Does anyone find this inclusion and quote highly unjustified and excessive."He told the court, in essence, that blacks deserve more civil rights than gays, that our civil rights are not on the same level." Someone this debate of blackness and gayness being on a level is getting out of hand. Race and sexuality are two very distinct aspects of the human condition and blurring the line continuously in order to oversimplify the ongoing discussion is offensive.

new reader:

This is not an oversimplification. When it comes to civil rights, race and sexual orientation should be treated exactly the same. Despite any literal differences between the two concepts, their treatment as far as constitutional law should be exactly the same, i.e., there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER to treat people differently based on those characteristics.

That's it. The democrats have done nothing to fight DADT or DOMA since winning both the presidency and a congressional majority. They've lost our support.

Not one more dime to the DNC, nor any Democratic candidates. Not one more vote for a Democrat unless they are on the record fighting for equal rights for gay Americans. Find a moderate Republican and give them all your support, and let BOTH parties know exactly why!!!

john k (and new reader)

race and sexual orientation actually overlap. there are many of us that are black AND queer, believe it or not, so the argument that "gays are just like blacks or not" is a massive oversimplification of the rights of human beings. it completely takes away from the desires of people that identify as both, assuming that this is the same history, the same struggle. it's not. when you talk about black vs. gay, you think that gay = white, male, middle class, and it doesn't. Clarify with a sentence like, "I'm talking about white gay men only" or, find a different strategy. besides, marriage is not going to protect you from being bashed, fired, or worse: the entire institution has been about denial: of women as human beings, for starters. Try to pick a struggle that means we will all truly be "free."

This is exactly why I didn't vote for Obama. If only this country could mix it up a little and bring on a third political party...

the voice has a nerve demanding equal rights for gays.

where is the unqualified support for free speech rights for carey prejean????

untill gays understand that us breeders are entitled to same rights that they demand we will continue to hold them and thier loathsome lifestyles in contempt.

ngg

JC, done nothing to fight DADT and DOMA?

You forget: those are both policies signed by Democratic administrations.

I can't believe anyone would look at the Democratic constituency - the one that votes in Democratic candidates, not the one that posts on DailyKos - and not see this coming. Just like only Nixon can go to China, only a Republican will be able to produce civil rights for gays and lesbians. It's an issue over which the Democrats risk losing middle-America, and they aren't going to let that happen.

ngg, Carrie Prejean did indeed have the right to say what she said. And the judges had the right to punish her for it. That is THEIR free expression of outrage at what a bigoted airhead she is.

The Miss America pageant is not a governmental affair.

Fuck you new reader. You are the lowest of the low. A black who is a bigot. FUCK YOU!

what a joke these pervert gays are. ita a sickness

sick bastards keep to yourselfs and all people that dont give into your abnormal sick shit are not bigots

Suckers! 48% of us saw through his nonsense horseshit. How about you gays do yourself a favor and not vote Democrat?

No doubt, in a year as he gears up for re-election, he will make the same hollow promises to get your vote. All the while both you and he know he has no intention of doing any of it. But you fools will still vote for him.

Remember, it's better to be pissed off than pissed on.

JC, I hope more of your homo buddies listen to you. Stop giving your unquestioning devotion to a party that takes you completely for granted, and gives you nothing but betrayals in return.

Support the Republican Party, which could use the votes, and demand that the party do something for you. Even people who are uncomfortable with the "gay lifestyle" can be brought around to tolerate you on the basis of respect for individual liberty -- just as we tolerate weirdo Muslims, hippies, and bikers. Live and let live. Liberty for one means liberty for all, in the words of Dick Cheney.

The Democrats are NOT, and NEVER WILL BE, the party of live and let live. The Republicans could be. Tip the balance!

Homos for Obama (Fauxbama?) got who they elected, just like Geo HW Bush got who he nominated to the Supreme Court with Souter.

Opps, the Fauxbama is not what you thought you were electing? How could you tell? Obama was less known than even Souter was 20 years ago.

What? Oh, you wanted to judge Fauxbama on his words?? ... his speeches?

Didn't you know he was a politician, and that he was speaking falsehoods whenever his lips moved?

Rubes!

Brendon Carr is right: whenever a group, whether it's blacks, pro-lifers, gays, Jews, etc., is completely in the tank for one party or the other, there's no incentive for that party to do jack shit for those groups.

You queers are in the tank for the Democrats, and it doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. There's no real reason for gays to vote for Democrats, except for the marriage issue, and let's face it: most of you are never going to get married anyway - it interferes with circuit parties. So don't sweat the marriage thing. Besides, it's coming... eventually (maybe a decade or two) so try to chillax until then, or move to a place where it's legal.

