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The New DNC Looks Like…

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on January 25, 2009 at 10:00 AM in Backtrack Obama, Bamboozling, Barack Obama, DNC, DNC idiocy, Democratic National Convention, Democratic Platform, GLBT, Gay Rights, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

The old DNC – nothing new here. The GLBT community continues to be treated like the proverbial red-headed stepchild. I bring this up because of the following comment left at my blog the other day:

Thank God I found your blog! I feel like I’ve been living a real life version of invasion of the body snatchers since Obama was elected! Heterosexual people who I considered to be my friends had the audacity to tell me I should stop complaining about the Rick Warren incident and “trust Obama”….and worse. I have lost lifelong friends over this bullshit, and it has even damaged relationships with family members. Obama did more to degrade, insult, and damage LGBT people on his first day in office than any other president has done in an entire term (at least in my lifetime)…

I’m guessing that beyond Obama choosing Rick Warren to convey God’s love to everyone who isn’t gay or, well, a woman, was Obama’s choice of Tim Kaine as the new DNC Chair. As I have pointed out in previous posts, Kaine is both anti-Choice, and anti-gay.

Hell, he even opposes same-sex civil unions. Betcha didn’t know that abt the NEW CHAIR of the DNC!!! How could we not possibly take this choice, this hand pick, by Obama personally?

And how we can not take it personally that, as the commenter above noted, our families and friends keep dismissing the numerous slaps at our community by Obama? I don’t see how we can’t, and I, for one, most definitely DO take it personally. When people like Anne Hathaway think her wearing a damn ribbon is sufficient “protest” to Obama’s choices, and others, people who KNOW us, think to do even LESS, well, there’s no way not to take that as a slap.

This seems like the perfect time to remind all of those people about the DNC’s Platform on gay issues, hammered out this summer. Here is a post I wrote back on August 11, 2008 on the DNC Platform with a couple of edits for the passage of time:

So, I was taking a glance at the DNC Platform for 2008, and I noticed something missing. There was VERY little mention of GLBT Rights. It mentioned repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – a policy loudly decried, so that’s not a big surprise. UPDATE: But now, Obama has put this on the back-burner until at least 2010. Oh, what a SURPRISE from this man who surrounds himself with homophobes!!! Ahem.

And the Obama camp “opposes” DOMA. Well, I guess that’s something, they do NOT specifically say they will work to OVERTURN IT, though. So, okay. What else have you got? Oh, okay – on pp46-47, they say they want to end discrimination based on the usual list, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Well, golly gee – all the rest are already illegal, so why are we lumped into a big group? Oh, and they want to work in a bipartisan way to end employment discrimination. Great! That is the ONLY proactive statement they make for the GLBT community, but even THAT is not specific. Those few mentions are interwoven with a bunch of other groups throughout. There is a subheading on FATHERHOOD (I kid you not – I’m not making this stuff up, people!), but NOT a subheading on obtaining FULL rights for the GLBT community. Nowhere in there is a stated COMMITMENT to obtain FULL Federal benefits for LGBT couples, all the same rights that heterosexual couples currently enjoy, and something Hillary Clinton committed to doing if elected president. So, a few nebulous mentions – you will NOT find the term “GLBT Community” in there, and one stated action on employment. Which includes EVERYONE. Peachy. I reckon we’ll have to wait for full citizenship because these are just “words,” words without even a COMMITMENT to action. I, for one, am not “grateful” for what little is offered in this Platform. I want my country to acknowledge me as a a FULL HUMAN BEING, not act like I should be thrilled to lap up whatever crumbs are dropped from the table of “real” Americans. No. Hell to the no.

How is it that countries like URUGUAY have national civil rights for THEIR GLBT citizens (as of January 1, 2008), and we do not, a country FOUNDED on democratic principles?

Or how about South Africa? Yes, South Africa, the country recently in the throes of a racist regime included IN ITS CONSTITUTION, rights for their GLBT citizens. In 2006, when the issue of Civil Unions came up, their dominant church, the Anglican Church, was not going to fight it. Rather, Archbishop of Cape Town, which oversees 24 bishops in the country said:

he supports the proposed controversial Civil Unions Bill which will legalise same-sex partnerships.

