Latest on the Gay Issue

The May 13, 2012 Newsweek’s cover said: Obama is the first Gay President showing him complete with a rainbow halo; the New Yorker’s cover had the White House with rainbow columns. On May 15 the President, on the View, said we have DOMA (the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act) and he’s put Congress on notice (didn’t say he would fight it) saying the Act is unconstitutional – Romney wants a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage – but until the Act is repealed or found so in the courts - it’s a state issue (it’s expected the Supreme Court will be making some sort of decision by 2013). He still believes that religions need to decide for themselves what sacraments they believe but when it comes to civil law – the rights that are recognized by the state (government) - people need to be treated fairly and equally. Elisabeth agreed with his position on Gay rights but he had to explain the difference between his stance and that of Romney’s. The President said the election will be decided on the economy and people are still hurting so the race with be close. Elisabeth reminded him that when he took office he said he would be a one-term President if he couldn’t get it done in 3 years – his response was - we have made progress but there’s more to be done – the Vice President has a saying- ‘Don’t compare me to the Almighty, compare me to the Alternative’ - and he and Romney have different views on how to make things better. Joy said Romney wants the things we tried that failed.

After the President’s announcement regarding same-sex marriage, some Black churches were silent on the issue and others spoke against his decision while a few blasted the president and a minority spoke in favor of the decision and expressed understanding of the president's change of heart. On May 20 we heard that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) passed a resolution saying same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue and endorsed Obama’s stance. A May 23 poll showed 53% of Americans support same-sex marriage, 39% oppose; 8% undecided or didn’t answer. Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune said in his May 26 article that Black voters have been more conservative about same-sex marriage than the national average; 6 years ago only 36% supported said marriages due to their religious views. In a poll released on May 24 a new high of 59% of Blacks said Gay marriages should be legal. I don’t know if Blacks have become more evolved on the issue or if they just recognize that the NAACP resolution is correct in it being a civil rights violation.    

On July 10, I heard on The View that Brad Pitt’s mother is receiving death threats because she doesn’t support Obama because of her religious beliefs are different from his (supporting Gays and more); the same thing occurred with the boys that bullied the bus monitor, Casey Anthony and others. July 14, 3 men who videotaped the beating of a Gay man in Georgia got 5 years in prison and July 18 it’s reported that the Boys Scouts reaffirmed their ban on Gays. The Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy stirred a ruckus with his anti-Gay marriage comments; the Boston, DC and Chicago Mayors said they won’t expand in their territory and on July 20 the Jim Henson Company said it would no longer partner with them and had donated its payment from the puppet kit promotion to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; Republicans came out in support of Chick-Fil-A. On July 23, I heard a 3 year old boy couldn’t attend preschool at the Hope Christian private school in New Mexico because his parents are 2 men; reporters found out that the school is getting $61,455 in federal money and the ACLU doesn’t think that any school that discriminates should get public funds and I agree. After Sally Ride’s death on July 23 we heard that her partner of 27 years will not receive her federal survivor's benefits because it’s prohibited by DOMA and the Florida Republican Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll apologized for her remarks about Lesbians. The founder of amazon.com gave $2.5 million to defend Washington State’s Gay marriage law. If these actions don’t make you wonder what’s going on in this country they should.

I realize that we as Americans have a right to disagree and that religious fanatics have a right to their opinion. In my opinion politicians don’t have a right to voice their personal view if they are discriminatory. However, public officials (i.e., Republicans) are taking what’s great about this country and using religion to tear us apart. God will not judge us on our definition of marriage but on how we treat one another; the only thing that should matter is whether a person is good or bad, not straight or Gay. We need to stop showing our kids that it’s okay to resort to violence, shun or bully people when we have a difference of opinion or are just different from ourselves. I’ve said it before that we are becoming more like those we’re fighting against; a violent and bigoted society.

On May 28, I heard on the View that a Gay penguin couple that built a nest together at the Madrid, Spain zoo was given an egg to watch and hatch. Perhaps the President thinks the American people deserve the same courtesy as penguins and those in other countries (see May 16, 2012 - World Stance of Same-sex Couples blog). My December 22, 2011 - Gays and the Government blog pointed out that the United Nations Rights Council adopted a statement called “Ending Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” that was supported by 85 countries. I don’t always agree with President Obama but I’ll vote for the person trying to uphold our Constitution by wanting equally for all.