Following the Democratic Party’s pretty dim LGBT track record since Obama took office, AMERICAblog, Michelangelo Signorile, and others are calling for a “postponement” of contributions to the DNC, Organizing for America, and the Obama campaign until they get back on track:
There has been little, if any, pressure from the White House for votes on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The administration continues to send mixed signals on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). And we’ve been told not to expect the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to even be considered until President Obama’s second term. In the last two weeks alone, we were angered that the Obama administration continued to defend DOMA in the courts — last June, the administration’s lawyers even compared loving gay relationships to incest and pedophilia — and we were saddened that the White House and the Democratic party refused to help us defeat anti-gay ballot initiatives in Maine and Washington state. LGBT Americans, our families, and our friends kept our promise at the ballot box, we now expect President Obama to keep his in the White House.
Until the Democratic Congress passes, and President Obama signs, legislation enacting ENDA, repealing DADT, and repealing DOMA, we ask you to join us in pledging to postpone contributions to the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, and the Obama campaign. This temporary (we hope) boycott is sponsored by AMERICAblog, and cosponsored by Daily Kos, Michelangelo Signorile, and Paul Sousa, among others.
This isn’t forever, the Democrats have it in their power to end this today — all it takes is choosing to keep their promise.
Sounds fair to me.
9. November 2009 at 4:38 pm
Everyone should call Walmart and tell them what they think! Walmart Ethics phone # is 1-800-WM-ETHIC hears a list of phone #s. http://walmartstores.com/7663.aspx
9. November 2009 at 9:04 pm
The correct reaction and all but will people actually pay attention? take a stand? Come together and join the boycott? I’ve never been a fan of Obama, I voted for him ’cause he was the lesser of two evils, so his adminstration’s about face hasn’t been a shock to me.
Between his actions or lack of them, wallmart and other companies blatant discrimination tendencies, police forces across the country public show of targetting the GLBT community, the insane and scary amounts of hate crimes all over the country, bigot religious group going out of the way to help ban and therefore strip their fellow human beings of their God-given rights, on top of EVERYTHING else; this situation is way past the point of when push came to shove and therefore passive-aggresiveness isn’t going to do any good anymore. Continuing to play diplomatic and offer the other cheek is subconsciously sending the message that we are indeed second class citizens begging for some rights and we don’t mean to offend anyone in the process. This isn’t the best of metaphors but we can’t keep being Ned Flanders or Lisa Simpson forever. We need to just put our foot down and demand what’s ours and start pushing and shoving back, damn whomever feels offended. Sadly but necessary, that’s the ONLY way to fight a bully; to make him back down and understand what it feels like to be on the other end. Unfortunately that can’t happen until people truly organized themselves and come together which is still in my personal view, the biggest obstacle the GLBT community faces.