Speaking on Thursday, he said that there should be two separate types of marriage; the existing law which covers heterosexual couples and a new concept which would allow for same-sex unions.

Ndungane said that “I have said to my friends who are gay and lesbian that using the word marriage is like a red flag to a bull. They will be wise to use the word partnership or union.”

While the Synod has said it will not actually perform (or bless) same-sex unions, but it will be supportive. He went on to say:

“People of homosexual orientation are God’s children. We cannot penalise someone for something not of his or her own making”, said Ndungane, adding that, “Diversity is a creation by the almighty. We need to embrace all of us in our differences and seek to walk together.”

Now, in all fairness, some in the GLBT community were not thrilled with this compromise, particularly because they feel like it ends up being separatist in terms of the whole marriage concept, and that it is unconstitutional. I imagine they are right, but when you live in a country in which people go crazy over a gay Episcopal priest, Gene Robinson, being elevated to Bishop in 2003, or have a President of the United States, George Bush, claim he wants to make Gay Rights Unconstitutional, well, it looks pretty good to me.

But I’m not done. We all know (right?) that countries like France, England, and those freakin’ cold countries in Europe have full rights for their GLBT citizens – what a concept. Yes, they all seem to see us as being fully human. And get this: Holland isn’t content with providing their OWN citizens with full rights – they think it should be GLOBAL, and are fighting to make that happen. Yep. How about that? Meanwhile, we are having people literally beaten to death because they are gay. Geez – what would it take to get the Dutch to come over HERE and get to work on this issue??

Oh, but I am still not done. Guess which other country has full rights for their GLBT citizens? Oh, guess. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Nope, no, huh uh – that would be CROATIA. Yes, I said CROATIA. I would have more rights in Croatia, the country recently in a major war with the Serbs until 1995. Just 18 years after forming its Constitution, I have more rights THERE than I do in the United States of America. In fact:

Croatia is also one of very few countries in central, eastern and southern Europe to grant same-sex couples the civil partnership rights equal to those granted to heterosexuals.

In fairness, it is not ALL hunky dory there:

However, like the people of many countries in the region, Croatians do not have the same tolerance we’ve come to expect from the Dutch, the Swedes, and the rest of western Europe. Gays are accepted when they are not obvious, and meet greater tolerance in cities than in rural parts of the country.

But STILL – they have the SAME RIGHTS as heterosexuals do there. Presumably, that means they are not prohibited from inheriting from their partners like they are in a number of states in the USA. Presumably, they can visit their loved ones when they are in the HOSPITAL. And so, so much more.

Yet, the DNC did not see fit to include us ANYWHERE in its platform for the Convention. And the reason is because they tailored it to OBAMA. If it had been Clinton, I believe, no – I KNOW – it would have been different. She has been a faithful, stalwart friend to our community for years, and she has already said that if elected, she would ensure that we ALL got the same federal benefits, not just some of us (see the YouTube video below).

I have said all along that if Hillary was not our candidate, not our PRESIDENT, that we were going to get kicked to the curb. I would be delighted to be proven wrong, but I’m pretty sure I am right, unfortunately. The lack of inclusion in the Platform for this year was not an oversight. It is just more of what we can expect.

Hillary Clinton was the ONLY candidate out there who will serve ALL Americans, not just some. And that matters. That matters a lot. She will do a great job as Secretary of State, I have no doubt. But it would have been better for ALL of us had she been president:

So, yeah – it’s personal. To try and minimize the impact of Obama’s choices on the GLBT community, or expect US to minimize it, is nothing more than piling on.

Welcome to the New DNC.

  • obamastolemyboyfriend

    I think I will still be in shock over this 4 years from now when we are going through another horrific election! If people do not vote based on having real information on a canididate, we will never get anyone good.

    The candidiate for POTUS should represent the person who is the best of the party. If Obama was the best of the best of the DNC, they can count me out! What in the hell were people thinking???? I keep asking myself this! Obama was the better choice than Clinton? That is just insanity and we will all suffer for it, but the ignoramouses will still be clueless and blame everyone else!

    • Ferd Berfle

      Obama was the better choice than Clinton?

      I still have a great deal of heartburn over that single question.

      The Democratic party shot themselves in the same foot as the Republicans did in 2000. And we all know how well that little experiment turned out, huh?

  • Diana L. C.

