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INGRATES

After listing a whole catalog of Obama Administration actions on behalf of the LGBT community, Steve Benen reflects on some gay leaders' intransigent disappointment that they have not gotten what they want soon enough, big enough, loud enough and probably not enough enough.

I realize there are still a sizable number of people in the LGBT community who are unsatisfied with the pace of change, and consider President Obama someone who has ignored, and even betrayed, their interests. Some have even vowed not to lift a finger to help with the president’s re-election effort.

I suspect many social-conservative activists, furious with the steps Obama has already taken to advance civil rights for the LGBT community, must find this inexplicable.

Me too.

This was connected with Obama's enthusiastic support for the "Respect for Marriage Act" today which essentially repeals DOMA. One of the prime LGBT goals.

Here is a list Benen makes of the other considerable Obama actions.

This comes the same year as the Obama administration’s decision to stop trying to defend DOMA against federal court challenges.

What’s more, it’s a heartening piece that fits into a larger mosaic. After two-and-a-half years, President Obama has successfully repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law; expanded federal benefits for the same-sex partners of executive-branch employees; signed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law; cleared the way for hospital-visitation rights for same-sex couples; lifted the travel/immigration ban on those with HIV/AIDS; ordered the Federal Housing Authority to no longer consider the sexual orientation of applicants on loans; expanded the Census to include the number of people who report being in a same-sex relationship; and hired more openly gay officials than any administration in history.

There have also been more symbolic gestures, including the White House hosting an event to honor the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, announcing the first-ever transgender presidential appointee, nominating the first openly-gay man to serve on the federal judiciary, honoring same-sex couples in his Mother’s Day and Father’s Day proclamations, recording a video for the “It Gets Better” Project, and hosting Gay and Lesbian Pride Month events at the White House.

And today, the president has offered his well-timed endorsement of the Respect For Marriage Act.

It is disgraceful that some gay leaders continue to vilify the Obamas at full cry.

Stupid, ungrateful bastards.

Labels: Administration Obama, gay politics