's just not clear to me how giving two people a medal is going to help me get married, or stop me from being fired on the job or kicked out of the military. Giving medals is great, once you've already done something substantive for the community, but refusing to follow through on your promises to repeal DADT and DOMA, and to pass ENDA, and then, instead, giving out some medals, and pretending that that somehow makes up for it, is pathetic.

and that our continuing inequality would be included in the President's speech at the NAACP's 100th anniversary

Again, I think we're seeing a generational divide here, Andy. You think that simply being acknowledge in a speech is the be all and end all. I think that it would have been a big deal in 1988, when the president was refusing to even acknowledge our existence, let alone the existence of AIDS. But in 2010, having the President mention us in a speech is "nice," but simply not that big a deal as compared to actually getting legislation passed that advances our civil rights. I'm sorry, but words are no longer enough. We've matured beyond the point of getting all giddy simply because the popular boy acknowledged us in the hallway. We want him to keep his promises.

. . . and on and on (I'd urge people to read the full list - http://www.equalitygiving.org/Accomplishments-by-the-Administration-and-Con gress-on-LGBT-Equality - and perhaps even click some of the links John removed when he abridged it).

Cute, Andy. I linked to your entire document - let's stop pretending that somehow if people clicked through they'd see how right you are. They clicked, and they weren't impressed.

And I admit I do think it's important we are getting Justices like Sotomayor and Kagan instead of the "Roberts/Alito clones" John McCain explicitly promised.

Nice deflection, Andy. Of course, the issue isn't whether Sotomayor and Kagan are better nominees than Roberts and Alito, the issue is why you included Sotomayor and Kagan on a list of "gay accomplishments." Unless the women are lesbians, or have promised to overturn DADT and DOMA, and find a constitutional right to job protections, it was wrong of you to include them in a list of gay accomplishment. The President did not pick Sotomayor and Kagan because of his concern for gay rights. In fact, there was quite a vocal campaign to make sure no one dared think that Kagan was - eeks - a gay.

Secondly, it's interesting to see Andy use the classic apologist trick of defending a Democrat by comparing him to a Republican (i.e., arguing that Sotomayor and Kagan are good simply because they're not Roberts and Alito). The President's apologist make this argument a lot - that we should ignore the President's broken promises, and the fact that he is actually fighting us in court on DADT and DOMA, simply because things would be worse had John McCain become president. As if Barack Obama had simply promise the country to be better than John McCain. I seem to recall a promise for fundamental change. If the President, and the Democrats, were as pro-gay as Andy and other apologists like to claim, then they wouldn't need to keep explaining that the Republicans would be worse - they'd be able to to tell us why the Democrats are actually good.

But if all that matters is legislation, then all the more reason to do everything we can to support Democrats, who overwhelmingly favor our legislative priorities . . . and keep from losing ground to Republicans, who are overwhelmingly opposed.

Legislation is irrelevant, Andy, if our leaders refuse to push for it. This President promised to be our fierce advocate. So far, he's been okay, but hardly fierce, and hardly an advocate. What is he doing to push DADT, or DOMA or ENDA? Nothing that any of us can see. And he's actually defending DADT and DOMA in court. And what about the other legislative priorities? The pro-gay language got dropped from health care reform, nothing is being done to reunite gay families that are divided by nationality, and even the benefits bill for federal employees (which is nice, but hardly on the level of DADT, DOMA or ENDA) is seemingly going nowhere.

So tell us Andy about all those great pro-gay legislative priorities, that are going nowhere.

I don't want to see Nancy Pelosi have to hand her gavel to John Boehner, or Barney Frank have to hand his to the gentleman from Alabama. I expect your readers don't, either. So even as we push for our rights - as we absolutely should - I'd urge John and others not to demonize our allies and, in so doing, discourage our community from acting in its own self-interest by failing to fight like mad to keep the right wing from gaining more power.

Nice straw man, Andy. But I have to tell you, if you can't tell us why we should vote for Democrats, other than to say that they'll be better than John Boehner, then you have a serious problem. Is this your approach to dating - telling a guy he should date you because you don't beat your spouse nearly as much as the guy he went out with before?

