Reply #79: I disagree with you in reference to what Obama did, and certainly I disagree with our aunt..... [View All]

[FrenchieCat]

A call for full equality

by Sen. Barack Obama
Published Thursday, 08-Nov-2007 in issue 1037
Gay and Lesbian Times

Over the last several weeks, the question of GLBT equality was placed on center stage by the appearance of Donnie McClurkin at one of my campaign events. McClurkin is a talented performer and a beloved figure among many African Americans and Christians around the country. At the same time, he espouses beliefs about homosexuality that I completely reject.

The events of the last several weeks are not the occasion that I would have chosen to discuss America’s divisions on gay rights and my own deep commitment to GLBT equality. Now that the issue is before us, however, I do not intend to run away from it. These events have provided an important opportunity for us to confront a difficult fact: There are good, decent, moral people in this country who do not yet embrace their gay brothers and sisters as full members of our shared community.

We will not secure full equality for all GLBT Americans until we learn how to address that deep disagreement and move beyond it. To achieve that goal, we must state our beliefs boldly, bring the message of equality to audiences that have not yet accepted it, and listen to what those audiences have to say in return.

For my entire career in public life, I have brought the message of GLBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones. No other leading candidate in the race for the Presidency has demonstrated the same commitment to the principle of full equality. I support the full and unqualified repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples. I will also fight to repeal the U.S. military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, a law that should never have been passed, and my Defense Department will work with top military leaders to implement that repeal.
http://www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=10906

Openly gay Latino mayor endorses Barack Obama
http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/2008/01/openly-gay-latino-mayor-to-endorse.html

if you exclude those who believe in most of the democratic tenants except for this or that thing, they have no where to turn but to the Republicans. If they are in, they can be exposed to something different than what they believe. If they are shunned, they will work with the opposite party to destroy Democratic tenants in general.

I believe that many Hispanics are also not as tolerant to Gays....just like Black folks (it is mainly the older folk and the issue of religiosity). If you start to shut out every group unless they totally agree with a 100% of everything, there will be no Democrats left.

I know that Obama does not condone Homophobia, and considering that he went to King's church on MLK day, and spoke knowing full well that millions in the Black community would be listening closely (especially after the big controversy with Hillary).

I truly believe that he is working it from all sides. There are many Closeted gays in the Black ministry, and Obama knows it (in fact, I know a few). I believe that he is working on that crumbling wall, as in "the Wall of Jericho".

Excerpt- Obama's speech at King's Church on MLK Sunday.

For most of this country's history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man's inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.

And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community.

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.

Every day, our politics fuels and exploits this kind of division across all races and regions; across gender and party. It is played out on television. It is sensationalized by the media. And last week, it even crept into the campaign for President, with charges and counter-charges that served to obscure the issues instead of illuminating the critical choices we face as a nation.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/rospars/CGxG9#comments

He goes to church and talk to Black folks about that specific issue, but he gets nothing for it....cause he committed the ultimate sin in not closing his doors....cause when he said unite, he means to include everybody....not just the chosen few who get along.

What is sad is that others have done much less for most of our rights, including those of the GLBT community.