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Obama to gay group: 'Still laws to change, hearts to open'

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posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 12:51 PM
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President Obama delivered a rousing speech Saturday night to the nation's largest gay rights group, praising the gay community for making strides in equal rights and pledging to deliver on major campaign promises that some say he's left on the back burner.

"For nearly 30 years, you've advocated for those without a voice," Obama said during his address at the dinner for the Human Rights Campaign. "Despite the progress we've made, there are still laws to change and hearts to open."

Obama's speech came as gay rights activists continued to lose patience over the lack of change to key issues for the gay community -- including the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. It comes on the eve of a major gays-rights rally in Washington.


It seems Mr Obama is flip flopping in this issue again. He seems to only say what people want to hear at those specific venues. I can praise his rhetoric, it's a positive step forward for the Gay Community, but I can't help but feel these promises will not come to fruition anytime soon.


Obama acknowledged the fact that many in the gay community don't believe government is moving fast enough to address their concerns.

"Many of you don't believe progress is happening. I want to be honest about that because it's important to be honest among friends," he said. "I said this before, I'll repeat it again, it's not important for me to tell you to be patient."

Obama said gay people, like other Americans, are affected by myriad concerns -- namely, the economy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq -- and stressed that he's focusing on issues that affect the entire nation.


This I agree with. There are far more pressing issues at the moment than that of Gay Rights, so I applaud his effort to make the Gay Community understand that the nation comes before any minority or majority group.

You can read the rest of the article here.

What do you all think ATS? I know this subject has been debated to death, and this thread is not about advocating gay rights, it's about what Obama has promised to do and how he is going about changing these archaic laws and passing new ones which provide equal opportunity of mariage to all.

~Keeper



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 01:27 PM
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So this is basically saying, "we've done jack all, so wait longer, ok?" Seriously, just give the homosexual community their rights already!



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 01:28 PM
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As a Brit...

In all honesty, it's nice to hear it talked about, but unless something is actually changed, Obama can talk all he wants and I have little interest.

There is massive disillusionment at the moment. People who supported, admired, trusted and those who eventually elected this man have seen him ignore or even back-track on seemingly every major issue he campaigned on.

Don't get me wrong, I know that I can't grasp what it entails being the POTUS, but you'd think a man who campaigned on so many major issues would have a plan in place to enact at least one of them within months of arriving.

There seems to be no urgency on anything, no movement to improving things for Americans, and while I know there's a lot of red tape to get through to do anything, you'd have thought the process would have evolved over time to be more efficient, not less.

It's probably not the case at all, but it certainly gives the impression that Obama lied throughout his campaign, and that he's just as uninspired, impotent and incapable to force change for the better as every politician we've ever seen.

So far I think Obama is a media-wise, well spoken politician, and nothing more. When (if) he starts to change things for the better, then I might think all the hope and admiration is worth something, until then, it's all nothing more than great PR combined with mass delusion.



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 01:29 PM
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reply to post by The Killah29
 


Well sort of, but at least he still takes time to go out and talk about it with the Gay Community.

As I said above as well, there are far more pressing issues to be dealt with at the moment.

~keeper



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 02:44 PM
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Originally posted by tothetenthpower
It seems Mr Obama is flip flopping in this issue again.


How so?



I know this subject has been debated to death, and this thread is not about advocating gay rights, it's about what Obama has promised to do and how he is going about changing these archaic laws and passing new ones which provide equal opportunity of mariage to all.


Obama does not support gay marriage.

I guess I don't understand your point here. Can you be more specific? Thanks.



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 02:49 PM
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reply to post by Benevolent Heretic
 


Obama does support gay marriage, he has said so on multiple occasions, such as in the article I linked...

If you go into another thread I created here will give you that answer.



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 03:01 PM
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Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Obama does support gay marriage, he has said so on multiple occasions, such as in the article I linked...


I'm sorry. You're mistaken. He wants to repeal DOMA, but that doesn't mean he supports gay marriage.



The president said he backed the rights of gay couples, saying they should have the "same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country." He said he has urged Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and to pass the Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act.