If you're so worried about the fall elections, and gays not being motivated to vote, then do something about it, Andy. Stop being a Democratic apologist, and start being gay. Defend your community. Use your contacts - you are a high-level DNC official, after all - to get the Democratic party to come through on its top-level promises to our community. Don't berate people who are legitimately and understandably upset that the President broke his promises to our community. Lobby the President to keep his promises, Andy.

We have every reason to be frustrated that our list is not yet longer. But I expect the President is nearly as frustrated as we are at how hard it is to get things done.

Yeah, if only President Obama were still a Senator, then he'd have real power.

Do you think we're stupid, Andy? That we're going to buy the White House line that the President is powerless to influence legislation? We all saw how health care reform languished for a year while the White House played the "Obama is powerless to influence legislation" card, only to see the President finally get involved in the last month of the debate, and when he did, reform passed.

But just as important, are you seriously trying to tell us, Andy, that candidate Obama didn't understand how hard it was to get things done in Washington when he made us all those silly promises on the campaign trail? That's a rather chilling admission from a senior DNC official - that our candidate, and now president, was naive about how Washington worked.

Even as President, you can't just stamp your foot and close Guantanamo - he got 6 Senate votes for that. You can't just stamp your foot and get a bipartisan deficit commission - once the 7 Republicans who co-sponsored it found the that President had agreed to their proposal, they all voted against it.

No, you can't. You need to actually spend some political capital to get things done in this town. Perhaps you should ask the President, Andy, when he plans on spending some on behalf of our community.

Still, we are making progress that we never would have made with the Republicans in charge.

Ah yes, your child gets a D, and you praise him because he's doing better than the kid who got an F. If we are to permit politicians to lie to us in exchange for our votes, then you give us no reason to trust their promises in the future, Andy. Is that what you're really arguing? That the President's promises don't matter simply because he's better than John McCain?

And if we don't form TOO tight a circular firing squad, we will make a lot more.

That's nice talk for a pep rally, but we have serious concerns about this party breaking its promises to us, Andy. And if we don't hold them to their promises, if they don't feel the need to keep their promises, then why should we vote for them based on those promises in the future?

I'll say it again: It would be nice if, for once, Andy, you actually defended your own community, rather than always being the best little apologist in the world. Read the rest of this post...

Senator Ben Nelson opposed to repeal of DADT

One of the targets on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Ben Nelson (D-NE), is planning to vote against the repeal legislation. Chris Johnson got the scoop:

A key U.S. senator has told the Blade that he opposes repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at this time.

In a brief exchange on Capitol Hill, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said Tuesday he would vote against an effort next week to overturn the law. He said he wants to adhere to guidance from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen on holding off on repeal.

Asked whether he would vote in favor of a repeal measure, Nelson replied, “No, I want to follow with the advice and the suggestions of Secretary of Defense Gates to have the study that is underway right now before we make that final decision — because it’s not a question of ‘whether,’ it’s a question of ‘how.’”

This is why that notorious April 30th "I don't want repeal this year" letter from Secretary Gates is a problem. The White House needs to fix it.

And, for the record, Ben Nelson really is an embarrassment. Earlier this year, AMERICAblog broke the story that the DNC spent over $500,000 on behalf of Nelson following his vote on health care reform last December. That money was provided to the Nebraska Democratic Party to run ads on behalf of Nelson. Apparently, the gays haven't ponied up enough money to secure Nelson's vote. He's a very expensive date. Read the rest of this post...

Reflections on the Veterans Lobby Day

Last week, veterans from around the country gathered here in D.C. to lobby for repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. One of my friends, John Affuso, came down from Boston to participate. I talked to him when he got back home. As he started to describe how powerful the gathering was, I asked him to write it down to share with AMERICAblog's readers. He graciously agreed. Tonight, John will be speaking on a panel about DADT in Boston's Faneuil Hall with Eric Alva. Here are his reflections:

Last week, I joined over 400 gay and lesbian veterans in our nation’s capitol, to lobby Congress for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

The meetings with members of the White House staff and the Pentagon Comprehensive Review Working Group presented us with an opportunity to personally engage with some of the policy and decision makers involved in this repeal effort. Similarly, our roughly 275 meetings with members of Congress and their staffs allowed us to share our stories of the harmful and discriminatory effects of DADT on our lives and our military careers. The meetings and office visits were an important component of what will hopefully result in the repeal this year of this outdated and misguided policy.

