Barack Obama Calls For Segregation

Barack Obama has endorsed segregation based on sexual orientation in a recent campaign missive to LGBTQ voters:

I personally believe that civil unions represent the best
way to secure that equal treatment.

It's particularly disappointing, though not surprising, that the Democratic front-runner would embrace "separate and unequal" while providing an Orwellian discourse on "equality."

Obama provides a laundry list of other things he promises he'll try, maybe possibly, if he can get around to it, to get done as president:

Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether.

So has the Senator introduced legislation to do this in the Senate now? Nope.

I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Has the Senator supported companion legislation in the Senate for the already-House-introduced MREA that would end the anti-gay policy? Nope.

have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

Actually, Obama has done nothing other than declare he opposes UAFA because it will "facilitate immigration fraud." That's quite a hilarious contention -- that a few hundred people would slip through the system under UAFA -- when thousands get marriages of convenience under the existing marriage system.

Once again, Barack Obama is demanding a separate, more difficult arrangement for same-gender couples than for heterosexual ones. And he's done nothing legislatively or otherwise related to UAFA other than refuse to cosponsor the bill.

I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced.

In other words, Obama will send a couple of open letters to gay people when he wants their votes, but will insist that anti-gay discrimination is a legitimate "alternative choice" that deserves equal consideration.

Imagine if a presidential candidate had made similar commitments to "not close his ears" to the voices of KKK supporters in the 1960s vis-a-vis equal rights for black Americans.

Sorry, Senator, but you're all talk. An empty suit. You've done nothing for LGBTQ people in your short Senate career, and your laughable "open letter" to gay people underscores the futility of supporting your campaign for gay people who want real equality.

Gay people want a candidate who will always stand up for equality under the law and the 14th Amendment, regardless of the opinions of "those who still need to be convinced." We want equal treatment under the law -- not separate and unequal "compromises." And we want politicians who back their commitments with legislation, not pleas for support after years of failure and inaction.

In short, gay people want a president who would do what a Libertarian president will do.

Tasty Log Cabin Republican Delicacies

Your faithful blogger took notice of a recent Log Cabin Republican press release noting the latest poster child for pricey shoe vendor Kenneth Cole -- LCR's president Patrick Sammon.

LCR has recently engaged in a feverish yet predictable rush to apologize for anti-gay John McCain's dismal record. While we understand that the awful McCain is, at this point, a shoe-in for the GOP nomination, we believe that he and his supporters are rather soleless and decidedly less straight-laced than they pretend to be.

Hopefully, Kenneth Cole's embrace of the new Deluded Log Cabin Republican segment of the market will go beyond a single advertisement and will result in exciting new product lines. Outright Libertarians would like to suggest the following prototype as a fantastic starting point for the new Log Cabin Republican line of loafers:



Snazzy! And given Log Cabin's history over the last several months, we hope the shoes are edible, or at least flavored. After all, queer Republicans are often inserting their feet into their mouths these days.

Guess Which Party Is Queer-Bashing Again?

One of the uglier things about the Democratic Party, other than the duplicity it shows in promising equality to LGBTQ people yet delivering anti-gay laws, is the homophobia that is popular within its ranks.

We recently pointed out the rot at the top of the Democratic Party with regard to homophobia in their national committee.

Unfortunately, it would seem that the disease of homophobia has thoroughly infected the Democrat community.

Here are some excerpts from the Democratic Party's most popular online community:

Transgender is a choice, so it doesn't fit with the rest.

...

There's an awful lot of unspoken about rape and sexual assault in lesbian relationships.

...

Sexual Orientation IS different from race in the same

Sense that women are not allowed in front-line combat units and were not allowed on shipsl.

It is all about sex, attraction, foxhole desires and showers...

Right or wrong, the comparison to race is fallicious at best.

...

Who in the hell in their right mind would think, this woman, smart, intelligent, strong leader and very very conscience of the public eye on her would have a lesbian relationship.

(God forbid!)

...

The issue of gay marriage is hardly the most pressing issue facing our nation this year. Iraq, the economy, the environment--all of these take much more precedence in my book. Social issues in general will always arouse the emotions and passions but generally take a back seat when it comes to issues of national importance.

(Funny, when we point out that Democrats are opposed to marriage equality, we always get attacked by Democrats!)

That's just a small sample.

Remember, these are the folks who claim an entitlement to your vote, and claim to be "pro-gay." Don't forget that many of these folks also believe that the government -- presumably managed by them -- knows more about your life than you do.

Have they earned your support?

We're Not Asking For Much -- Just Don't Lie

Outright's blog doesn't allow anonymous posts, due to the high proliferation of spam and anonymous unverified comments that are posted by partisans from all sides. We figure that since all of us publish our views under our own names, the least we can ask from those who blog here as commenters is the same courtesy.

However, one of the bits of anonymous comments from one Democratic Party partisan leapt out at me -- I post it here for your enlightenment. It's quite revealing:

LGBT legislation is not a priority for most lawmakers
because it is not a priority for most voters.

We at Outright couldn't agree more -- Democrats aren't known for doing what's right, since they have no principles beyond "governing by the polls."

We're just asking them to be honest about it and tell gay voters "your priorities are not our priorities," rather than lying to us every election cycle about "plans" to reverse the anti-gay military ban or end DOMA that never come even close to fruition (despite endless promises).

