Six months after Obama's election and four months after his swearing-in, Gay Americans again are being told to wait.
I know a lot has been written and discussed regarding gay rights on Kos. I also see a lot written across the national media regarding Obama's failure to act quickly on the issues of gay marriage (or Federally recognized civil unions) and gay rights in general. I thought at the time, that, Gay Americans should give this man a chance to formulate a plan on how he will tackle these issues in front of the not-so-progressive American people.
However, I now realize, after the terrible loss this past Tuesday in California, that there is no reason to wait. Why has Obama has been less than eager to take up a campaign pledge and grant equal federal rights for gay couples? Or even to reconsider the military's don't-ask-don't-tell policy. Now that Obama is President, Gay Americans are seeing some troubling signs that this president simply doesn't care. Nor do the people in his administration. Asked about the CA Supreme Court ruling, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said he had not spoken to Obama about it, and added, "The issues involved are ones that, ah, you know where the president stands." HUH? What does that mean? And, what has the President done to stop the firing of U.S. Army Lt. Dan Choi, an Arab language specialist who was ordered discharged after recently declaring that he was gay on the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.
During the Prop 8 campaign in California, candidate Obama never showed up to make just one statement: "I do not support Proposition 8". I gave him some slack and thought he's just playing politics to win the election. Well, he won the election, and he has a mandate, and he should begin acting like a leader. All the President has to do now is lead the American people with one simple sentence: "Gay people have no choice in their sexual orientation and therefore should be given equal rights which include federally recognized civil unions"
Simple as that right? Then why doesn't he do it? Perhaps gay people were fooled by Obama's "hope" speech. Maybe gay Americans were fooled by all this promise for "change". Maybe Hillary would've been a stronger advocate for equality? We Gay Americans, will just have to wait and see...and wait..and wait...and wait. Hell, we're used to waiting....