You shit-stabbers need to realize how much the Democrats fuck you in the ass at every turn, and not in the good way that you nancies enjoy. If you reach out to the GOP, we'll give you much of what you want because let's face it, we need the votes. In return, we'll let you own guns so that it's harder for yahoos to kick the crap out of you for being queens and we'll let you keep more of your own hard-earned money so that you can spend it on kitsch and meth.

You guys still don't understand, do you? Obama's election, in his mind, was never, and never will be, about you or anything you thought he represented.

Nope, in Lord Obama's mind, his election was "all about the O."

You want to repeal DADT? Then vote for a Republican prez next time around. After all, "Only Nixon could go to China."

There's no real reason for gays to vote for Democrats, except for the marriage issue, and let's face it: most of you are never going to get married anyway - it interferes with circuit parties.

Wow, there's a compelling argument. You've, like, totally won me over dude.

As for me, I don't even know what a circuit party is -- presumably it's some really depraved gay thing -- but here's the good news, homos: I don't care. As long as attendance at circuit parties is not mandatory and you're not doing it in the street (a la the revolting Folsom Street Fair) folks interested in liberty will be on your side when government wants to intrude.

I've always been in favor of gay marriage anyway. Why should you guys get to have all the sex?

Good article but I don't think anyone is "delighted". There is no satisfaction to be gained here.

He'll prob come out with some rhetorical BS story. Barack is doing what he does best, pit people & communities against each other; lie a lot; bailout filthy rich criminal bankers & corporations with billions of tax payer dollars while everyone loses thier jobs; expand the Patriot Act after promising to repeal it; send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan escalating W's fake War on Terror after promising to end it. DOMA DADT ENDA Marriage? Oh well dirty trash gays, sorry, go take a walk.

Why didn't any one of those loons on MSNBC have anything to say about this tonight? Not a word.

Remember when Barack said he would tell us where every penny of the stimulus money was going? That he was going to put it on a website in a chart so we could see where our money went? Well he signed papers so he won't have to do that either.

This guy is the ultimate bigot.

I voted for him. What choice did we have? And there was no reason to imagine Ms. Clinton (Obama has "San Francisco values") would be any better. Still, after his flirtation with McClurkin and Warren is it such a surprise? More telling still might have been his lies about his relationship with Wright - his "spiritual mentor" and "friend of twenty years" until that got too hot. I think we'd better give up all hope now about the integrity of this man and spend the coming years focussed on the states - progress for gays and lesbians at the federal level remains out of reach. Above all now, let's keep same-sex marriage in Iowa - all American Iowa - from being undone.

I'm gay. I voted for McCain last election because I didn't trust Obama. Now I feel vindicated in that decision. I will never vote Democrat again in my life. This is the last straw. So long as the GLBT community continues to slavishly vote Democratic, they will never help us. Why should they? They know we'll never vote against them, even when they step on us. NO MORE!!

It's time for all GLBT people to start voting Republican. After all, from my perspective, we now have two choices. Either Obama and the Democrats, who won't support GLBT causes and will raise my taxes and expand the size of government... Or Republicans, who also won't support GLBT causes, but will lower my taxes and not expand the size of government.

Since both parties suck on GLBT rights, I'll take the guys who will lower my taxes, thank you very much.

Screw you Obama. And screw you Democrats.

Well, Jim, that's some choice. Don't forget that the Republicans as they're constituted now would lead our country (and the world) to ruin in a frenzy of jingoism and theocratic anti-rationalism of all kinds. Your lower taxes won't be much consolation in that Mad Max environment. Fine situation we find ourselves in after thirty years of drifting to the right.

GAYS WHAT ABOUT 400 YEARS OF INEQUALITY OF BLACKS. WHAT YOU CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET, AND BECAUSE MOST OF YOU ARE WHITE AND PRIVILEDGED, YOUR RIGHTS MUST BE IMMEDIATE RIGHT?

You so priviledge, you will never demand Reparations for Black inequality will u?

Therefore illegals have more protections in the courts then you and Blacks.

Only because Blacks have not yet used or realized their full power.

But one day all will know God has the last word and God Chosen are Black Americans.

The Republicans haven't been great on individual liberty either, having found it necessary or desirable to pander to the "values" crowd that wants to get into your bedroom. Now that they're out in the cold, it's your big chance to fix them.

