Or this email from PFLAG:
Join PFLAG for Out for Equality and Dance for Equality!
PFLAG, along with partners Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund & Leadership Institute, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, National Black Justice Coalition, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Freedom to Marry, BiNet USA, DignityUSA, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, Equality Federation, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, National Coalition for LGBT Health, LGBT Community Center of NY, International Federation of Black Prides, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Family Equality Council, Unid@s, the National Latina/o LGBT Human Rights Organization, National Lesbian and Gay Law Association, GLSEN, Immigration Equality, and National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
present: Out For Equality and Dance for Equality
Because of stories like THIS one: (CNN)
— President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony will feature big names like minister Rick Warren and legendary singer Aretha Franklin, the Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies announced Wednesday.
Warren, the prominent evangelical and founder of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, will deliver the ceremony's invocation. The minister hosted a presidential forum at his church last summer that challenged both Obama and Arizona Sen. John McCain on a host of faith-related issues. Warren did not endorse either presidential candidate.
His public support for California's Proposition 8 — the measure that successfully passed and called for outlawing gay marriage in the state — sparked the ire of many gay rights proponents, who seized on a comment in an October newsletter to his congregation: "This is not a political issue — it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about."
You know, I really don't relish having to say, "I told you so," but dammit, I did. So did a whole bunch of other people. Obama has never done ANYTHING but give lip service to the GLBT community - WHEN are people going to get that through their thick heads???
And really, for SLDN (Servicemembers Legal Defense Network) to be so gung-ho after Obama has put off - AGAIN - his "commitment" to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" until at least 2010 just blows my mind. Wow.
Don't get me wrong, they are both good organizations, and do good work. But, really, what in the WORLD in Obama's history makes them think for one SECOND that Obama is going to do ANYTHING for this community? He has demonstrated time and time and time AGAIN, with his actions, his words, and his associates, that he doesn't give one good damn about the GLBT community. Yet there everyone is, falling all over themselves to connect with The One. How sad And infuriating.
Add to that this email I got today from WomenCount, and I am just bashing my head against the wall:
Dear Friends,
In recent days we have been urged by some of our colleagues in the world of women's advocacy to call attention to President-elect Obama's failure to nominate more women to his Cabinet.
Rather than speak out, we have given him the benefit of the doubt and encouraged others to do the same - until now.
With this week's announcements, the new Cabinet stands at 14 men and 4 women. That puts the current percentage of women in the Obama Cabinet at 22 percent - and there are only four Cabinet-level openings left to fill.
President Clinton's first Cabinet - 16 years ago - was 37 percent women. In his second term, it climbed to 47 percent women. President Bush began his first term with 22 percent women in his Cabinet. We want that number to go up - not go down or stay the same!
Some more math: women make up 51 percent of the American population and 56 percent of voters. In the 2008 presidential election, women voted for Obama 56 to 49 percent over men.
Dozens of qualified women have been recommended to fill critical slots on the incoming leadership team.
We urge the President-elect and his transition team to act now to improve their record of commitment to naming women to senior positions in the new Administration. It's not too late.
Such a lack of progress for women underscores the need for real change - now. WomenCount has launched a major petition campaign calling on President-elect Obama to create a Presidential Commission on Women in his first 100 days.
If you haven't done so, join our call for t he new administration to begin a national conversation on the future of women in our country.
Increasing the number of women in appointed and elected positions in just one of the many issues a Presidential Commission on Women would address.
OHMYGOSH - they are KIDDING, right?? The man who ran the most sexist/misogynistic campaign in DECADES not doing right by women???? Well, golly gee willikers, how can THAT possibly be? Maybe they can put on some Ludicris, Obama's BFF, and listen to it while they figure this one out. Or how about Jay Z's, "99 Problems But A Bitch Ain't One" while they consider why they ever thought a man who flipped Hillary off, brushed her off his shoulder - TWICE - and said not word ONE about his minions' misogynistic, vulgar language toward her OR Sarah Palin, and pays the women on his staff less than the men, would have more women in his Cabinet.
Have I mentioned that Rev. Rick Warren is also ANTI-CHOICE?? But yeah, Women Count (and PPA, and NARAL, and Emily's List) - y'all just go ahead and believe that Obama is really going to put more women in his Cabinet.
So far I have refrained from flat out name calling to these people and organizations who are just too blind, too uninformed, too ignorant, and operating with too few brain cells, actual names. But holy Freakin' Toledo, it is becoming harder and harder to do so. This is me biting my tongue.
