The sad thing is, I and a lot of other people knew -exactly- what the deal was signing up; it's -still- worth a fierce battle even to avoid outright persecution, and the Democrats damn well know it. Way out? Ain't pining after Hillary (also at least as disappointing during her senate term, would've been exactly the damn same, just like her husband); ain't Nader; ain't McKinney; and certainly ain't throwing ourselves on the tender mercies of the Republicans. So. Right on schedule, here we are:
[can't c & p the chart, it's in the comments. a Kossack diarist]
Calendar of When it is Acceptable to Bring up the Topic of Gay Rights:
1. He just got into office for f*ck's sake. Just STFU for now!
2. It's still early and he has a lot more important things to deal with. Just wait your turn and we'll get around to it later.
3. We've got midterm elections to win. You can't expect us to address gay rights and run for office at the same time so just STFU! We'll get get to gay rights after the election.
4. We're exhausted. We just had an election. The new Congress hasn't even started yet. Just lay off on the "gay rights" stuff til later.
5. We have to get Obama re-elected. Presidential elections take up the full two years of the cycle and you can't expect Obama to kowtow to left wing GLBT activist extremists and expect win moderate votes, so just STFU!
6.We just won re-election. Can you please just let us bask in the glow of that until after the inauguration?
7. This is Obama's last chance to really govern. We have real issues to deal with without making it seem we're beholden to some fringe special interest extremists like the GLBT community.
8. Why are y'all just bringing up gay rights now in the 6th year of President Obama's term? You guys didn't work for it and don't deserve to have your issues addressed on your terms. Besides, we haven't yet had a blue ribbon commission that will examine the issue for a year and issue a report, which will be followed by a peer reviewed study of the ramifications, which will be followed by a another commission which will examine the differences between the first commission report and the study. After that commission's report is studied, we'll make a recommendation to the President who will then have to have his advisors study the issue for a while. At that point, the President may add the recommendation to his State of the Union address. So give us another three years even though we're only here only have one left.
9. The commission is still doing its work behind closed doors, so don't talk about gay rights at all. We have another Presidential election to win and we can't be seen as being for gay rights in a Presidential election. Just STFU!
10. Hey GLBT activists, we're on our way out. Half the President's advisors have already left for jobs in the private sector, Congress has adjourned until the new Congress begins. We are complete and utterly powerless lame ducks. What can the Obama Administration do for you? We're here to help.
I understand it very well; not only is it similar to the HRC's pattern with trans rights, for instance, it's also remarkably similar to my own work habits. Bit different when the only results of my half-assery and procrastination and excuses are on my own head, mind you.
4 comments:
Well, eventually the polls will show SSM get 50% support. Then some liberal and moderate pundits will start talking about how true leadership means supporting gay rights. Somewhere between 55% and 60%, the party establishment will then support it and find ways to argue that it's always been for gay rights. If the DNC can show it thought about the idea before most gay rights activists, then all the better.
you forgot one or two:
(11) you will have to strip the 't' from lgbt and throw trans folk under the bus, or we won't even *think* about considering any legislation. (hmmm, well you guys are already pretty good with the throwing under the bus thing...)
(12) and you damned well better forget joining any broad-based coalition to fight for universal health care, immigrant rights, right to food and shelter, bringing down the prison-industrial complex and continue to focus exclusively on ssm. never mind that ssm benefits mostly white owning-class assimilationist cis glb people to the exclusion of most queer people. just stick with ssm and we *might* come around for you.
(13) what's this we're hearing about a general strike? no, no, bad dream go away!!
(yes, i am bitter. bitter wrt obama. bitter wrt cis lgb orgs and their almost exclusive focus on ssm when so many queer people lack health care and other basics.)
Works for environmental issues other than subsidizing "clean" energy, as well.
jack Take a piece of me
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