My posting intentions this week were seriously sidetracked late last night when I received a startling text message from a friend. The text message included an attached photo [inset] with the simple words: “I don’t know what to do. Should I call the police? I’m scared.”
I was floored. There seems to be a blatant increase of gay-bashing/LGBT-based hate crime incidents as of late and it is, in my opinion, not surprising considering the overall atmosphere that we are living in now. Hell I was the victim of a verbal assault twice over the past 2 weeks and I have heard others citing similar accounts all over this “great nation.”
Case 1. The reaffirmation of proposition 8 by the California Supreme Court (while in my personal opinion was the proper action—but open for future posting and debate) has unintentionally created an atmosphere that perpetuates the dehumanization of queers the state, country and world over. A (nation-)state that does not [and refuses to] fully extend legal rights and privileges to all of its citizens is a (nation-)state that condones said hate crimes and promotes heterosexist agendas even though it is a set of actions not dictated by the regime in power.
Case 2. President Obama’s prompting of the Supreme Court to refuse to hear a case against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) further supports heterosexists for their homophobic actions. While Obama did not “promise” to endorse gay marriage (in fact, quite the opposite), he did say that he would work to overturn DADT—this is not sounding very likely.
While these two cases are small in scope, they are quite damaging in play. In contradictory news: Obama is expected to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. One might rightfully wonder, aren’t members of the military also federal employees? Will said benefit expansion(s) include those who are LGBT and actively serving in the military? Will this violate DADT? Is this an intentional move on Obama’s part to show the ridiculousness of DADT or is it another act of political pandering seeking to calm queers that are currently at the brunt of many hate-filled, homophobic lashings all over this country. Many queers are angry, scared, and confused right now. And rightfully so.
When many of us voted for Obama we were looking for a leader and an administration that would stand up for us—for once. He was the first president to ever mention us (queers) in his acceptance speech, he was the first to say that he would repeal Clinton’s DADT policy and he remains the man capable of making changes to our current situation. Meanwhile, we are waiting mister president for you to step up to the plate—we are tired of the gap between you and our rights.
While there appears to be growing congressional support for the Matthew Shepard Bill—a move that would add sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability to the list of federally protected classes. While we wait for Obama to finally step up to the metaphoric plate and help us all out, conservative groups and politicians are already working to dismantle not only this hate crime bill but also outlaw ALL HATE CRIME LEGISLATION (This includes protections to women seeking abortions)! Now is the time to make YOUR move. Find your senator and urge them to make this bill an immediate priority. Find your congressional representative and do the same.
Who knows. Perhaps legislation like this on the federal level will, by default, make DADT a part of our sordid history. In the meantime, we have a long road a head of us. We must keep our heads held high, and we must stick together. And we must not be afraid to report every incident of hate that is coming (y)our way. As of now, most hate crimes go unreported which shows a lack of need for hate crime legislation—we all know that that is just wrong.
For now, I’m going to join my friend while we wait for the cops to show up.
Stop the hate. Start the love.
http://www.obamasplanforgayrights.com/
lol. that was hilarious benny. well, not the fact that Obama doesn’t have a plan – but the fact that the site is poking fun at that.
Its really saddening actually. I recently wrote a personal blog about this, and i’m start to get really livid about the entire situation. President Obama needs to stop treating human rights as bread crumbs, and instead of throwing us a bone here and there – actually alter his administrations policy’s to reflect full equal recognition and protection under the law.
Here’s an interesting analysis from the Huffington post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emma-rubysachs/obama-offers-gays-a-conso_b_216547.html
I like how the author talks about handing out rights from a napsack. Its time for Obama to stop putting the LGBTQ community at the bottom of the “to do” list and actually commit himself to making this country a safer place for sexual minorities.
Benny, this SUCKS!!! I have been hearing a lot of comments that are flat out homophobic, and not in the, (pause) (look around) and then state very softly, kind of way, but in the very blunt and non-apologetic way. People think that because they laugh at “Will and Grace,” or love Ellen that they are excepting. But the truth is most are not even tolerant. The truth is that we need a leader that can, not only bring the activist together, but bring the entire community together and keep them together. We have not seen such a leader, sense the 1970′s. There has been many people that have done amazing work, but we need someone that can focus the entire community in to the same direction.
disclaimer: I’m a veteran with 8.5 years of submarine service.
I agree with everything you’ve written here save one. Civilian federal employees are not at all the same as military personnel. Active duty, inactive duty and even veterans agree to operate by an independent (but partially overlapping) set of rules than the civilian population, including civilian fed employees. These rules necessarily and simultaneously both grant (and *eliminate*) some rights and legal protections to the military. The granting of equal benefits to gay federal civilian employees in no way shape or form contributes any argument or legal precedent to DADT because DADT applies strictly to the military. The tenets of DADT have been thoroughly and independently proven to be FALSE…that alone should be cause sufficient to throw it out, regardless of what rights are granted to federal employees.
I have to agree with AJ. While I continue to have some form of faith in the current president that he will do something as “progressive” as giving us the same basic rights as heterosexual couples, I am beginning to seriously doubt him as the person to do so every time he passes up an opportunity to actually take action. And these so called “benefits” that he plans on giving to gay federal employees doesn’t include health care and I’m sorry but that’s the one that matters most. His dismissive nature with respect to gay issues is extremely unsettling and I can’t help but wonder if we made the right decision. I suppose that’s a moot point but it doesn’t make being in the back of the bus any easier to deal with. Bus driver, this is my stop! Our calls fall on deaf ears unless we do something.
In case #1 regarding Prop 8, I have to agree that it’s not my most desirable outcome – but unfortunately, Prop 8 was rightfully and lawfully executed. Democracy was exercised for the first time in awhile, it just wasn’t in our favor.
As for not hearing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, I don’t think it was the correct thing to do, but we have to face that Obama may not be as liberal in all issues as we have believed to think.
I think Obama, only in office for less than 150 days, has a great many task in front of him – and I think we, as a nation, have to learn patience as he tries to undo some of the wreckage of the world.
Priority one: I think should be the economy. Regardless of who you are, you are affected.
Priority two (I may be bias): It’s a tie between health care and education. Without the former, you may die. Without the latter, you may grow up to be even more ignorant.
if you can prove to me why those issues are mutually exclusive with increasing legal recognition of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer citizens of this country….then sure. I just have a hard time believing that to be true.
Additionally, if you think 40 million americans without healthcare is a crisis, don’t you think the over 10 million (and thats a very rough estimate) queer individuals in this country deserve recognition as equal human beings immediately?
We supported Obama for a reason. He promised us during his campaign that things were going to be different. We shouldn’t have to wait around until its convenient for him to respect our existence on this planet. I understand your desire to come to Obama’s defense. Trust me, there are alot of great things that he has already done within his administration that I am very pleased with, but that doesn’t mean that we should sit back and wait around for our turn.