You are confusing gay marriage with gay rights. All during the campaign, he stated that he doesn't think gay people should be able to get married.



Although Barack Obama has said that he supports civil unions, he is against gay marriage. In an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune, Obama said, "I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."

Barack Obama did vote against a Federal Marriage Amendment and opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.

He said he would support civil unions between gay and lesbian couples, as well as letting individual states determine if marriage between gay and lesbian couples should be legalized.


Source



[edit on 11-10-2009 by Benevolent Heretic]



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 03:04 PM
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It's a shame that patriotic Americans are still getting kicked out of the armed forces under Obama's watch for simply being gay. This is the 21st century, time to get past this BS.



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 03:10 PM
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Obama on the Issues



# Opposes CA Prop. 8, one-man-one-woman marriage. (Jul 2008)
# Being gay or lesbian is not a choice. (Nov 2007)
# Decisions about marriage should be left to the states. (Oct 2007)
# Homosexuality no more immoral than heterosexuality. (Oct 2007)
# Ok to expose 6-year-olds to gay couples; they know already. (Sep 2007)
# Has any marriage broken up because two gays hold hands? (Aug 2007)
# We need strong civil unions, not just weak civil unions. (Aug 2007)
# Legal rights for gays are conferred by state, not by church. (Aug 2007)
# Disentangle gay rights from the word “marriage”. (Aug 2007)
# Gay marriage is less important that equal gay rights. (Aug 2007)
# Gay rights movement is somewhat like civil rights movement. (Aug 2007)
# Let each denominations decide on recognizing gay marriage. (Jul 2007)
# Pass ENDA and expand hate crime legislation. (Mar 2007)
# Opposed 1996 Illinois DOMA bill. (Mar 2007)
# Supports health benefits for gay civil partners. (Oct 2006)
# Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality. (Oct 2006)
# Marriage not a human right; non-discrimination is. (Oct 2004)
# Include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws. (Jul 1998)


He has a unique perspective and the only place I disagree with him is that I think marriage should be marriage, regardless of the gender of the couple. But he DOES want civil unions with rights that are equal to regular marriages.



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 03:15 PM
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reply to post by Benevolent Heretic
 


I think thats just seperating green apples from red apples. When I said gay marriage I meant civil unions, I don't believe there should be a division between the two if they will provide the same exact rights.

It's like buying Oxycleaner versus buying the actual OxyClean product, same thing different name. Redundancy is not something we should have in our law systems.

~Keeper



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 03:18 PM
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reply to post by tothetenthpower
 


Well, I agree with you. But he seems to think (like most people) that there's a difference, or that we can respect religious people if we don't let gay people use the word "marriage". I think it's ridiculous, myself.

But the fact remains, he didn't flip-flop. He's stated his views all along. He supports civil unions with the same rights as gay marriage. It's silly, but there's no flip flop here.



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 03:19 PM
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reply to post by Benevolent Heretic
 


I will have to agree with you. I retract my previous statement.

I'm glad we are on the same page..

~Keeper



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 03:29 PM
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just more of Obamas' generalizations and platitudes


Just how & who will he get to Spearhead 'Changing Laws'
~answer~ no one

What Laws are targeted for changed involving the homosexual community ?


We, the general population have the Hot-Topic issues on our mental list...

but Obama will be addressing the low-key, mundane items first ---
know why?... because that delay tactic gains supporters until they realise he's all talk and little follow through or substance.

he's actually busy spreading the sticky fly-paper all over the place during this first term...to catch & snare as many as he can...then bewilder the trapped voters with some degree of future 'demonstrable results' concerning ~your hot button issue~ To enter a second term as america's 'Supreme Executive' in contrast to Persia's 'Supreme Leader'


but, Obama's handlers might have his actions portrayed a little differently

[edit on 11-10-2009 by St Udio]



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 09:54 PM
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"you will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as between a man and a woman." ~Obama








(Taken from a thread I started ~after~ yours; missed it
)



posted on Oct, 11 2009 @ 11:20 PM
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... surprised this thread isn't going where =/



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