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Outraged By Obama Legal Brief, Gay Democratic Donors Boycotting DNC Bash
June 16, 2009 3:44 PM
Last week, President Obama’s Justice Department filed a legal brief against same sex marriage in which it compared gay unions to incestuous ones and that of an underage girl – in the sense that states have the right to not recognize marriages that are legal in other states or countries.
The timing of the brief, which the president of the leading gay and lesbian rights organization said caused his community “pain,” is awkward, given that next Thursday, June 25, the Democratic National Committee is hitting up the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for cash in a fundraiser featuring Vice President Biden.
As John Aravosis at AmericaBlog reports, gay donors, outraged at the legal brief, are withdrawing their support from the event.
The treasurer of the DNC, Andrew Tobias, finds himself distancing himself from the brief, as Ben Smith of Politico reports.
"If this debacle of a brief represented the president's views, I'd boycott too," Tobias said in an e-mail. But Tobias insisted that he “personally totally believe(s) in the president.”
David Mixner, a former adviser to President Clinton, is not so sold, writing that the brief is a “sickening document” that “could have been written by the Rev. Pat Robertson. Using the worst of stereotypes, it intimates that we don't have constitutional guarantees, invokes scenarios of incest, of children and advocates that we don't have the same rights as others who have struggled for civil rights.”
Mixner says many scholars don’t think the Obama administration needed to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which states that states don’t have to accept same sex marriages from other states. Some disagree. But “to a person, they say that the response is way out of line, totally unnecessary and goes far beyond anything required. They all agree that if the Department of Justice felt they had to respond, a simple, few-paged brief on the very limited issue before the Federal Court would have been all that was necessary.”
The brief, Mixner argues, “undercuts every conceivable argument that the LGBT community would use to fight for the repeal of DOMA. Right-wing nut cases can now just simply quote horrible stuff from this hateful brief and proclaim loudly it was filed by the Obama Justice Department.”
For that reason, Mixner withdrew his support from the DNC fundraiser.
As did big Democratic gay donors Andy Towle and Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda and Foundation.
Aravosis is mad, criticizing "this rather ill-timed and inappropriate Democratic effort to milk money from our community at the same time Democrats are equating us with incest and not lifting a finger on any of our legislation priorities in Congress or the White House. It's not awfully clear why any gay person would give a Democrat a dime ever again.”
-- jpt
June 16, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (26)
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At least Bush was up front and honest about where he stood. No one in the gay community wasted any time or money on him, unlike this dufus Obama. Obama is just a hypocrite. He'll say everything everyone wants to hear, but then does want he wants. He just wants the support and the money and then he's in CONTROL! Learn from this people!
Posted by: Semma | Jun 18, 2009 3:55:26 PM
I understand the outrage, but am personally convinced that President Obama has not lied, but is doing what he can at this time. I am amazed that the LGBT community is so quick to codemn him and are showing such impatience! He has only been in office 6 months and you expect miracles on everything, right away. I support your cause, but am getting a bit fed up with your own intolerance.
Posted by: Shelleyt | Jun 18, 2009 3:51:47 PM
I understand the outrage, but am personally convinced that President Obama has not lied, but is doing what he can at this time. I am amazed that the LGBT community is so quick to codemn him and are showing such impatience! He has only been in office 6 months and you expect miracles on everything, right away. I support your cause, but am getting a bit fed up with your own intolerance.
Posted by: Shelleyt | Jun 18, 2009 3:49:14 PM
The first link does not work. Firefox can not open it.
Posted by: John | Jun 18, 2009 3:38:53 AM
Obama campaigned promising that he would get rid of DOMA and DADT. Now, though, he doesn't just sit around doing nothing about DOMA & DADT. He actually did a 180 and is now against getting rid of DOMA and DADT. Against. Comparing gay marriage to incest & pedophilia? Apparently Robert Gibbs was asked to decry the comparison. Gibbs didn't.
Obama doesn't have time to deal with getting rid of DOMA or DADT, and there are more pressing matters for him? Excuses. He sure had time to spend being against getting rid of DOMA & DADT, DOJ brief and all - a brief which Obama supports.
Obama is for Obama, plain and simple. If gays must be thrown under the bus on DOMA and DADT to help him politically, then so be it. He got their vote, that's all that matters. Gays will get crumbs from him, nothing more.
Posted by: Ray | Jun 18, 2009 1:30:12 AM
I agree with the post that said to send your Money to Maine or anywhere else to get our rights. I also agree with those that Obama made his opinion clear from the begining... he is not for gay marriage equality. The only way we will have equality is by targeting our money on propositions, marches, letters actions, protests,raising our voices...no one man, not even Obama, will do that. We have to do that for ourselves. And when we do, as we always have, then we will have acceptance, rights,and equality.
Posted by: brenda | Jun 17, 2009 1:27:51 PM
Well, as a true conservative, I don't think the .gov should have ANY opinion on marriage.
But I do have to laugh at all those folks who took Obama at his word on ANYTHING.
Stuff will be so bad in 2 or 3 years, when the impact of his idiocy hits, gay marriage will not be on any persons mind.
For the record, while acknowledging our Christian start as a nation, the Republicans REALLY need to stop pandering to the Christian right.
TXL
Posted by: TXL | Jun 17, 2009 12:54:33 PM
The silence from this Administration speaks volumes. A few crumbs offered to the LGBT community via a Memorandum is insulting. This is change we can believe in? Yeah, right. That was just a campaign slogan and he's just another politician...at least Republicans stand up for what they believe in (even if most of it is misguided).