More significant than the meetings and office visits, however, was the powerful, personal effect of our simple act of gathering together. Our group traveled to DC from almost every state, and included at least one soldier on leave from Iraq. Ranging in age from a 19 year old reservist to a WWII vet, we represented every branch, rank, race, time of service and gender. Some of us retired after serving full military careers, others as a result of injuries received in combat. Some of us left military service before we were found out, others were discharged under DADT. Some of us are still in the military, a few serving openly, many others not.

As we introduced ourselves to each other, sharing name, rank, branch, years of service and other personal details, a palpable feeling of kinship, camaraderie and pride quickly developed. Many of us found it difficult to not get emotional (even as we tried hard to not do so) as we shared our experiences.

All that we ever wanted was to serve our country, without fear of being discharged simply because of who we are or who we love. It’s that simple. While our individual stories may differ, we share a common bond of proud, patriotic military service to our country, as well as a deep, personal understanding of the damaging effects of this misguided policy.

We veterans are a powerful voice in this debate; a voice that will not be silenced. We won’t go away until repeal is a reality. We speak out for those still in uniform, who continue to serve under DADT, voiceless and in constant fear that discovery of one’s sexual orientation will end a career.

The days of DADT are numbered. This policy will be repealed, hopefully this year, and become a shameful relic in the dustbin of history. Post-repeal, some of us who are still age eligible will re-enlist. Sadly, however, for thousands of patriotic Americans repeal will come too late to salvage or resume a military career.

We gathered in DC last week, over 400 strong, and quickly formed a new, powerful fighting force. I was honored and humbled to be in the company of hundreds of my fellow veterans. Thank you to Servicemembers United, HRC, SLDN and the dozens of advocacy organizations that made last week possible. We have been forever changed by this experience. We won’t leave our brothers and sisters in uniform behind and we won’t rest until we will win this battle - you can count on it.

More about the military background of the author:

John Affuso enlisted in the Army in 1986. After receiving his commission through the Army ROTC program at Rutgers University, he became a Signal Platoon Leader in the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey Army National Guard. John is an Honor Graduate of the US Army Signal Center at Fort Gordon. After choosing to not re-enlist, in large part due to DADT, he was honorably discharged from the US Army Reserve in the mid 1990’s, having attained the rank of first lieutenant.

John is also a great guy and a committed activist. He's done a lot of work to fight for and protect marriage in Massachusetts, too.

When he says "you can count on it," I believe him. Read the rest of this post...

Dear Dems: We need to talk. Love, the Gays

ACTION: Sign our open letter to the Dems on ENDA and repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell!

All across the blogopshere and offline too, anger has been simmering at both the likelihood of many Democrats to vote against a base constituency of their party - namely, gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people. Despite large majorities of the public supporting an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, there has been failure to deliver on it. Markup on ENDA has been put off several times. There is still no vote scheduled. Lots of Blue Dogs like Heath Shuler are considering voting against it or say now is not the time, knowing full well we won't have a chance after the midterm. The Administration hasn't lifted a finger to help on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and even actively opposed Congressional repeal efforts via the Gates letter.

So, AMERICAblog is joining with our friends at OpenLeft, the Courage Campaign, and CREDO Action to write an open letter on behalf of the gay community to Dems who are considering throwing us under the bus. Click here to read and sign it.

We will deliver your signatures to Democratic Party leadership. This goes for straight allies out there too- we have to support each other.

It is still legal for me, as a gay man, to be fired in 29 states because I'm gay. For someone who is transgender, that goes up to 38 states. That's over half the Union. I also can't join the military. That needs to change this year, and it needs to start with moving ENDA and following through on promises to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And those have to start with the Democrats- it has to start with Dems like Heath Shuler taking a stand for LGBT people and it has to start with the Democratic leadership in Congress AND the White House.

Otherwise, as the title of this post suggests, this relationship isn't working out, and that will be apparent come November, as LGBT individuals all across the country are wondering where our fierce advocate is in the White House and when Congressional Democrats will keep their promises.

Click here to read and sign our open letter asking Dems to keep their promises and get it done.

PS Here's exactly what we're talking about. This relationship is feeling like a one-way street. Read the rest of this post...

