I saw a diary recently concerning President Obama's speech to the UN, where he spoke passionately about the rights of LGBTs. I have to admit I was a bit mystified by the reactions of people to the President's remarks. Reading the comments, one would think that the President had struck a huge blow for gay rights. This confused me to a serious degree, since the comments most prominently featured in the rec'd diary were absolutely counter factual.
The quote bolded in this front page diary was:
No country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere
-President Obama
More than 70 comments applauded the president. Seriously? What is President Obama's definition of standing up for LGBT rights? Because to this LGBT American, that would include the right to marry the person I love, which this president has continually rejected. So let me fix that quote for you , Mr. President:
No country (Except the US) should deny people their rights because of who they love (Unless it's the right to marry), which is why we must stand up for the rights (Except the right to marry) of gays and lesbians everywhere (Except in the US)
The preaching arrogance of this statement boils my blood. Here is President Obama, standing up in front of the world, declaring that rights should not be denied based on sexual orientation. Yet he himself DOES NOT support equal rights regardless of orientation. He has been clear on this point.
This president has certainly made strides for LGBT rights. The obvious examples of this are the DADT repeal, abandonment of the DOMA defense, and various executive orders. But standing for equal rights is a binary state. You are either for equal rights or not. You cannot claim to be for equal rights while you simultaneously deny LGBT citizens the right to marry.
The remarks to the UN were shamefully hypocritical for a person with President Obama's views. His literally empty rhetoric while he denies the equal rights of his fellow citizens should offend everyone. Maybe when the President actually supports equal rights, and not 'popular rights' he can preach to the UN about the treatment of LGBTs.
Unless he really fucks up, I will vote for Obama in 2012, but only because his opponent will inevitably be worse.
I wish just for once I could have a desirable candidate to vote for, not just the 'least bad' candidate. Is it too much to ask for a Democratic candidate to support equal rights for LGBTs?