President Obama Issues LGBT Pride Month Proclamation

[ronnykmarshall]

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/06/barack-obama-issues-lgbt-pride-month-proclamation.html#comments

Great statement.

[babylonsister]

1. And here it is...

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

[Zenlitened]

4. K&R. An important symbolic step. - n/t

[mitchtv]

21. and now. I'd like a progress report

a good start, but remember Talk is cheap. and Obama has given ample reason to be dubious about

[David Zephyr]

22. Yep.

Deeds, not words.

I'm not impressed with the statement.

There's a plaque from President Bill Clinton in The Village near where the Stonewall Riots broke out. Clinton had all the "words" and even a plaque right, but never delivered shit to our GLBT community.

Words. Words. Words. Yawn.

I'll wait for the deeds which are still not even on Obama's horizon.

[ruggerson]

29. His line about being the first president to appoint an openly gay individual

in the first 100 days is untrue.

Roberta Achtenberg was appointed in 1993 and was subject to Senate confirmation.

[David Zephyr]

31. And the "in the first 100 days" qualification

was sadly embarrassing to even hear, never mind, as you point out, not even true.

Oh, well.

Now, he's off to visit people that cut the heads off of gay teenagers in public and to "warm" up to them.

[FreeState]

2. Thank you Mr. President

now lets see some action!

[cliffordu]

3. K&R. Good.

[RufusH]

5. Yes, a very good statement.

I'm glad he made it.

[WillParkinson]

6. "supporting civil unions"

Oh joy.

[keepCAblue]

11. Yeah. Whoopee. And he calls that "equality". n/t

[Duncan Grant]

7. Recommended.

Now, can Robert Gibbs please say something about LGBT people, Iowa, Maine, Vermont, the Prop 8 ruling? Back up this proclamation with visible advocacy and visionary leadership.

:thumbsup:

[Uzybone]

8. Its a good step

I hope more will come.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

13. More Is unlikely to come.

Obama is apparently big on words but too cowardly to actually do something.

[ThomCat]

15. Yup. He likes to make speaches, but he doesn't like to actually do anything

unless you're a lobbyist.

If you're a lobbyist then he's happy to do something to help you. But we're only going to get the pretty words, and we all know what those are worth.

[theHandpuppet]

19. There are some who confuse gestures with actions

And I find that rather sad. It's indicative of how little we've received, of just how little we have come to expect.

Fewer words, Mr. President, and more ACTION. Your appointment today of a Republican congressman to serve as the Secretary of the Army tells me you have no plans to reverse DADT, and speaks louder about your "support" than the words in a ceremonial proclamation.

[readmoreoften]

9. Nice commemoration of our struggle. *Hope*fully he'll soon do something to aid us in our struggle.

Whichever of his staffers wrote the commemoration, they did a really lovely job.

[Captain Hilts]

10. Good one. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Very nice and greatly welcome words

I don't need to say there is more to be done. The President already said that. It is very nice indeed to see the written statement of solidarity from any but particularly from this President.
This is fitting with the theme of my afternoon, which comes from Paul Simon, and today I find I also have reason to believe that we all will be received. And these nice words enhance that feeling.
May the future come tomorrow. Peace.

[Toasterlad]

14. More Empty Words From an Empty President.

[LeftHander]

16. and Bush did this how many times in 8 years.....nt

[jonnyblitz]

17. it's no great feat to be a tad bit better on an issue than Bush,

though I am sure you think you are complimenting Obama in your post. :crazy: :rofl: :puke:

[WillParkinson]

18. Sigh...

If Mr. Bush is the standard you are going to hold Mr. Obama to, that does not speak much for either person.

[Bluebear]

20. Bush is now the yardstick for how we are supported by a President?

[David Zephyr]

23. I'm not getting out the pompoms on this empty statement without deeds to back it up.

No rah, rah here.

[FreeState]

24. Not only that there seems to be some factual errors in the proclamation...

"At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world."

Thats a non-binding resolution how does that DO anything? See: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/03/120509.htm

"I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration."

No Clinton did this first, see:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release: February 2, 1993

PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR TOP HUD POSITIONS

(Washington, DC) The President today nominated four recognized leaders in the housing field to work with Secretary Henry Cisneros as top officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The nominees for Deputy Secretary and three Assistant Secretary positions are recognized and experienced leaders in the housing field.

As Deputy Secretary, President Clinton nominated Terry Duvernay, Executive Director of the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority and HUD Chief of Staff under Secretary Moon Landrieu. Also nominated were Andrew Cuomo, the founder and President of an innovate and successful New York area housing organization, to be Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development; San Francisco Board of Supervisors Member Roberta Achtenberg, to be Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity; and Jean Nolan, formerly director of communications for The Enterprise Foundation, a national foundation that works to provide housing for low-income people, to be Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

"I am committed," said the President, "as is Secretary Cisneros, to turning the Department of Housing and Urban Development into a center for action and a home for innovation. Terry Duvernay, Andrew Cuomo, Roberta Achtenberg, and Jean Nolan have a big task ahead of them -- rebuilding housing opportunity for all Americans and repairing the torn fabric of our nation's urban communities. These four outstanding individuals have the experience, the knowledge, and the ability to make that happen. They will be an essential part of my team."

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/archives/whitehouse-papers/1993/Jan/PRESIDENT-ANNOUNCES-NOMINATIONS-FOR-TOP-HUD-POSITIONS

(Edited for layout)

[friedgreentomatoes]

25. I don't think we expected anything from Bush.

We, however, expect more from Obama than words.

Isn't that why we wanted a Dem as president?

Really, how long are you going to go on with this "better than Bush" "better than McCain/Palin" line?

[WillParkinson]

26. When it seems to be all you have...

I guess you just have to go with it.

I will not deny Mr. Obama is better than Mr. Bush. Really, how hard a task is that?

But if all they have is "better than", what does that really say about the man?

[friedgreentomatoes]

28. Seriously.

On the other hand, I don't even criticize Obama that much. I understand a President probably cannot make everyone happy. But what really gets my goat is the "Would McCain have done this" meme. Grrrrrrrrr!

[IntravenousDemilo]

30. I'm just hoping Obama turns out better than Secretary Clinton's husband was.

At least Bush was open in his contempt for gay Americans. Bill just smiled and put his signature on DOMA and DADT.

[IndianaGreen]

27. Words are cheap. Deeds are what counts.

What counts is using the bully pulpit of the Presidency to push for passage of ENDA, repeal of DADT, and marriage equality. LGBT Pride Month will join other cosmetic celebratory months that commemorate the successes of the few while ignoring the struggles of the many: Hispanic Month, African-American Month, Asian-Pacific Month, Native American Month, etc.