Comments on: An LGBT Scorecard From The Obama Administration

By: Inaugural alpenglow at Lesbian Dad

Inaugural alpenglow at Lesbian Dad — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:16:20 +0000

[...] see. Just look at the LGBT Civil Rights agenda on the new WhiteHouse.gov site. Queer bloggers I read (along with many of you) take this as an encouraging sign, a strong litmus against which to judge [...]

By: Scott P.

Scott P. — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:06:51 +0000

I’ll believe it when I see it.

By: RainbowPhoenix

RainbowPhoenix — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:20:34 +0000

When a group of political activists approached FDR after his first inauguration, he said to them, “I agree with you. I want to do it. Now make me do it.”

By: Richard Rush

Richard Rush — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:16:00 +0000

For me, reading the civil rights agenda for LGBTs on the new whitehouse.gov site was quite emotional. I haven’t been this choked up since reading Justice Anthony Kennedy’s written decision in the Lawrence v. Texas case.

I “came out” in the year of Stonewall, and never imagined that I would live to read such words in an official White House publication. It is astonishing to now see concern for our lives from people in such high places, whereas not too long ago we were unspeakable or worse.

Like so many others, I think of Obama’s inauguration today as the start of an extraordinary new era. And then seeing that website felt like a step toward it becoming a reality.

I know it’s a long way from that agenda to reality, but just being on the agenda is a huge step.

By: John

John — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:01:15 +0000

I was quite pleased but the language which is utilized should be noted. From what I gather, we can expect our new president to give us ENDA, the Matthew Shepard Act, and some revisions in AIDS/sex education funding in the near future? Why? The solid language as noted in the Civil Rights section above the LGBT section:

Combat Employment Discrimination: President Obama and Vice President Biden will work to overturn the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that curtails racial minorities’ and women’s ability to challenge pay discrimination. They will also pass the Fair Pay Act, to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

That’s right. President Obama and Vice President “will also pass” ENDA. This is as solid of a commitment as you can get.

Ditto with Hate Crimes Legislation:

President Obama and Vice President Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice’s Criminal Section.

He will strengthen hate crime laws “by passing” the Matthew Shepard Act. He’s not going to work with the legislators to come up with a solution. This is the solution.

Contrast that with the language utilized in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” section, where he promises to “work with military leaders” to end this stupid discriminatory policy and contrast that with his positions on civil unions and the repeal of the misnamed “Defense of Marriage Act” which read more like expressions of solidarity than they do of commitments (“he believes” etc).

He does commit to a change in HIV and sex education policy and says the process of change will begin this year.

By: Damon

Damon — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:49:11 +0000

On a racial note: What makes this site so great is that this list is prominent and frank on the civil rights section. An enormous amount of black people out there are going to read this section.

It’d be interesting to see what happens when the gay community refers to the list when engaging with the heterosexual black community…if they ever engage in discussion with them.