It's time to pass E-N-D-A

Gotta love the activists in San Francisco. Yesterday, they held a rally in front of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's district office to push for action on ENDA. Among the participants participants were GetEQUAL co-founders Kip Williams and Robin McGehee, Kate Kendell from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Masen Davis from the Transgender Law Center. That's Kip in the photo with the message for the rally.

Rex Wockner got the photo and the video:
Read the rest of this post...

A letter about DADT to Obama from Former Sergeant Darren Manzella

Here's the latest letter in SLDN's series, "Stories from the Frontlines: Letters to President Barack Obama." The next ten days are crunch time for DADT on Capitol Hill. As of now, the President is on the sidelines and his Secretary of Defense has been the main roadblock to getting that law repealed this year. President Obama needs to get involved ASAP. He needs to lead. He needs to keep his promise. He needs to read these stories from the Frontlines:

May 19, 2010

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

It was spring 2004. I had just arrived in Baghdad. We’d been there all but four days. Then it happened. It was an ambush. It ended with my good friend shot dead. I was overwhelmed by emotions of anger and sadness, but also confusion.

At that moment, my perspective on life changed; I wondered, what if I had been killed in action and had never come to terms with who I truly was and, even worse, never had the chance to share it with my loved ones? There comes a point when acceptance is your only salvation—my return from Iraq was my moment.

I served two tours of duty in the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Soldier in the United States Army. I was promoted to sergeant, was a team leader of a medical squad, and conducted over 100 12-hour patrols in the streets of Baghdad, treating wounds and evacuating casualties of sniper fire and roadside bombs. I applied for Officer Candidate School under the recommendation of two generals in my chain of command. But, today, instead of protecting my fellow Americans, I sit working in a university development office because I was discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).

When I came out, the first people I told were comrades, with whom I had just spent 12 months in Baghdad. To be honest, I was scared of their rejection more than the mortar and rocket attacks, ambushes, or roadside explosives. But, they showed immense understanding of what I had been going through and offered unconditional support. The response from my brothers and sisters in arms proved that the military is a family—no matter if you are man, woman, black, white, transgender, gay, or straight. What truly matters is whether you can trust the person next to you. And how can trust be built around a lie?

One day, I received an email from a Soldier I had never met; it said I was being investigated under DADT and that I would be stripped of my rank and pay and eventually discharged. I tried to ignore it, but the emails continued and became more derogatory. Soon, I began receiving similar phone calls at work.

Unsure of who to trust, on edge every second, and losing more and more sleep each night, I approached my supervisor. I was a Soldier who lived by all seven of the Army values, including honesty. I refused to have someone else end my career. He offered a sympathetic ear before reporting me to the legal department.

After an investigation into my statements and the harassment, I was told I was an exceptional Soldier and to “drive on” with my work. It was a great a relief to break the silence. My colleagues suddenly understood why I had always been so detached and began asking me to join them in activities outside of work.

Later that year my division deployed again and I served the entirety of the deployment as an openly gay Soldier. I no longer had to lie if someone asked if I were married or had a girlfriend, I didn’t have to write my emails in “code.” I no longer feared being “outed.” I finally was able to be honest.

After arriving in Iraq for the second deployment I was promoted once again and served my division as the medical liaison officer in Kuwait. It was there that I participated in an interview with Leslie Stahl for 60 Minutes with the focus being on a out gay Soldier working in a combat zone.

I gave voice to the tens of thousands of men and women who serve everyday under the fear of DADT. The interview also ended my career. I was honorably discharged on June 10, 2008.

While I sit in a safe and comfortable civilian office, former comrades and friends continue to serve, leaving their families for a third, fourth, or even fifth deployment. Why am I not able to stand in the place of my battle buddy who has left his wife three times to deploy and missed the birth of his new born child? Why are exceptions being made to enlist individuals with subpar mental and physical standards? And why are serious convicted felons granted waivers to serve while I was pushed out the door?

Mr. President, last year you restored my hope that this discriminatory law will be repealed, but I must admit that my spirit has been shaken because DADT still exists. Every day, we lose dedicated and capable service members while other Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coastguardsmen sacrifice more than their share. My experience demonstrates what matters most is competence, trust and ability. Why then should we wait another year or another decade to do what is right?

Sincerely,

Former Sergeant Darren Manzella
United States Army

Read the rest of this post...