A Dahl’s House

OK, work has been crazy so I’m late on this, but Obama’s fierce urgency of “don’t call us, we’ll call you” on LGBT rights is important enough that I didn’t want to let it go uncriticized unnoticed.

For those of you who don’t follow LGBT issues, the short version is that two weeks ago the Justice Department issued a brief defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which is the law that protects the right of states to not recognize same-sex marriages and denies same-sex married couples federal benefits. Now maybe the Obama administration is obligated, as it argued, to defend the law — although critics quickly found examples of other instances where the Obama administration (like numerous previous administrations) is choosing not to defend or enforce laws they dislike. But they didn’t have to go out of their way to parrot incorporate numerous right-wing talking points including, arguing that same-sex marriages are no more legally valid than than incestuous ones between an uncle and neice. Oh, and Teh Gays aren’t really discriminated against because they can marry any person of the opposite sex they want. onus points for doing so on the anniversary of the Loving vs. Virginia Supreme Court decision — you know the one that allowed Obama parents to get married.

For many LGBT people, it was the last straw in a series of disses from the Obama administration, which — despite promises to be a fierce advocate on our behalf — has clearly been wishing we’d just go away. I’m not a big fan of AmericaBlog, but one of their writers astutely diagnosed the problem: political homophobia.

Political homophobes aren’t gay-hating in the traditional sense. In fact, publicly, most are strong supporters of LGBT equality. But, behind closed doors, many Democratic leaders, consultants, Hill staffers and the rest will vociferously argue that there is no political benefit to actually supporting LGBT rights. Political homophobia is rampant among some Democrats. In some ways, it’s worse than blatant homophobia, since we think most Democrats are on our side. And outwardly, they are.

Political homophobia dictates policy in DC more than we’d like to think. I believe it’s happening in the West Wing right now. I’ve been told by several people that while the president’s chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel, isn’t a homophobe in the traditional way (he always voted the right way when he was in the House), he is always the first person to suggest that his colleagues (and now boss) avoid gay issues. He’d rather not deal with them because he thinks they’re bad politics.

Now, maybe in 1993 that was true. But Rahm, if he truly is the problem behind the throne, doesn’t grasp the change in society over the past two decades. He also doesn’t understand that the American people think Obama is a different kind of politician — one who will do what he says because it’s the right thing to do.

Predictably, Obama defenders came out of the woodwork to tell LGBT people to STFU because “there’s more important things to get done first” — privilege anyone? Or to argue that it’s all part of Obama’s 11th dimensional chess strategy and not to worry our pretty little heads.

On the LGBT side there was definitely some over-the-top vitriolic rhetoric, but people are pissed. Myself, as Jere says, I’m angry, but I’m not burning an effigy (yet).

The thing is… Yes it has only been five months since Obama took office, but it’s been 40 years since Stonewall, 35 years since the first queer non-discrimination bill was introduced in Congress, 16 years since Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was enacted as a “compromise,” 14 years since the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was introduced in Congress (yes folks it’s perfectly legal in 38 states to fire someone for being LGBT), 12 years since marriage discrimination was enshined in federal law, and 7 years since the Matthew Shepard Act to extend federal hate crime protections to LGBT people was introduced in Congress (yes folks, in 18 states there’s no penalty for beating the shit out of targeting someone because they’re gay or bi, and in 39 states there’s no penalty because they’re trans or gender variant).

When a number of bloggers organized a campaign to cut off the gAyTM for DNC fundraising — and resulted in the boycott of a major LGBT DNC fundraiser that reportedly caused a major drop-off in money raised — that the Obama administration hastily started throwing us crumbs: moving expenses for the partners of federal workers, woohoo! As usual Stephen Colbert said it far better than I can. Money quote: “See, he’s giving you things, just not your rights.”

Since then there’s been more crumb-tossing. Such as not appealing the $500,000 judgement in a job discrimination case filed by a trans woman, whose Library of Congress offer job was withdrawn the day after her interviewer found out that she was transitioning. Oh, and a bunch of A-list gays were invited to the White House for a 40th anniversary of Stonewall cocktail party (but no politics please… and no trans peeps of color.) All well and good.

But Mr. Obama the ATM is closed until we see some results. Promises to keep promises aren’t enough.

If you’re an ally, as Jere says, it’s time to step up to the plate.

[D]on’t tell me to calm down. Don’t tell me to be patient. Don’t tell me to trust that the Democrats will get around to my issues. Instead, listen to what we, the actual victims of legal inequality, are concerned about and help us.

And sometimes being an ally means more than just expressing a general belief in equality. Sometimes it requires you joining us in contacting lawmakers, writing blogs, writing letters to the editor, withholding your donations and volunteer hours for politicians and parties who stall on LGBT equality, speaking out, and telling your stories. We need you to make an effort for LGBT equality. The time is now. No more excuses, no more delays, no more empty promises.

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Postscript: my irony-meter broke watching the very same white, well-to-do, well-connected (often conservative) big-name gay bloggers — who told trans people to STFU and sit on their hands quietly when we were dropped from ENDA two years ago — be so full of righteous outrage when they were told the same thing by Obama apologists supporters.