    We all thought that the last DNC was the worst. We need many, many, many people to purposely change their party affiliation away from Democrat.

    • tek

      OMG! I hadn’t read that he appointed Tim Kaine, although I guess it was predictable. I think he really wanted Kaine for VP. Well, that certainly won’t help Hillary. We’ll see how this plays in Peoria.

      Seriously, I think we’re going to need a new party in 2016.

  • eurogirl70

    Hey Rev. Amy:

    Even in the most Catholic of countries (SPAIN) for
    F_ _ _k sake, you can legally get married. Spain, that only ended Fascist rule with Franco’s death in 1979(?)

    • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      Exactly, Eurogirl. The small family-owned company that installed our granite countertops was from Spain. The daughter of the owner, a late 20′s yr old, said she really didn’t get why Americans are so hung up on this issue. Her uncle was getting married to his long time partner, as was her aunt. She just shook her head abt Americans’ attitude on same sex marriage.

      Thanks for the comments, folks!

      • Cindy

        Thanks for your vigilance, Rev. Amy! And speaking of Spain, my hubby, the lawyer, said that community property laws in this country are common in states that had Spanish influence. The Spanish (even with the confining theology of Catholicism) have been waaaay ahead of us in giving women equal property rights; in fact, Spain was the birthplace (I believe) of “community property” laws. So, it’s not surprising that they celebrate gay rights as well.

    • JozefAL

      Actually, Franco died in Novmeber of 1975 (this was turned into a big joke on SNL’s “Weekend Update” with Chevy Chase from Dec 1975 throughout much of 1976–Chase would either start or end, or occasionally both, the segment with “Francisco Franco is STILL dead”).
      It IS worth noting that the Church remains firmly opposed to same-sex marriages in Spain and their conservative political allies have indicated that, should they regain control of the government, same-sex marriage will be abolished barring some mass outpouring of same-sex marriage support from the people. Obviously, the irony there is that the very people who could keep the conservatives from overturning same-sex marriage would be highly unlikely from putting them into power in the first place–likewise, the people most likely to put the conservatives into power again would be most UNlikely to want to keep same-sex marriage.

  • wodiej

    It would have been different w Hillary because despite her support of Fraudbama, I believe she has a true servants heart and understands the responsibility that comes with leadership. Obama is just an empty suit on an ego trip. I don’t say that w bitterness, I say it because I think it’s true. His life is a mirror of his character. He has done very little for anyone but himself and his ambitions.

    Cripes…just thinking Hillary should be our CIC and isn’t makes me ill.

    • Cindy

      wod–
      You really articulated what I’m feeling…..And in 20016, Hillary will be 70, and then they’ll say she’s too old to be Prez. This is all so very depressing.

    • Ferd Berfle

      His life is a mirror of his character. He has done very little for anyone but himself and his ambitions.

      You are spot on. Little good his tenure in the Illinois State Senate did for Chicago but he sure made out like a bandit. The same with his truncated tenure in the US Senate. He is in this for HIM and no one else, unless they can also do something for HIM.

  • The Real HC

    If Obama + A Democrat Congress cannot pass laws protecting reproductive freedom for all women and laws allowing gay marriage then they are useless to me. Anyone who sticks with them is just a republican who likes high taxes and huge government.

    And I dont think Democrats will pass these laws, because how else can they drive women and LGBT folks to the polls election after election like well trained sheep?

    I am sorry to say most of my LGBT friends are still on the Obama wagon in a big way. In fact most of them have been since the primaries, a real shame because Clinton was and is a much better advocate for both pro-choice and pro-gay-marriage positions. I find it mind-boggling.

    • tek

      the hero worship of The One is truly baffling. I didn’t get Dubya’s charisma, and Obie’s is even more puzzlilng. Some days I think I’m just getting too old, don’t understand the younger generations.

      • Ferd Berfle

        Style trumps substance and format is valued over content.

        Bush was a swaggering, tin-horn “Texan” and the rubes ate it up. That One is a mannequin, all gussied up on the outside but hollow at the core and generation duh and their idiot parents ate that up.

      • Ferd Berfle

        Style trumps substance and format is more valued than content. Both men are dime-store mannequins, all gussied up outside and hollow at their core.

        • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

          Oh, I agree. What I cannot believe, though, is that after 8 yrs of that kind of president, the liberals would choose one with even LESS experience and transparency! And who seems to take his cues from misogynistic rappers like JayZ. ASTONISHING.

          You know, I can’t stand Bush, but I have to at least give him credit for having core beliefs from which he acted.

          The only constants I have seen from Obama are selecting homophobic men who are also sexist, treating women like CRAP, and disposing of someone who has outlived their usefulness to him (though again, why are ANY of those people,like Jesse, Jr. or Dean surprised? They saw him do it time and time again to other people.). Oh, and petulant arrogance.

          These are NOT qualities I want in a president, but that’s just me.

          • elise

            One thing I don’t understand. If “Don’t ask don’t tell” is discarded as military policy, what’s going to replace it? It was a compromise for Bill Clinton and he had to fight for even that concession, but there was no protection before. As you pointed out a while back, AAs are socially conserative and they’re a solid base for Obama and 70% voted for Prop 8 in Ca. The members of GLBT communities who supported Obama probably did so for the same reason some liberals did. It was considered “cool” and the impact his decisions would have on their lives wasn’t on their radar.

            • Ferd Berfle

              Sarcasm on:
              “Don’t see, don’t be?”

              Sarcasm off:

              I have the same question.

  • I’m a Linda too

    The new DNC is old again and it is EXACTLY what Obama wants.

    Gov Dean had each candidate sign the 50 State Stragegy PLEDGE that they would keep the plan in the new administration, but as we’ve learned, Obama and his crew give empty words and promises, so that means little, especially with that guy running things.

    Besides….every state had something….it’s just they weren’t being nurtured and aided to be able to function….so…my guess, it will be back to that.

    Only what ever employees the DNC keeps is also going to be interesting, because we remember how much Obama holds grudges and what he was doing to Florida delegates and Party officials because they weren’t agreeing to what ever HE wanted…or they supported HIllary….or they wanted all their votes to count. We remember his people threatening them, including Union heads, because they weren’t rolling over for Obama.

    So, then Obama went and hired all the DNC employees on to his campaign payroll. Now the DNC has to hire back all those (they intend to keep) back to the DNC payroll……or let go :( gee, wander who makes the cut?

  • Arabella Trefoil

    Rev Amy – They were willing to sell anybody out in order to win. The same people who thought selling our GLTB rights was OK are the same people who elected Obama.

    Cowardly, evil, and corrupt.

    We are already paying the price. You deny and denigrate one group – you deny and denigrate all groups.

  • stodghie

    thanks rev amy for your well timed diary. least we forget? i am amazed at being told to get over it.

    i can assure one and all the repubs haven’t “gotten over it”. obama thinks he “won”, however that must wait to be seen.

    it isn’t like we didn’t see the red warning sigs all along. rev wright certainly doesn’t preach tolerance. obama sat there 20 years and he did it because he was comfortable there. there other churches with more tolerance and political influence he could have chosen. heck even oprah wisely chose to be gone from there.

    the repub administration was a train wreck and the right wing especially religeous right sure showed they were lacking in tolerance. people are tired of them and rightly so. those does not mean that the democrats were not part of that trainwreck. they were including obama.

    so what to do? i am going to say again the same thing i said to republicans when they were dancing in glee at having “won” and wanted to go to iraq all the while cutting taxes. i had the privilege of being in washington for an invited visit during the clinton years and wrote an article on the use of stignma in language against groups. it was well received and published by the federal reserve. i digress! sorry! my point is this. those who ignore the middle class, the average joe/jane, their needs and welfare do it at great risk. the repubs found out. if you(democrats) don’t work to make sure the american dream continues for EVERYONE AND NOT SPECIAL GROUPS, then you are as big a failure as the repubs. i see some diary folks want us to forget all that and “watch” obama. i don’t think the average american is going to forget contrary to what some want and what the corrupt media would like. we are told we are haters. bitter was the term used by obama during the primaries as i recall. it is our responsibility to support obama or he will fail and that will be our fault i am told. sorry but i cannot agree with all. we can and should be the loyal opposition. we do watch but we don’t “have to get over it”. on the contrary it should be a rallying cry so that we have real power in the political arena. put the anger to work and don’t let it eat at you. if it includes watching and commenting, by all means do so. if it means going to another political party, by all means do so. it will mean different things to different people. we support obama by continuing to demand the best and NOT FORGETTING.

