No sooner had I posted this critique of the Obama Administration's attitude about LGBT issues, than I saw this article on The Daily Beast by Timothy Patrick McCarthy, entitled "Obama's Cautious Gay Strategy."
McCarthy notes the glacial pace of actions to maybe, potentially, one day, end Don't Ask Don't Tell, and the total lack of action by Obama, an opponent of same-sex marriage, to provide any recognition of same-sex relationships.
Regarding Obama's directive to HHS to make rules providing access by same-sex partners to each other's hospital rooms, I agree with Andrew Sullivan's view that, while I can't say Obama's decision is a bad thing, per se, it glaringly points up the president's opposition to marriage equality. If we had that, no such special rules would be necessary.
McCarthy compares Obama to Bill Clinton, who, as McCarthy notes, signed the Defense of Marriage Act. But, of course, McCarthy blames Republicans for that. What? Did they grab hold of Clinton's left hand and force him to sign it?
People ask me how, as a gay man, I can be a Republican. While it's true that today's national Republican leadership is generally opposed to the LGBT agenda (yes, we have an agenda and, if that sounds sinister, so be it), the Democrats, despite somewhat friendlier rhetoric, have not done very much for us.
Clinton could have vetoed the Defense of Marriage Act, but instead chose to sign it. Whom should we who are opposed to that legislation blame for that? Bill Clinton. A Democrat, last time I checked.
A few Republican governors signed statewide gay rights laws during the 1980s and '90s. Is that strain of Republicanism dead by now? I hope not.
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