October 12, 200916 yr Obama promises to cheering crowd (and Lady GaGa) to end ban on gays serving openly in the military By David Gardner Last updated at 7:35 PM on 11th October 2009 Comments (2) Add to My Stories Thousands of homosexual and lesbian activists marched through Washington today after President Obama pledged to end the ban on gays serving openly in the US military. The rally was organised by protesters impatient with the president’s failure to act on his campaign promises for gay reforms. But in a major speech last night, Mr Obama insisted: ‘I’m here with you in that fight. Do not doubt the direction we are headed and the destination we will reach.’ "I will end 'don't ask-don't tell,"' said President Obama to a standing ovation Lady Gaga, looking rather more demure than her usual self, performed at last night's event. Thousands of activists gathered today in Washington for a march calling for better lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights He vowed to end the Pentagon’s policy of allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military so long as they don’t disclose or act on their sexual orientation. ‘I will end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ – that is my commitment,' the president said to loud applause at a gala dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s biggest gay advocacy group. He also said he would work to undo America’s Defence of Marriage Act that allows states to refuse to recognise gay marriages from other states. The president said he believed a gay relationship was ‘just as admirable as a relationship between a man and a woman'. Passionate: Gay activists yell during today's protest in Washington DC One night after winning this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, Mr Obama was met with a standing ovation. But many gay rights leaders have been disheartened by the pace of change and complained the president did not spell out a timetable or detail how he would make good on his promises. More... John McCain warns Obama not to make 'historic' mistake of refusing troops for Afghanistan Just days after winning the presidency, Mr Obama said he would be a ‘fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans.’ Although his political energies have been focused on two wars, the economic crisis and health care reform, he told the audience they would eventually view ‘these years as a time when we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians.’ With his popularity slipping, the president is clearly aware that opposition to extending gay rights, particularly with same-sex marriages, is still strong across much of the country, said analysts. Demands: Demonstrators at today's event want quicker action from President Obama Today’s National Equality March from the White House to the US Capitol was intended to put pressure on lawmakers to take action. But Barney Frank, an openly gay member of Congress, said today's protesters would be better served by lobbying their representatives on Capitol Hill. ‘The only thing they’re going to be putting pressure on is grass,’ he said. March organiser Cleve Jones, a protégé of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, said last night Mr Obama stopped short of explaining when he would make his initiatives law. Mr Jones, a pioneer activist and creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, said Obama delivered a brilliant speech, but added 'it lacked the answer to our most pressing question, which is when. 'He repeated his promises that he's made to us before, but he did not indicate when he would accomplish these goals and we've been waiting for a while now.' Lady Gaga applauds the president as he spoke at the national dinner The 'don't ask, don't tell' law was passed by Congress in 1993 and signed by President Bill Clinton, who also promised to repeal the ban on homosexuals in the military but was blunted by opposition in the military and Congress. Obama said he's working with Pentagon and congressional leaders on ending the policy. 'We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve the country,' Obama said. 'We should be celebrating their willingness to step forward and show such courage ... especially when we are fighting two wars.' Obama said it was no secret 'our progress may be taking longer than you'd like'. He followed this by asking supporters to trust his administration's course. 'I also appreciate that many of you don't believe progress has come fast enough,' Obama said. 'Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach.' Obama also called on Congress to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognise partnerships and determine benefits. He also called for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners. He expressed strong support for the Human Rights Campaign agenda - ending discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people - but stopped short of laying out a detailed plan for how to get there. 'My expectation is that when you look back on these years you will look back and see a time when we put a stop against discrimination ... whether in the office or the battlefield,' Obama said. His message was one of unity and support for a group that has funnelled large amounts of money into Democratic coffers. 'I'm here with a simple message: I'm here with you in that fight,' Obama said. Obama also addressed those who do not favor advancing gay rights. A recent Pew Research Center poll asked about homosexual behavior, and about half said it is morally wrong. 'There's still laws to change and there's still hearts to open,' Obama said. Since Obama took office in January, some advocates have complained that Obama has not followed through on promises on issues they hold dear and has not championed their causes from the White House, including ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military and pushing tough nondiscrimination policies. Richard Socarides, who advised Clinton's administration on gay and lesbian policy, said Obama delivered 'a strong speech in tone, although only vaguely reassuring in content.' 'The president and Nobel winner came and paid his respects, but tomorrow many will ask: What's his plan, what's his timetable?' In the past, Obama has urged the gay rights community to trust him. In June, he pointed to some initial efforts, such as a presidential memorandum he issued that expands some federal benefits to same-sex partners. The gay community is somewhat split as to whether Obama should be expected to produce results right away. The Human Rights Campaign, which invited Obama to speak at its dinner, holds out hope of seeing more action. 'We have never had a stronger ally in the White House. Never,' Joe Solmonese, the group's president, said at the dinner before Obama spoke. In an interview, he said the Obama administration has been working with the group on a range of issues 'on an almost weekly and sometimes daily basis.' Obama noted new hate-crimes legislation, which would make it a federal crime to assault people because of their sexual orientation. Approved by the House this week, Obama predicted it would pass the Senate and promised to sign it into law. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1219629/Obama-promises-cheering-crowd-Lady-GaGa-end-ban-gays-serving-openly-military.html#ixzz0Tgcak4N4
October 12, 200916 yr Author GOD I HATE THAT TALENTLESS THING LADY GAGA! And what on earth does any of this have to do with her?:dozey:
October 12, 200916 yr And what on earth does any of this have to do with her?:dozey: ???? You've lost me Mark!
October 12, 200916 yr Author ???? You've lost me Mark! Some people will do absolutely anything for publicity.:rolleyes:
October 12, 200916 yr He can't give the gays what they want until they vote for him again when he's up for reelection. He has an incentive (courtesy Democracy) to drag us along a while. So stay tuned next time for the exciting conclusion to this Obama promise!
October 15, 200916 yr He can't give the gays what they want until they vote for him again when he's up for reelection. He has an incentive (courtesy Democracy) to drag us along a while. So stay tuned next time for the exciting conclusion to this Obama promise! Is it so wrong to be gay and Republican?.
October 15, 200916 yr They're called the "Log Cabin Republicans" - apparently there are some gay Republicans..:thinking: My best guess is they stick with the Republican party because the party won't ever send them off to war! (maybe they're pretty smart that way!:laugh3:) As Obama said, "you don't have to be strait, to shoot strait!" But the best option is to prevent war by encouraging economic improvements, supporting reformers, containing bad regimes, but not hurting citizens in those nations afflicted with dictatorial rulers, and bombing with gifts. As Noam Chomsky said, "we would have been better off dropping toys vs. bombs on Germany during WWII - it would have ended the war much sooner, and done so much less harm."
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