OBAMA AND THE GAYS

(PHOTO LIFTED FROM JOHN RODGERS' FACEBOOK PAGE)


We knew that Obama was a great speaker. And the Lady Gaga joke was a surefire hit. But he didn't even give a timeline for repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Is that all we get from our "strong ally" in the White House? Puh-lease. Although I support equal rights for everyone including gays, I personally don't understand our desire to serve in the military. How could we look at an illegal war for oil like the one in Iraq and think "I want to go die in something like that"? Yes, we should have the right to serve if we want to, but I just wish we didn't want to.

I believe that this march and speech were ill-timed. If Obama doesn't get some kind of health care reform passed, he runs the risk of being branded a lame-duck president tainted with failure and possibly seeing Congress go red again in the 2010 elections--which could scotch ANY progressive legislation. I'm not suggesting that we give up the fight for gay rights, but health care reform certainly affects me more than a desire to die for greedy oil and defense barons in wars without strategies. And as an atheist slut, I don't give a damn about gay marriage for myself and would happily settle for civil unions.

If he truly is our ally, then we should put all of our efforts into contacting our reps as Barney Frank suggests and get health care passed to increase Obama's potency as a leader. He obviously prefers getting re-elected to standing firm on campaign promises (Surprise! Surprise!)  and he backed down on his single payer and the public option when his poll #'s dropped. Let's throw our support behind health care, get it passed, and I think we'll have a much stronger chance of getting pro-gay legislation later on. I don't know about you, but I'm a person in need of health care first and a gay person second. I know that gays don't relish the idea of taking a back seat to other issues after decades of inaction, but I think it's politically expedient to NOT force Obama's hand on a wedge issue like gay rights when health care, central to all Americans' lives and a core democratic principle which may not get another chance for ages, hangs in the balance. Imagine how much fund-raising the republikkkans can bank on if Obama repeals Don't Ask Don't Tell today. And the vote on the health care bill is TUESDAY. To me, that is a far more crucial issue NOW.