Seriously - Obama has done virtually NOTHING to make these people THINK he is going to do these things except words, not at all backed up by actions. In fact, he has already reneged on a number of promises made (FISA anyone). A man (and woman) is only as good as his word, and Obama has made it abundantly clear that the words he says are only to advance his own career, not because he actually CARES about these issues.
Yet, despite his constant deeds showing where he really stands, like asking Rick Warren, proponent of Prop 8, to conduct his Inaugural Invocation, there they still are, fawning and swooning, just waiting for that crumb to drop from the table. Wow. What does it take? Really - what the hell does it take before these groups stop revering this man who has done nothing for them. No, rather he has done things that negatively affect them (remember, he is opposed to Same-Sex marriage, no matter how much people like Ellen Degeneres sang his praises and conveniently failed to mention in her attacks on Sarah Palin for the same thing), and associates himself with known homophobes.
Maybe Jon Stewart should have this conversation with Rev. Warren AND Barack Obama:
It would be nice, but it'll never happen. We can't actually acknowledge where Obama stands on these issues. We sure can't admit he is really no different from Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, OR John McCain. Oh, no...
Holy crap. Have some respect, dammit!! Stop selling yourselves short! Stop buying snake oil from the snake oil salesman! C'mon already!!! Seriously, people. Seriously. Open your eyes. Stop giving Obama "the benefit of the doubt" - on these two issues, he has shown numerous times he does not deserve it.
7 comments:
Rev! Great post again!
I personally think every single one of these groups (and I wrote Women Count off A LOOOONNNNNGGGG TIME AGO for just being plain freaking stupid) knows way down deep how bad things really are and this is their way of tying a knot and holding on for dear life because they don't freakin know that they have to do it themselves and are expecting somebody to TAKE CARE OF THEM!
Holy Bejesus! I know I am a freakin' redheaded stepchild out in left field but I figured out right quick that the only person that can take care of me is ME!
Unfortunately for us, the % of people that know that is way too small right now.
Buy guns, we are going to need them.
Hey, DT!
Thanks, friend - and great comment!
Love the red headed stepchild analogy, too. FUNNY!!
But yes, they do seem tied to the past, especially wanting to give Obama the "benefit of the doubt." Please. WHY?? He doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt. But they won't accept it - it was their fault, they must have done something wrong to make Obama mad, and that's why he hasn't put more women in the Cabinet, blah, blah, blah...
And all of the GLBT screaming and crying now - where the hell did they have their heads al during the primary?!?!? I mean, really - they could have had HILLARY, who DOES care abt the GLBT community. But, NO. They had to go with the "cool" guy, and not the person who walks the walk. Serves them right. All of them. For not watching his ACTIONS, and only listening to his words...
Thanks for coming by, DT!
At latest count, women will number exactly three in the actual cabinet: Clinton -SoS, Napolitano - Homeland Security, and Solis-Labor. Throw in two cabinet level women (Rice - UN, and Jackson, EPA) and women number a grand total of 5 out of 22. He's naming a woman to head SEC, but that is not a cabinet level post.
The only one left to name is the Drug Czar.
Wheee!
Hey!
That redheaded stepchild phrase is NOT figurative. LOL :::evil grin:::
LOL, LM - you crack me up! And I do recall that it is an apt description! :-D
Hey, Bluelyon!!!
I know - morons is exactly what they are. That's what they get for being so damn superficial and not really paying attention to what he said, who his associates were, and deciding he was so much cooler than Hillary, even though SHE has a proven commitment to both women's issues and GLBT issues (I know - Hillary DID win the Primary, but none of these people spoke out - they were all too happy to think they had a place at the cool kids' table).
Exactly right abt Obama's cabinet, too. Clearly, that was one way in which he did NOT emulate Bill. But how "nice" of Women Count to want to give him "the benefit of the doubt." Please.
I have one more thing to add about this whole situation with The One.
The rampant stupidity and blindness of every single one of these groups completely and utterly dumbfounnds me - did they not read, hear or see that The One voted "present" some 130 times? Does that say "decisive"?
WTF!
Oh, LM - you are absolutely right! They just REFUSED to hear the truth abt Obama! My siblings were cases in point. Ridiculous the hoops they would jump through to deny his RECORD. No amt of links, not amt of evidence, would sway them.
Even one of my neighbors, a retired univ. prof., claimed ANYTHING negative I said, like abt ACORN, was a right wing smear, even when ACORN had ADMITTED to voter registration fraud!! If people are that unwilling to accept the truth BEFORE the election, what in the world would get through to them??? Sheesh. WTF, indeed.
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