Obama and Gay Rights

President ObamaThe last time we had a charismatic Democratic president bent on change and hope it was Bill Clinton. He made some progress, but largely failed in his efforts to pass healthcare reform or create meaningful, positive welfare reform. One of the other things he did while in office was create the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” legislation, meaning that people joining the military did not need to disclose their sexual orientation, and that the military was forbidden from asking about it.

Well, Obama is weighing in on this very issue, pledging to end restrictions on the service of gays in the military. He told a huge crowd that he is committed to ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the military. “That’s my commitment to you,” he said.

But that was a campaign promise, and it hasn’t happened yet, so should people be excited?

"It was the kind of feel-good speech we are used to from the president," Hudson said. "It lacked any specific details on fulfilling his promises and he failed to say anything new at all,” said Lane Hudson, blogger and activist, who lived up to the devotedly snarky and skeptical nature of both of those groups (hey, that’s me, too, so I can say that).

There are several things that gay activists wish Obama were moving faster on- overturning “don’t ask, don’t tell” and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. Issues like these, while I’m sure are still philosophically important to Obama, take a backseat to the healthcare, financial and climate change issues that take up most of his time.

Still, Obama sounds determined, in that wonderful Obama-speak that makes me so happy he is our president.

"Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach. My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time when we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians, whether in the office or on the battlefield," said Obama during the day.

I’ve heard him compare the gay rights movement to the Civil Rights movement overall in the 60’s, and I have no doubt it is truly his desire to extend equal rights to the gay community.

But this brings up the case of what he is doing with his time- yes, the financial crisis has put a major roadblock in front of pretty much every kind of progress. It has changed the framework of how everyone looks at the world, has changed what the people are willing to allow the federal government to get away with (at least on the surface), and has changed what we look at as the position of the United States in the world. It moves things in the agenda around- but it has not stopped Obama from asking for hundreds of billions for healthcare reform, has not stopped him from campaigning for Chicago in Copenhagen, and has not stopped him from speaking out on issues of race throughout his presidency.

As I said, I believe his commitment is real, that he truly does want the changes he talks about, but whether they will find time on his agenda in the next 2 years (these aren’t issues he can push through right at the end) is becoming less certain…