Obama to Address HRC Annual Dinner on Eve of National Equality March

As any casual reader of this blog knows, I have been hugely disappointed by President Obama's failure to deliver on a single one of his campaign promises to LGBT Americans. Indeed, my of the time I am of the opinion that team Obama cynically used gays to secure our money and votes wit no intention of actually delivering on promises. I continue to be willing to be proven wrong, but as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words and to date, Obama's inaction speaks volumes. I will not be holding my breath. Thus, it will be interesting to see whether Obama does anything more than make the usual nice sounding statements as he addresses the annual HRC dinner on the evening before the National Equality March this coming Sunday. No doubt the freepers and professional Christian set will be outraged that Obama is even darkening the door at an LGBT event. Here are some highlights from The Advocate's coverage of this development:
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It’s been several hours since news leaked that President Barack Obama would be addressing attendees of the Human Rights Campaign's annual fund-raising dinner Saturday night, and already the pressure is mounting. “I am most eager to hear what he has to say,” said David Mixner, a longtime LGBT activist and campaign supporter of Obama who has grown dissatisfied with the president’s lack of action. “If it's a lot of, ‘I'm with you guys, I love you guys, and you won't be disappointed,’ I think that message is going to be devastating.”

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Mixner, who initially called for a march following the release of a Justice Department brief defending the Defense of Marriage Act, echoed a notion common among LGBT advocates these days -- that the time for talk is over, they want action and specifics. And although legislation to extend hate-crimes protections to LGBT people could reach the president's desk sometime this month, few activists mentioned it as their main priority.

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[A]dvocates will be looking for the kind of particulars that the White House has been short on when it comes to equal rights. Obama already delivered a feel-good, I’m-on-your-side message this summer at a White House reception for the LGBT community. During that speech, he reiterated all of his campaign promises to support initiatives like federal hate-crimes protections and employment nondiscrimination legislation as well as the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
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But to date, activists say it’s difficult to find the White House footprint on much of anything specifically related to the advancement of LGBT rights. “It’s been 11 months since the election; he has expended very little political capital for our benefit,” said Richard Socarides, a former LGBT adviser and special assistant to President Bill Clinton.

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As I said, I have no expectations that Obama will do anything other than the same old BS we have been seeing for 11 months. I hope I am wrong, but I do not think that I will be.