QUOTE OF THE DAY…. A 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll released the other day found that 50% of respondents would be willing to support an openly-gay presidential candidate. The Family Research Council, a prominent religious right group with ties to the Republican leadership, suggested yesterday that President Obama may effectively (not literally) already be “our first gay president.” (via Right Wing Watch)
[I]f it was argued during his two terms in office that Bill Clinton was “our first black President” because of his supposed liberal policies that would benefit African-Americans (though I’m not quite sure what President Clinton did, that he wasn’t forced to do, that would benefit any minority except for Chinese monks with political donations to spend.) With that argument shouldn’t Barack Obama already be our “first gay President” due to his liberal policies pushing the homosexual agenda?
The Family Research Council isn’t saying President Obama is gay; it’s saying President Obama might as well be considered gay, the same way Bill Clinton was considered black.
And the religious right wonders why it’s so hard to take their movement seriously.
For the record, I continue to find it interesting to see the difference in impressions when it comes to Obama and his efforts on issues important to the LGBT community. On the one hand, some conservatives are prepared to label him our “first gay president” and are convinced that Obama “is pandering to the gay lobby.”
On the other hand, many in the LGBT community see the White House as deeply disappointing, ignoring the issues that matter.
As Obama’s presidency continues, I still think it’s the latter group that will be satisfied. In his first year, the president has presented a package of domestic partnership benefits for federal workers, lifted the travel/immigration ban on those with HIV/AIDS, expanded hate-crime laws, addressed the diplomatic passport issue, issued a strong Pride Month proclamation, hosted a White House event to honor the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and taken the initial steps in ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He’s also publicly expressed his support for repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and making the Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act law.
It’s a start, and it’s apparently enough to make major religious right groups publish foolish things.
