shirtlifterbear: (Default)
shirtlifterbear ([personal profile] shirtlifterbear) wrote2009-06-12 12:01 pm

President Bigot Obama Is An Enemy Of Gay People

An active and powerful enemy who looked us in the eyes and lied, lied, lied.

This post is about the current United States Department of Justice anti-Gay Civil Rights motion to dismiss filed about the anti-Defense of Marriage Act case currently working its way through the courts. (By orders of the President we helped elect, the Constitutional Law professor.) He is an anti-gay bigot, and a liar, an oathbreaker. He promised us to get rid of DADT, and he just defended it in a Supreme Court hearing. He promised us to get rid of DOMA, and now he's arguing that it's good law, and that Gay people don't deserve civil rights protections. I'm so angry that I can't see straight.

And if anyone wants to try to play apologist for him after this? Please defriend me, because this is active, explicit and intentional work against the LGBT community, and is completely indefensible, and if you try, I don't want to be associated with you in any context. You're either in favor of Gay Civil Rights OR you're in favor of the President of the United States, because he has just made it impossible to be both. And those of you who attacked me for being a Gay man supporting Hillary in the Democratic primaries because "Obama is so much better on our issues"? You were lied to by your candidate, willfully and evilly. The only reason he would risk this attack is if he believes in it strongly, if it MATTERS to him. He is an enemy, and WANTS this fight. I am afraid of what the President will try to do to us.

From Towleroad:

"DOJ Defends DOMA, Says Good for Budget, Invokes Incest

Americablog has been busy at work parsing the briefs from the Department of Justice's motion to dismiss the federal same-sex marriage case brought by Smelt and Hammer. There's plenty more to read.

Of the DOJ's rationalization, they write:
"Obama didn't just argue a technicality about the case, he argued that DOMA is reasonable. That DOMA is constitutional. That DOMA wasn't motivated by any anti-gay animus. He argued why our Supreme Court victories in Roemer and Lawrence shouldn't be interpreted to give us rights in any other area (which hurts us in countless other cases and battles). He argued that DOMA doesn't discriminate against us because it also discriminates about straight unmarried couples (ignoring the fact that they can get married and we can't).

"He actually argued that the courts shouldn't consider Loving v. Virginia, the miscegenation case in which the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban interracial marriages, when looking at gay civil rights cases. He told the court, in essence, that blacks deserve more civil rights than gays, that our civil rights are not on the same level.

"And before Obama claims he didn't have a choice, he had a choice. Bush, Reagan and Clinton all filed briefs in court opposing current federal law as being unconstitutional (we'll be posting more about that later). Obama could have done the same. But instead he chose to defend DOMA, denigrate our civil rights, go back on his promises, and contradict his own statements that DOMA was "abhorrent." Folks, Obama's lawyers are even trying to diminish the impact of Roemer and Lawrence, our only two big Supreme Court victories. Obama is quite literally destroying our civil rights gains with this brief. He's taking us down for his own benefit."

EDITED TO ADD: here's the link to the document: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/06/doj-defends-doma-says-good-for-budget-invokes-incest.html

[identity profile] technocowboy.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, there's not really any apologizing for the lying. Not after everything that the gay community has done for him.
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[identity profile] fba.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:16 pm (UTC)(link)
:( I'm sorry. We didn't hit this level of disillusion with Blair for at least 4 years...

[identity profile] thetathx1138.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Can you post links to the actual text of the actual document, please? I assume those are available.

[identity profile] alexjon.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I am not entirely convinced this is anything more than a punt from the 1 yard line. Legal types are ripping up the cushions to figure this out and finding that the underlying statement is more "but it's Congress' fault, so unless they do something, oops, yer screwed." Basically, "not my problem".

Obama talks soaringly of Kennedy, not realizing he is emulating the most ironic aspect of his presidency, Kennedy's inaction on Civil Rights and shitty moves. Kennedy refused to act when compelled, not wanting to anger southern whites. He even ordered MLK wiretapped. It was not until forced that he acted and had a Senator draft the Civil Rights Act, which he took to Congress. Basically, death and civil strife forced his hand.

Obama is similarly leadfooted.

The Supreme Court protects the Constitution, The Congress protects its home district, but the President protects his votes. Same ole.

[identity profile] pretzelcoatl.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
I had a feeling that even if I left (which I won't), you'd come after me anyway. :P

[identity profile] genxcub.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm personally trying to not be dramatic about it. Being lied to is par for the course, regardless of the politician. He'll see the result soon enough.

