So, gay rights. Such a divisive subject matter, not only in the United States, but also here in the United Kingdom. The new CBS/New York Times poll shows that 33% support same-sex marriage (down from 42%), 30% favour civil unions and 32% favour no legal recognition what so ever. To say that this matter is a political nightmare for President Obama would be an understatement. This is why I find his static pro-gay agenda unsurprising.
With that said I would like to see the polls for civil rights legislation in the 60s when racial equality was a hot button issue. How many Americans thought that black people should have the same legal rights they enjoyed, how many Americans thought that black people should have the right to vote, how many Americans thought that black children should be taught in the same schools as their children? While I do not begrudge Obama for not moving on gay-Issues, I would say that he is lacking some moral leadership on this matter. Let’s not forget, the civil rights movement experienced the same stagnation with Kennedy, whose campaign rhetoric was not reflected within his presidential agenda.
While Obama is lacking moral leadership (or has too much political sense), why is nobody asking where the leadership for the gay community is? While a lot of politicos have been scrambling to find the leader of the Republican Party (‘is it Rush, Newt, Palin?’), why is it that the lack of leadership for one of the most important Civil Rights issue of our time not being questioned? Who is front and centre on your television screens championing this cause, Rachel Maddow, Bill Maher, Andrew Sullivan?
I submit to you that, it is not up to Obama to build the foundations for gay civil rights, it is up to the community itself. It is not up to Obama to give a resounding ‘I have dream’ like speech, but it is up to the gay community to find their own Martin or Malcolm or Rosa and communicate their message of a better, fairer union for the hundreds of couples that don’t have the same contractual rights as other ‘normal’ couples in a clear and concise manner.
A lot of liberals disregarded and mocked the now infamous ‘There’s a Storm Coming’ anti-gay ad, but I believe that very advertisement is an important indicator to where the message war is for gay-civil rights in America by the absence of a rebuttal ad. The anti-gay campaigners knew that Obama had a full plate with two wars, a financial disaster and health-care reform and this was a clear move to make this issue even more divisive and politically toxic. This was a clear forward thinking strategy which went unchallenged, why? If you can’t defend and communicate something as important and as fundamental as equal rights for all, then why should anyone take your cause seriously?
The DOJ’s DOMA defence brief rightly provoked anger from the gay community and those like myself who support their cause, but should it also have provoked inward reflection?
http://themoderatevoice.com/36155/gay-pr/
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