LGBT Americans: Act Now to Prevent Painful Tea Party Hangover

[unhappycamper]

LGBT Americans: Act Now to Prevent Painful Tea Party Hangover
Michael B. Keegan
President, People For the American Way
Posted: September 30, 2010 12:23 PM

Many LGBT Americans who worked very hard and invested heavily to elect President Obama and Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are now disappointed and disillusioned by the lack of progress on some key political goals. The recent and, I hope, just temporarily failed effort to pass a legislative repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the Senate was also a bitter reminder that we have also failed to get the Employment Non Discrimination Act passed into law, even though protecting LGBT people against job discrimination and allowing gay and lesbian members of the armed forces to serve openly are both supported by substantial majorities of the American people.

Frustration and anger on the part of LGBT voters and their allies are understandable. Democratic leaders should be held accountable for their part in failing to make good on some of these promises. Early in this administration I called on President Obama to bring more focused leadership to these issues.

But advocates for equality cannot let their anger -- no matter how legitimate -- make us lose sight of the bigger picture, which is a surge of particularly reactionary anti-equality candidates running for both the House and Senate. It is important to go into this election fully informed with our eyes wide open.

We are only a few weeks away from elections that could make even the potential for progress feel like a distant memory, and could find us scrambling to preserve hard-won gains. Without a sustained push by every element of the broad progressive coalition, including LGBT Americans, this fall's elections could spell a catastrophic reversal of fortune for LGBT equality on the national scene and on many of the issues that we care about.

Which brings us to the real reason we were not able to make more progress than we have. We might disagree vehemently with the priorities or legislative strategies employed by our allies or wish they had more courage. But they are not our enemies.

[VMI Dem]

1. What a shit choice LGBT citizens have.

[LonePirate]

2. One party is ineffective and one party practices hate. LGBT citizens should not expect change at all

Obama is not passionate about LGBT issues so I don't expect any progress until at least 2016 when we can elect a President who actually cares about the LGBT community.

[TripMe]

3. We are out of options.

See everybody speaks about lgbt equal rights. In this is the
word Marriage. Time and time again people, including LGBT
forget that for many of us it is not about a piece of paper
saying that we are married - it is our opportunity to stay in
our own country. 


 "What about the Americans that every year is forced to
leave their country because of their sexuality -to live in
exile?" 

- We are a bi-national same-sex couple. In 39 days from now we
will have to leave America to live in exile away from family
and friends... all of this based on the fact that we do not
have any - ANY rights in the American society. 

Yes we hoped for a change, a quick change, but nothing is
happening, and time and time again people seem to forget us
that are shipped out of the country, who "freely"
have to go into exile to stay together with the one that they
love... 
- What is the problem with DOMA? - Bob barr (Who wrote the
damn thing) is against it, and want's it repealed - Bill
clinton (Who signed the thing) call it discriminating, and
Obama have over and over again claimed it to be
Discriminating. so again; Why haven't it been repealed yet???

One of us is born in America, raised here, have her whole
family here, a son here, her history is here, she is proud of
being an American, and because of that we choose not to brake
any laws - America thanks us by sending us into exile - how
can it be that no one notice this? 
- That no one dare to touch this subject - when we are talking
about illegal’s, their rights, and what to do for them to make
them legal, to make a path for them to stay here, when no one
gives a shit about us that have to leave our country, our
family?... 

Please give yourselves 5 min to read our story at our blog -
www.TheaterArt.dk/TripMe

Before we talk about illegal immigrants, and furthermore the
50.000 green cards which is going to be given away this year,
and next year and the following year – before all that will
someone then please explain to me where we have a place in
this country?
When is their anyone who will raise up and say; “Enough is
enough” and make sure that the thousands and thousands of
Americans living outside this country because of their
sexuality can come home and be reunited with their families.
With their loved ones... 

- Every year America gives away 50.000 green cards. Mail Order
brides take up 2/3 of all fiancé visas, and the line of
illegal immigrants is endless - Yet I as an American citizen
have to leave my family and my country because of my
sexuality. I have to leave to be with the one that I love?... 
I as thousands of Americans have to go live in exile away from
the country I adore ...Why?

Please take 5 min. and step up, this time for an American
citizen.

www.TheaterArt.dk/TripMe

[unhappycamper]

4. My condolences, TripMe.

Life (sometimes) is a shit sandwich.

Have you checked out our LGBT forum yet? --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=221

[Erose999]

5. I say make them earn your vote. Write your local DLC'er or Blue Dog and tell them if they want your

vote they need to produce results.