Posted by: Outraged in Utah | Jun 17, 2009 11:45:04 AM
I'm so glad to see this!! We need to all quit giving to the Democratic party. All they provide is lip service while taking our money. Let's keep our money in the GLBT community and give to GLBT charities instead of the BS Democratic party! Obama has caused us more harm than any Republican could have dreamed of. The DNC won't be getting another dime from me until they provide real results.
Posted by: Dixiesland | Jun 17, 2009 9:59:14 AM
President Obama know that the Majority of Hispanics are Catholics and against gay marriage. The Supreme Court, will overturn any rights gained by gays.
The Blacks know Gay Rights is just another infantile display of White Supremacy. But its okay though.
Because the only place Gays win, is when the will of the voters are overturned, so every election legislators will be overturned when possible.
Posted by: marlene | Jun 17, 2009 2:06:37 AM
Politics is a LIE, ladies and gentlemen--the WHOLE THING. Republicans lie one way, Democrats lie another--and sometimes these prostitutes tell the same lies. If you still believe the so-called "democratic process" is alive and well in the United States after eight years of stolen elections and Bu$h, you're a fool--and you're in for NOTHING but one disappointment after the next.
Posted by: TFoster | Jun 16, 2009 10:20:46 PM
Obama said he supported the repeal of DOMA and yet here is his legal department defending it with a dose of regressive nastiness to boot. That makes him a what, a hypocrite? I'm furious. Just what is his position exactly? Does he hate me or does he believe I should have the same rights as he has - I can't tell! It's about time he acted - we should not have to wait any longer.
Posted by: Alf | Jun 16, 2009 9:12:36 PM
Not one more dime. Not one more bumper sticker. Not one more rally. Not one more Facebook entry. Not one more phone bank. Not one more T-shirt. Not one more event. Not one more tweet. Not one more mixer. Not one more donation. Not one more blog. Not one more...until this is fixed.
No more "change you can believe in". Now it's time to "put up or shut up". Until then, NOT ONE MORE, TO ANY DEMOCRAT!
Posted by: Stephen | Jun 16, 2009 7:37:39 PM
Now is the moment for full civil rights for LGBT Americans. No more excuses, no delays. That's why I support the Dallas Principles.
Posted by: John in SF | Jun 16, 2009 7:36:36 PM
Second term? Talk about too little, too late.
I voted for him while holding my nose. I will never again vote for someone who believes me to be a second class citizen. Never. I am so #### tired of the excuses of "political expediency," "timing," etc. As a lesbian veteran and a lesbian mom... well, read my username.
Posted by: 2moms2canada | Jun 16, 2009 7:34:55 PM
69% of the population, including a majority of conservatives and a majority of Republicans, think openly gay people should be allowed to serve in the military (Gallup 2009). 89% of the population thinks gays should have equal rights "in terms of job opportunities" (Gallup 2007). We have a Democratic President and an overwhelming Democratic majority in the House. In the Senate, we have 57 Democrats plus two gay-friendly independents and at least two gay-friendly Republicans (Snowe and Collins). It just shouldn't be that hard to get DADT repealed and ENDA passed.
I know that Congress and the President have a lot more on their plate, but they always have a lot on their plate. When Truman integrated the military, he had a lot more on his plate than Obama does now (the start of the Cold War, for instance, and polls showing he was likely to lose the election). Why aren't Congress and the President doing anything? Could it be because they don't really care about gay people?
It's time for the abusive relationship between Democrats and LGBT people to end. If the Democrats don't keep their promises, we're not coming back this time. They need to pass ENDA and repeal DADT during the 111th Congress. Here's my promise to the Democratic Party: I pledge not to vote for another Democratic candidate for national office until ENDA is on the books and DADT is repealed. I urge other supporters of gay rights to make the same pledge.
Posted by: Rob | Jun 16, 2009 6:22:28 PM
It's isn't just this one DOMA slap - it is the continuing discharges under DADT, the failure to support UAFA, Rick Warren, .............
The HRC has announced that it too is withdrawing from this fundraiser "honoring" Joe Biden, and they are the most spineless group of gays ever created by God.
Posted by: Patrick ONeill | Jun 16, 2009 6:19:55 PM
Like Lincoln did with emancipation I think Obama is waiting for the right moment to act. Sometime early in his second term he'll make his move on this.
Posted by: Skip | Jun 16, 2009 5:56:12 PM
The gay communities fear of religionistas will prevail .. in the long run.. and fear of country music..
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | Jun 16, 2009 5:32:28 PM
"Regardless, the LGBT community was stupid to support Obama based on the gay marriage issue. There wasn't one bit of difference between Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin on this issue - all four of them claimed to hold the same point of view."
What a complete lie.
While it saddens me that neither Obama nor Biden would say they supported gay marriage, they supported repealing DOMA and Don't Ask Don;t Tell, were against prop 8 and Obama stated he would not sign a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage.
McCain was against civil unions, gay adoption, stated he would sign a amendment ban, supported Prop 8 and and AZ state measure earlier that would have banned gay marriage AND denied any benefits to partners.
The Obama admin has disappointed thus far and I am glad to see activists holding them accountable.
But that doesn't give the right wing free reign to rewrite history.
Posted by: Ryan C | Jun 16, 2009 5:25:49 PM
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