I will admit that I am an impassioned activist when it comes to gay rights and 100% equality for LGBT citizens under the civil laws. Some people do not understand why myself and others are so passionate. John Aravosis has a good explanation at America Blog that I wish President Obama and Democrats of all levels would take to heart. What's amazing is that John wrote this explanation in a piece that looks at the booing an anti-gay diatribe received at the CPAC gathering in Washington, D.C. I do not have any faith that the GOP will become gay-friendly anytime soon - Bob McDonnell's actions in Virginia speak volumes - but at least some in the party appear to be beginning to understand that a public face based on hatred is NOT something that sells with many Americans. Would that Obama could put aside his own religious based discrimination against LGBT Americans and understand why we need full civil rights under ALL of the civil laws. Here are highlights from John's post:*
[W]e're talking about our civil rights. I think a lot of straight Democrats don't get that. They see out and proud gay people, a lot of us have good jobs, nice clothes, get to travel the world (and a lot of us don't, but they don't ever meet them), so they think our civil rights battle is some kind of champagne party to us, as if we're doing it for fun because we really have everything we could ever want. Well, anyone who thinks that didn't grow up gay. They didn't grow up thinking they were a pervert. That they were sick. That they'd never find love, never get married, never have children or a family of their own - because God made them wrong. They didn't grow up thinking they'd have to kill themselves once they hit the age of 30 because they'd be single, and people would 'figure out' that they were gay, and then they'd lose all their friends and family and their job and career. And they knew they couldn't live with that.
*
That last point is important. Pick any political issue, any political constituency, and ask yourself how many of those issues, how many of those people, considered killing themselves over their issue. Not a lot, I'm guessing. Now you're starting to understand why gay civil rights advocates, why gay people, care so fervently about their "issue." It's not just an issue for us. It's our lives. That's what it's like to be gay in America.
*
. . . When all the Democrats show is political homophobia, gays get the message. Some gays and lesbians will vote for Democrats regardless of how blatantly the Obama administration and the Democratic party back away from their promises to repeal DADT, repeal DOMA, and pass ENDA. Regardless of how clear it is that the White House will appoint an openly gay cabinet member or an openly gay Supreme Court justice when hell freezes over. But I think, come November, and come many more Novembers in the future, a lot of gays and lesbians, are going to realize that we're talking about our lives, rather than our right to attend a cocktail party. And when it comes to our lives, and voting for someone who treats us with the same kind of shame every single one of us grew up with, I think you're going to see an increasing number of gay Americans distancing themselves from the Democratic party with their donations and their votes. They may not vote Republican, nor should they - they simply may not vote at all.
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To the White House, the DNC, and our leadership in Congress: You are messing with people's lives, and we know it. And the day that an anti-gay bigot gets booed at CPAC, you all better start being very afraid.
*
That last point is important. Pick any political issue, any political constituency, and ask yourself how many of those issues, how many of those people, considered killing themselves over their issue. Not a lot, I'm guessing. Now you're starting to understand why gay civil rights advocates, why gay people, care so fervently about their "issue." It's not just an issue for us. It's our lives. That's what it's like to be gay in America.
*
. . . When all the Democrats show is political homophobia, gays get the message. Some gays and lesbians will vote for Democrats regardless of how blatantly the Obama administration and the Democratic party back away from their promises to repeal DADT, repeal DOMA, and pass ENDA. Regardless of how clear it is that the White House will appoint an openly gay cabinet member or an openly gay Supreme Court justice when hell freezes over. But I think, come November, and come many more Novembers in the future, a lot of gays and lesbians, are going to realize that we're talking about our lives, rather than our right to attend a cocktail party. And when it comes to our lives, and voting for someone who treats us with the same kind of shame every single one of us grew up with, I think you're going to see an increasing number of gay Americans distancing themselves from the Democratic party with their donations and their votes. They may not vote Republican, nor should they - they simply may not vote at all.
*
To the White House, the DNC, and our leadership in Congress: You are messing with people's lives, and we know it. And the day that an anti-gay bigot gets booed at CPAC, you all better start being very afraid.
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