    i am a former member of daily kos, huffington post, talking points memo, salon and talk left. there are times i found real meat there and commentary. i was blown out of the water by the “hatred” aimed at hillary. i left the repub party due to the clinton hatred. i didn’t vote for bill the first time but i came to see that he truly cares about the american people. he proved himself to me and i supported him. most of the hillary supporters aren’t haters. they are responding to the hate aimed at us for heavens sake.

    the heart of the democratic majority in years past was based on the policies of fdr. the repubs hated him and his successes. they tried in all ways they could to dismantle it. the va loans after world war two helped fuel the economic expansion of the 60s and 70s. it is one of the driving forces in the economy. mccain said fix housing and the rest will follow. so have a number of others. i believe there is a great deal of truth in that. reagan kicked housing to the curb by artifically lowering the price of gas to the point that the whole industry was dang near destroyed. housing was kicked to the curb due to the saving and loan crisis that bad policy started. bush and the repubs could have headed off this mess a year ago and didn’t. the democrats were part of creating this mess, so pardon me if i have a wary eye of them.

    i believe that we have to and should give obama a chance. that doesn’t mean we have to drink koolaid or stop our dislike for the way this was won. so those who want to call it hate, please continue to do so. i also say beware the far left as much as the far right. neither speaks to the overall welfare.

    those who ignore histroy are doomed to repeat it. if the average american continues to something expendable to washington then sooner rather than later they will be kicked to the curb too in an election.

  • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2009/01/21/VI2009012101557.html?sid=ST2009012101096 trixta

    [B]eware the far left as much as the far right.

    If there was one lesson learned this past year it was this.

    • http://! stodgie

      so true! sad but true!

  • THEY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVE

    As you vote, you shall sow. Tell all the Gays and Lesbians to educate themselves before they vote next time. Obama made it really clear by blowing off Gavin Newsome, by blowing of Gay Pride Parades, by going on his Anti-Gay tour in the Bible Belt, etc. how he FELT about the gay community. He wasn’t hiding his contempt from anyone.

    We can all guess why. But the bottom line is…Not only is Obama going to destroy any bit of “democracy” we had left in this country, with the aid of his crook pals, but he also doesn’t give a damn about the people he used to get votes. Better luck next time.

  • DaddysDarlin

    Just when you think the DNC couldn’t get anymore shameful………..
    Obama is homophobic, I believe that he has had homosexual experiences.
    You know what they say about protesting too much? I believe the guy that said he had sex with Obama.
    Now, Obama wants to keep himself as far away from the GLBT community as possible, what if somebody thought he was gay or something for supporting gay rights? That’s the kind of thinking Obama is doing.
    He needs to grow up and get over himself and his little dabbling in the gay life and start doing what is right for our fellow Americans.
    We are all human beings and we all deserve to be treated equally under the law and otherwise.
    Obama is a disgrace to every American who supports civil rights. If we allow Obama to take the rights of one group of people away, who is going to speak up when he tries to take ours away?
    We must all stand united and protect all rights for all Americans, GLBT, Hispanics, Native Americans, Black, and White.
    Once he gets away with discriminating against one group of people, he will continue to try to discriminate against other Americans. We will not give Obama an inch.
    Keep raising your voices, keep writing your representatives, keep signing petitions, KEEP IT UP, OUR VOICES WILL BE HEARD!

    • barb

      I agree with you completely. I too think Obama is homophobic with homosexual tendencies. What happened to Mr.Sinclair during the election campaign was absolutely shameful. He was judged crazy and criminal by the Press and Obama’s supporters, while the Powers That Be trashed Sinclair’s reputation, had him falsely arrested, and tried to use govt. power to take away his Social Security. The Press totally ignored his story and few in the nation and especially the Gay community knew anything about it. I was talking to a co-worker (who voted Obama) about the Sinclair story and she was shocked. “How come this was never brought out?” she said. “This could be true!” People should be aware and concerned for what happened to this one vunerable person, because if you get yourself on the wrong side of Obama you could be next.

  • Magic Puzzle Box

    Why don’t you just read the new White House website? I think you’ll find what you’re looking for.