Yeah, the military ban eventually has to be handled by Congress, but a lot of other things don't. Such things can be described in popular slang as "low hanging fruit" -- something that is easily completed with minimal effort. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, along with 17 (if I counted right) other gay organizations, listed over 80 items that the White House and the various cabinet departments could do without guidance from Congress. So far, one item has been checked off.
A sampling of the requested changes:
* White House: Issue an executive order prohibiting discrimination in federal employment (what Bush did, Obama can undo).
* Department of Health and Human Services: Require agencies receiving child welfare funds (such as those working with foster kids, runaways, and homeless kids) to have training in how to properly deal with LGBT youth. I mention it because it was recommended by the Ruth Ellis Center where I volunteer.
* Department of Health and Human Services: Defund abstinence only sex-education programs.
* Department of Homeland Security: Properly care for HIV detainees according to national guidelines.
* Department of Justice: Gather information of harassment, bullying, and other school violence concerning the victim's sexual orientation or gender identity in cases where it is an issue.
* Office of Management and Budget: On all government forms, change "Mother" and "Father" to "Parent 1" and "Parent 2".
* Department of State: Allow gender change on passports.
The item that is completed:
* Department of Commerce: Add a new definition of "family" to include unmarried partners and add in addition to "married" the categories of "civil union" and "domestic partnership."
Another item not on the list is the appointment of a gay person to the president's cabinet. That didn't happen, but Obama is on pace to far exceed the number of gay appointees that Clinton had.
This glacially slow progress from our supposedly fierce advocate has many gays seriously annoyed. Many are now calling for a pause in donations to all Democratic Party organizations (including DNC, DSCC, DCCC). These gays assure Dems that once significant action is taken the donations will resume. This posting doesn't list actual policy goals to help gays, but all the incidents since before the election that indicate no action is being taken. Here are just some of the items from a long list.
* Asking for a study on whether the military ban would affect national security (been there, done that) rather than the promised study of how best to repeal the ban.
* Deleting the list of promises to gays from the White House website. It was there on inauguration day.
* Refusing to suspend laws that hurt gays (like the military ban) while suspending laws that hurt other kinds of people.
* Refusing to comment on the marriage ban that was passed in Maine and having an Attorney General who flubs questions related to that vote.
* The Democratic Party urged Maine residents to help out in elections in New Jersey without acknowledging the marriage vote in Maine, then lying they had done so.
* Refusing interviews with the gay press.
This posting continues with an FAQ, answering such questions as:
Isn't it political suicide for Dems to touch gay issues? First, Dems are reneging on promises they made that got them elected. Second, most of these issues are no longer controversial with hefty margins of public support.
The guy has been in office less than a year, why the rush? Not only hasn't Obama kept promises, in some areas he's made the situation worse. He has already done significant damage to his relationship with gays.
I haven't signed up to join the pause. Then again I haven't yet contributed to a candidate or a party. I have contributed to various gay-related issue campaigns.
Yes, some gays disagree. The timing is bad because Congress is about to take up the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and this pause can be seen as a slap in the face. Also, the call for the pause lists the Defense of Marriage repeal and everyone knows that will be several years in the future and by including it the pause can be indefinite.
The response to that is the moving goalposts complaint.
In 2005: You have to wait until we regain congressional majority in 2006.
In 2007: You have to wait until we win the White House in 2008.
In 2009: You have to wait until we're filibuster proof in the Senate.
In 2010: You have to wait until after the midterms so we can preserve our majority.
In 2011: You have to wait until Obama is safely reelected.
In 2013: You have to wait until after the 2014 midterms.
In other words, majority power exists only to perpetuate majority power.
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