Obama is extending Federal benefits to partners of federal employees.
The gays were just thrown a bone.
I don't mean to sound ungrateful. Yes, it's progress. It's a step. But it's a baby step. Obama just had the Feds do what many large corporations did in the 1990s.
It doesn't make up for the incendiary language of the DOJ brief; it doesn't end the sweeping inequality that gays live under because of DADT and DOMA. If the gays are impatient it's because we were promised "change" and taking incremental baby steps as a means to placate our demands for full equality is also something that harkens back to the 1990s. Been there, done that, Mr. Fierce Advocate. It's not change. It's more of the same.
Understand this -- our relationships are trashed by federal law and demonized by the current DOJ. In fact, that brief denies the core of who we are -- a people who's emotional and physical needs are best met by a partner of the same sex. Obama's DOJ denies that by arguing that if we want equal marriage rights all we have to do is marry someone of the opposite sex. Mr. Obama -- the Federal government recognizes your humanity and need to marry the person of your choice. Why are we denied the same? The law makes us unequal Americans and you have done nothing to change that and this latest move does not change that.
America has higher ideals than this, Mr. President. But we lag behind many other nations who recognize their gay citizens' humanity and recognize their equal right to marry and serve in the military. I would have more rights in the Queen's England than I do now in Thomas Jefferson's America.
We can do better than this. You can do better than this.
I am glad that the community is in an uproar. As Americans, we will not put up with being treated as second-class citizens.
2 comments:
Gay rights are a bitter pill for most people to swallow, so we have to take baby steps to turn negative public opinion to our side. I know that we are pinning a lot of hopes on Obama but sweeping changes aren't going to happen overnight. Baby steps, although frustratingly slow, are how we have to gain our freedoms. :)
Hey Alan -- thanks for your comment. I used it as a launching point to amplify my thoughts on the main blog. I know you offered your thoughts in a friendly manner and my pushback is as well.
Thank you for reading and contributing.
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