Obama's Speech Tonight - Be Good House Gays?

UPDATE: While a number of MSM outlets are acting like Obama did something major in his speech, it was in reality just more pretty words and HRC should not have given him a platform. My low expectations were fully confirmed. Here's one accurate analysis is as follows:

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Of course it's nice having President Obama speak to us, but that's all it was -- more pretty words without any new substance. So much for that rumor that President Obama would give us a timeline of 2010 for the repeal of DADT or speaking up for Maine Equality. It was pretty much a rehash of his campaign promises, and yet we're still left wanting actual action and fierce advocacy. That didn't change much. Paul Sousa Founder, Equal Rep Co-Chair, Join The Impact MA

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The Washington Post is reporting that President Obama will tonight deliver more pretty words about supporting gay rights while as is all too typical doing nothing beyond those pretty words. Of course Joe Solmonese and other sycophants at HRC will eat it up and act as if progress has been made - even as gays in a majority of states can be fired at will and have fewer legal protections from abuse than household pets. Obama is treating LGBT Americans like the white good old boys of the old south treated blacks when they addressed educated black Americans by terms like "boy." Personally, I'm not taking the bait and I am not willing to be treated like an ignorant child being told to patiently wait while nothing of significant application is being done. The likely passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act is nice but has little application to the day to day lives of the majority of LGBT Americans. I agree with fellow blogger Lane Hudson that now is the time to for Obama and Congressional Democrats to act and deliver on promises that would cost nothing to pass. Here are some highlights from the drivel coming out of the White House and commentary from real civil rights activists rather than the lap dogs at HRC:
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President Obama will tout the imminent passage of long-delayed hate crime legislation when he addresses the nation's largest gay rights group on Saturday, as he seeks to allay concerns among some in the community that he is moving too slowly to prove his commitment to their cause.

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"The president has articulated unwavering support for it and a desire to sign it," said Melody Barnes, the president's top domestic policy adviser. "This is all part of a theme of steady, forward progress on issues that have been supported by the community."

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But many activists say it will not be enough to ease their simmering frustration that Obama has not moved quickly on issues such as repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act or reversal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

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"At a time when we're kind of broke and we're wondering where we're going to get the money, it'd make sense to focus some time on something that doesn't cost any money, like honoring the promise of our constitution to treat all of its citizens equally under the law," said Lane Hudson, a gay blogger and activist from the District.

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"We're now pushing this administration to undo decades of discrimination that currently exist in federal government policy," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "It's not just about policy, it's really about the day-to-day life and safety of individuals and their families across the country."

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Obama's aides have signaled that efforts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act will take a back seat to other domestic priorities during the president's first term, an indication that Obama wants to avoid the mistakes that Bill Clinton made when he attempted to allow gays to serve in the military during the first months of his presidency.

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I continue to believe that the only way to change the game and get Obama and Congressional Democrats off their respective asses on gay rights issues is for gays to stop 100% of their financial support for these folks until they begin to deliver. They need to taught that rather than continue to support those who take us for granted and just give us pretty speeches we will stay home on election day and that our wallets will remain tightly closed. Every time readers receive calls for money from Congressional Democrats, the message sent needs to be no action = no money.