Obama: ‘Yes He Can’ or ‘Yes He Can But Only When It’s Politically Convenient’?

There seem to be two extreme ways people are falling in regard to Obama and the Gays. The issues are as follows:
- Overturn Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
- Repeal DOMA
- Support ENDA
- Say one thing about gay people

The first group is filled with shrill rage that Obama hasn’t done any of those things in the last 4 months.

The other side is a mixture of naiveté (assuming Papa Obama has the best intentions for us) and politicking (that this is not the right time).

I’m sort of in the middle on this. I am extremely upset that Obama has ignored gay rights for the last few months. He had the bravery to support the LGBT community in the campaign, he needs to continue to do so by addressing the recent victories for marriage equality and supporting honorable troops discharged for being gay.

In fact, it makes me so angry that I can totally relate to conservative gas-bags like this:

But while Obama hasn’t done anything for us specifically, if his actions in the last few months help the economy… then he hasn’t really failed us, per se.

I also don’t know how much he’d realistically be able to do. Any legislative action to repeal DOMA, DADT, and so on would require all the Democrats and a few sympathetic Republicans. And it’s just not going to happen. But there is a case to be made that he could at the very least promote our causes instead of ignoring us. The problem is, if you throw out these issues, there is a chance it will bog down his ability to legislate other issues. While I think marriage is pretty important, I can also understand how it may take a back seat to fixing a shitty economy.

Again, he has done a lot so far. And to be honest, he’s done more things in his first months than most presidents. I give him a year to move on gay rights before I really freak out.

I understand very acutely what marriage discrimination means. But this is the real world and most people in the House and Senate don’t want gays to be equal or, more likely, don’t want to touch the issue. There is only so much the president can do.

Anyway, I think we all have to stay angry and active. We have to make sure our issues are still in the spotlight. The dialogue has to be on-going that this is an important issue. That will do more to further our cause in the long run. But, unlike the sky-is-falling Queerty, I wouldn’t assume all is lost just yet.

OTHER NEWS!

The Prop 8 decision might be coming out tomorrow. I really really hope that the court will overturn the law but from what I read coming out of the CA Supreme Court during the arguments, I’m not optimistic. And tomorrow seems like baaaad timing, since it’ll be the 30th anniversary of the White Night Riots. White Night Riots part 2 anyone?