(Incidentally, one has to wonder whether plans to rename federal buildings, test ketchup viscosity, or legalize Super Bowl games shown in churches are "a priority for most voters." We doubt it -- but it's certainly a more important priority for Democrats. Those bills, after all, got voted on and passed.)

We think that politicians should earn your vote and those of your family. Democrats (and Republicans) seem to think they're entitled to your vote to the same degree that they're entitled to spend your income on programs that marginalize you and your family -- and if you don't like it, tough.

Bi-Partisan Marginalization of Gay People Part 3,491

Outright Libertarians (and indeed, a lot of gay people) often ask a question to self-described "gay friendly" Republicans and Democrats -- if you're so pro-gay, how come your legislative record is so bereft of even token support for equality under the law for LGBTQ people?

For example, why, if Obama and Clinton both support military service equality, haven't they introduced companion legislation to the MREA in the Senate? It's been languishing in the House for quite some time now.

Why, if Arlen Specter and Christopher Dodd are "moderates on gay issues," haven't they done the minimum to pass the UAFA and allow gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency? Why haven't they at least demanded that the INS amend its rules so that gay Americans get the same partnership sponsor rights as foreign nationals (who can sponsor their same-gender partners for a green card if they themselves get residency in the USA)?

Why, if Nancy Pelosi is so pro-gay, hasn't there been a vote allowed on ending the military's anti-gay ban, or overturning DOMA?

The Democrats (and "pro gay Republicans") tell us it's because they're "too busy" with "more important issues of national implications for us all."

Hat tip to Kip Esquire for this example of crucial bi-partisan legislation that is more vital than your equality under the law:

Sen. Arlen Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a bill this week that would allow houses of worship to show football games on big-screen televisions.

The legislation was among a flurry of action taken this week as the result of an article Friday in The Washington Post reporting that churches were canceling Super Bowl parties out of fear of lawsuits from the NFL if they showed the game on jumbo TV screens.

...

"The legislation simply provides churches with a limited yet justifiable exemption to allow them to bring their congregation together to watch the Super Bowl," Specter (R-Pa.) said in a floor statement when he introduced the legislation Monday. "In a time when our country is divided by war and anxious about a fluctuating economy, these types of events give people a reason to come together in the spirit of camaraderie."

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league is reviewing the bill. Specter is also expected to raise the issue with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when he meets with him soon to discuss the league's investigation of the spying scandal involving the New England Patriots.

So, for "pro-gay" Republicans and Democrats alike, they're just far too busy working on truly important life-and-death issues like Super Bowl parties, renaming post offices, and testing baseball player urine to spend undue time on minor issues like our constitutional rights.

I suggest that we respond by informing them that we're just too busy ourselves to show up and vote for them and donate to their campaigns -- but we're not too busy to support our friends in the Libertarian Party.

Equality Wins Primaries

Three states held Libertarian primaries on Super Tuesday tonight. And all three states underscored how equality under the law is fundamental not only to the Libertarian base, but to performing well in elections.

In Arizona, Outright's endorsed candidate George Phillies won the support of the most registered Libertarians who showed up to vote.

In California, Christine Smith won the largest proportion of support.

And in Missouri, Wayne Allyn Root took home the gold.

While the Libertarian "primaries" are non-binding, and our ultimate candidate will be chosen at our national convention in Denver, it's very informative to note that all three of the winners are much stronger on LGBT rights than any of the Democrats and Republicans, and none of the FEC-registered candidates who refused to answer Outright's survey got significant support.

Finally, those who put their hopes behind a sorta-"libertarian" Republican with a terrible record on LGBT issues watched today as said candidate not only posted horrendous results in his party's primary, but couldn't even defeat a pro-war right-wing populist Mike Huckabee in Massachusetts. Once again, "compromising" on equality under the law led another "compromise candidate" to defeat, even in a place where the electorate is largely sympathetic with the rest of the candidate's platform.

Log Cabin Republicans' old motto used to be "Inclusion wins." But as the Libertarian winners and Republican losers are learning from tonight's results, the reality is that "Equality Under The Law Wins."

As tonight's pre-electoral results indicate, there's only one party that will deliver that to LGBT voters, and it ain't the GOP or Democrats.

Super Tuesday Primary Reminder

For all those folks in Super Tuesday primary states, we just wanted to remind you that Outright Libertarians has endorsed George Phillies for the Libertarian Party nomination for President. Our original blog post about the endorsement is here:

http://outrightlibertarians.blogspot.com/2008/01/outright-libertarians-endorses-george.html

But, in a nutshell, of the three candidates who scored perfectly on Outright's scorecard, Dr. Phillies has the most well-organized, consistently active campaign, and he has always voiced support for full equality for LGBT people and other minority groups. He alone stayed true to his Libertarian principles even when talking to those who had chosen to support a certain Republican this year.

Best of all, he has been a complete gentleman during his entire campaign, believing that spreading manure is the right way to grow a garden, but the wrong way to grow the Libertarian Party. It's really too bad that the Communications Director for one of the other campaigns chose to become fertilizer-happy on the eve of Super Tuesday. The smell of it certainly won't wash off of his boss in time for the state and national conventions.