[identity profile] mikiedoggie.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
I agree with you that Obama is turning out to be horrible on the issue of gay civil rights. I always *knew* Hillary was pro-gay, she chose to take photo-ops with gay candidates, to go to the pride parades, etc. etc.

Obama has *always* been conspicuously silent, refused to publicly associate with pro-gay civil rights leaders, or tendered lukewarm support for the repeal of DOMA, etc. etc.

Having looked at the briefing excerpts the "invoke incest" comments don't actually hold an real merit, imho. As an attorney, you have to summarize, at least in a parenthetical, the holding of the case law you cite. Comity issues regarding marriage invariably come down to public policy issues involving those summarized in the briefings; accordingly no lawyer or judge is going to relate gay marriage to incest based on the string cite, rather they stand for the proposition its the state's right to address publicly policy considerations.

That being said, this is still bullshit. Obama got the gay vote, and he's punting on this issue. On this CIVIL RIGHTS issue. As a former constitutional law profession, he should be ashamed.

[identity profile] thetathx1138.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
OK, looked at the actual text and I have an opinion on what's going on here. For those who don't want a layer of blog posts, the text is here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/16355867/Obamas-Motion-to-Dismiss-Marriage-case

Opinions in my blog.
eskanto: (Default)

[personal profile] eskanto 2009-06-12 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm still here. I'm just feeling really stupid right now.
eskanto: (Default)

[personal profile] eskanto 2009-06-12 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
thanks for providing that. I will read it later on.

[identity profile] zurcherart.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah.

Well, I am still trying to process this one.

I remember during the campaign I agreed with another journaler that said he supported Obama but was a realist and thought that Obama would throw the gays under the bus in the first year (and that Obama contrary to making sweeping promises on DOMA--more like qualified suggestions imo-had all but promised he would toss the gays under the bus)... and then I remember being pretty mucht attacked by another gay who said he was convinced (despite evidence to the contrary) that Obama was the gays biggest friend AND ANYONE WHO DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS A BIG OLD DOODY-HEAD. (I'm paraphrasing...)

Having said all that, I don't trust AmericaBlog screed on almost anything. I un-friended them a long time ago (they were on my lj feed reader). IMO, t are sensationalist drama queens with their panties eternally in a wad (they lost me originally on their "insane" rants-imo again-against trans issues on ENDA).

I'm not ready to give up on Obama yet. But I am perplexed and not happy about the latest--though I had few illusions just a lot of hope.

Does this mean I have to de-friend you?
Edited 2009-06-12 21:16 (UTC)

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
The thing I'm mad about is not the merits of the CA case, which is shaky, no question, but that the arguments used against it by the DoJ were SO anti-Gay Civil Rights.

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
"Does this mean I have to de-friend you?"

Hell no!

You haven't tried to convince me that this action on his part is in any way good, or just, or part of some secret plan that will all work out over the rainbow!

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
You were lied to.

That's not about your being stupid, that's about someone being a liar.

Believing a liar isn't stupidity unless you CONTINUE to do so after they've been proven to be lying.

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Bingo, sir!

Shame on him.

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Here's the thing:

The GOP is honest about hating us.

This guy looked us in the eyes, told us he was with us, promised us equality.

And now we find out he felt the same way as the GOP, but was a liar.

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Exactly!

"Fuck you faggots, where are you going to go, the GOP?"

[identity profile] mutantbearman.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I suspected it during the primaries. When Obama met with LGBT leaders he said outright that he would not support gay marriage because "the time wasn't right." He said he would immediately dismiss Don't Ask Don't Tell, but there was no immediate action and now he's backpedaled all the way to the right.

I supported Hillary until she lost, but who knows if she would have been any better.

This is the biggest clusterfuck since Prop 8 and it looks like we're going to have to get louder and more visible before things improve. Obama is a HUGE dissapointment.

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Sigh.

It's so sad.

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
He certainly didn't protect his Gay votes.

And he's not getting mine.

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
With HANDCUFFS!

*hug*

[identity profile] zurcherart.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, that would be intellectually, um, confused ... if not dishonest.

I do argue that he never promised to be a good gay ally and actually telegraphed this move--though not the evil take AmericaBlog has on it--quite a while ago.
Edited 2009-06-12 21:24 (UTC)

[identity profile] shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Hillary just ordered the State Department to provide equal benefits to same-sex partners of diplomats.

That one action is MORE than Obama has done as President.

[identity profile] mutantbearman.livejournal.com 2009-06-12 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, a dissapointment with two s's and one p, goddamn it! (Spell check, anyone?)

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