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Ear to the Ground

Gays Losing Patience With Team Obama

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Posted on Jun 14, 2009
Wikimedia Commons

Signed by Bill Clinton, the Defense of Marriage Act keeps the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and allows states to refuse to recognize such marriages performed in other states. Barack Obama’s Justice Department has just issued a defense of DOMA, even though the president has said he’d like to see it overturned. The gays who voted for these Democrats, meanwhile, are losing patience.

Los Angeles Times:

With the Obama administration facing growing discontent among gay supporters, the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco joined in voicing concern today about a new U.S. Justice Department brief supporting the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

“I think it’s a big mistake,” San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said shortly before he and his Los Angeles counterpart, Antonio Villaraigosa, kicked off the annual L.A. Pride parade in West Hollywood.

The 1996 law bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and enables states to refuse to recognize such marriages from other states. The Justice Department enraged leaders of gay rights groups Thursday by filing a lengthy defense of the law in a federal lawsuit in which its constitutional validity is challenged.

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By konnie, June 16 at 1:13 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

well you don’t have to be gay to feel like Obama has
let us progressives down.  I keep reminding myself that its only been 6 months.  And there is a lot on his plate.
(Reminds me of the guy on the old Ed Sullivan show
keeping all the plates spinning on those poles….)
that said…Getting Congress to play nice is like
training cats.  I am totally convinced that until the
elections in 2010, no one - including Obama et al…is seeing this as a mandate.  we do,
outside the beltway, but inside - they are not sure.
So until then we have to continue to show up, write,
blog, comment, text, twitter,facebook,my space and you tube. stay in their face!

Report this

By rollzone, June 15 at 5:44 pm #

hello. there went the free redecorating at the White House. this changing of my definition of marriage to suit a fringe minority is unnacceptable. if a couple of queers want equal representation in the their union under the blind justice of law, they can have their lawyers author contracts including union: in place of marriage. stop pretending you can birth a child. you are not the same. true marriage is a commitment you cannot handle. your union may entitle you to some rights, but not the same as a married couple. union is not a communion; and a marriage is.

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By CSH_SanDiego, June 15 at 3:35 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Gay People!!! WAKE UP!! There are more important things going on in the US and in the world than DOMA.

We are at war on two fronts, even if we should never have been in Iraq.
We are in a sharp economic recession and the working poor is growing.
We have poverty, hunger, and domestic terrorism in the US.
We have violent extremists testing nuclear weapons and civilians in other countries being killed by our drones or terrorists.
We are illegally detaining innocent people!
We torture prisoners.
We have 40+ million Americans uninsured, some of whom are filing for bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills.

All of these things must take precedence over our ability to marry. I am no less committed to my partner of 16 years because of DOMA.

If the only reason why you voted for Obama was so that he could eliminate DOMA, you were naive and incredibly selfish.

Healthcare for the uninsured, regulations for the out of control economic markets, and a return of our troops before wedding bells please.

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By jackpine savage, June 15 at 9:18 am #

Hard to blame the gay community for losing patience. This is the second Democratic administration that’s been more than willing to throw them under the bus after the votes have been counted.

The Democratic Party figures that it will be fine under the “Who else are they going to vote for?” theory.

If the gay community is lucky, the Dems will give them their very own drinking fountains…but don’t expect full integration.

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By funkir, June 15 at 3:14 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

According to vast majority of data 2004 election of George W. Bush was delivered by the prank Gavin Newsome played on the SF municipality.
Can we please learn from our mistakes and stop listening to opportunistic populists such as Mr. Newsome and Mr. Villaraigosa?
The equality of marriage and the repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell” are essential, right and clearly coming soon.
Is it too much to ask of the passionate left to disconnect their passion gland and have a rational perspective for a change?
Just look at Thomas Mc comment above.

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By Thomas Mc, June 14 at 11:43 pm #

Might as well have voted for McCain. America has been conned again.

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By idarad, June 14 at 11:26 pm #

Well the repiglickins are the fringe (read lunatic wing)
the dumbocrats are becoming (are) repiglickins
And we the people are left without representation.

I could never understand why the repubs did not like Clinton, he was the best republican they never had.  It is strange how everyone keeps buying into the same old mantra - vote for the dems, give them time and things will get better. 

I would say the only time they deserve is time spent behind bars for the crimes they have and continue to commit!  We need to get moving with a liberal party and stop buying into the lies, deceit, and chicanery spewed by the politicos on each side.  Without a peoples party, we are nothing more than a joke unto ourselves.

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