Obama's betrayal drives home what Harvey Milk said.

[Pab Sungenis]

We can't trust "gay friendly" politicians to help us. We have to elect actual gay and lesbians to public office if we are going to get anything done.

15 years ago Bill Clinton, who was the first major Presidential candidate in history to actively seek gay and lesbian voters, turned his back on a group that actively organized and campaigned for him by reneging on his promise to do away with the ban on gays in the military, giving us the "don't ask, don't tell" witchhunts instead, and signing the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" to make sure that our relationships would never get recognition.

In 2000, George W. Bush promised to be a "compassionate conservative" and made some half-hearted overtures to the Log Cabin Republicans while Al Gore ignored us altogether. I don't need to tell you what happened then.

Now Barack Obama, who spoke so eloquently about bringing America together has shown that the America he wants to bring together is straight America. He gives prime stage time, and the legitimacy it brings, at his inauguration to a man who has argued vehemently for taking away not only our right to marry but other civil rights as well. For a proper comparison, consider if John McCain had won and asked Ron Edwards, the Imperial Wizard of the Imperial Klans of America to speak at his inaugural.

Also, the man who so loudly touted the seven gays on his transition team didn't see fit to even seriously consider a single gay or lesbian for his cabinet.

Harvey Milk was right 35 years ago; we can't rely on straight politicians to watch out for our rights any longer. We need to organize, form gay Democratic clubs in every state, and elect our own people to office. Only then can we ever consider our rights safe.

[aquart]

1. You just discovered what women found out during the Thomas/Hill hearings.

[Pab Sungenis]

3. Oh, I've known it all along.

It's just that too many others never got it.

[FreeState]

2. Sad but true n/t

[slay]

4. It is a betrayal too - no matter what the apologists say

A betrayal - and total disregard for the equal rights of the GLBT community as human beings!!! If nothing else it signals that "it's ok to think gays and lesbians don't deserve the same rights as others". I mean WTF!!!! Oh Harvey Milk - we have come far, but obviously still have so far to go, much further than I had hoped and thought evidently. :cry: :cry: :cry:

[readmoreoften]

5. I'm fine with 100% gay allies who never turn their backs on us. I can imagine our own selling us out

I'd probably rather have Kucinich than someone from the Human Rights Campaign.

[t0dd]

6. Did you forget about Newsom?

He is a great man that definitely got things moving for us in California and continues to fight for us every day. And he is a straight politician..