All I can say is that I think it's going to be a lot easier to move a party that's strong on individual economic liberty and strict Constitutionalism (the Republicans) in the direction of individual personal liberty, than it will be to pull off the opposite trick with the big-government, nanny-state Democrats.

Since the Democrats have lied to you and betrayed your faith again and again and again, why not give the other team a listen? Better yet, why not join the other team and help set its course?

"Don't forget that the Republicans as they're constituted now would lead our country (and the world) to ruin in a frenzy of jingoism and theocratic anti-rationalism of all kinds."

Oh, stop being silly. It's time to wake up to the fact that there are checks and balances on Republicans -- not Democrats in this country.

The media is in the tank for Obama, and would go after Republicans.

If you don't believe me, ask yourself whether the media is going after Obama for his broken promises with proportional fury. Hint: No.

New Reader....You obviously don't understand that both race and sexual orientation are fixed at birth. This is the reason they are relevant to each other. The only distinction is that you can SEE a person's race AT BIRTH, while sexual orientation is invisible to the eye and only shows up years later (often at puberty) as a desire to love and be with a person of one's own gender. I knew that I was gay at 5 years old. No one molested me. No one neglected me. I had a very loving mother and father. I was and am gay through natural forces. It was not a choice.

Now I know that, at this point, you are probably gasping for air. But isn't it interesting that you and others like you, who know nothing about sexual orientation, profess to tell us GLBT people, not to mention the entire country, all about it. You know nothing.

And, by the way, I'd like to know the day that you chose to be heterosexual. Bet you don't have a clue.

Please support Anthony Woods, an openly gay African-American, Iraq war veteran, graduate of West Point and Harvard, and present candidate seeking the seat that Ellen Tauscher is about to give up (she's been nominated to serve in the Administration).

Donate to his campaign and support a more inclusive Congress. Send $10 or $20, send whatever you can.

Presently, we only have three openly gay Members (Frank, Baldwin and Polis).

We can make change with or without the support of the Obama Administration, and if we do not commit to doing, we risk indefinitely holding the rank of second-class citizens.

Please visit his website and donate what you can: http://www.anthonywoodsforcongress.com/home.html

Please support Anthony Woods, an openly gay African-American, Iraq war veteran, graduate of West Point and Harvard, and present candidate seeking the seat that Ellen Tauscher is about to give up (she's been nominated to serve in the Administration).

Donate to his campaign and support a more inclusive Congress. Send $10 or $20, send whatever you can.

Presently, we only have three openly gay Members (Frank, Baldwin and Polis).

We can make change with or without the support of the Obama Administration, and if we do not commit to doing, we risk indefinitely holding the rank of second-class citizens.

Please visit his website and donate what you can: http://www.anthonywoodsforcongress.com/home.html

I think you will find the victim pyramid does indeed have Black at its peak. That is followed by Very Gay, then Female, but then comes Merely Gay. If you are Merely Gay you should expect comensurate treatment or you could gay it up a little more. Of course Female and Very Gay could combine to overcome Black but you would probably want to mix in a binding agent of some kind, a bit of Latino/a, non-affluent Asian background like Samoan or something or maybe some sort of gender-bending. Non-citizen status also contributes but I think any fair observer knows that Black trumps all others.

I don't have anything against gay marriage, but I am enjoying how the various (in reality master class) victim groups of your readership are fighting each other over the right to feel the most insulted.

No matter who was elected there will always be people on this earth who do not like, appreciate, or understand gay people. Why are do you people insist on laying this like or dislike nonsense on The President. Bush did not give a shit about gays either and is probably sitting at his ranch LOL at all the shit he left behind such as gay rights, immigration and we will not speak further on the money mess. You cannot make people like you gay, black, chinese, or anything else. So, live with it and move on for your owns piece of mind.

No matter who was elected there will always be people on this earth who do not like, appreciate, or understand gay people. Why are do you people insist on laying this like or dislike nonsense on The President. Bush did not give a shit about gays either and is probably sitting at his ranch LOL at all the shit he left behind such as gay rights, immigration and we will not speak further on the money mess. You cannot make people like you gay, black, chinese, or anything else. So, live with it and move on for your own piece of mind.

lemonella - This is a civil rights struggle and like all civil rights struggles it's about achieving equality under the law and you couldn't be more wrong that when government - the omnipresent teacher - sends the message that we're worthy of that that it won't in fact change many (though not all, of course) hearts and minds. Furthermore, few of "us people" imagine Obama holds any personal animosity towards us (nor did Bush, as a matter of fact) but that's completely beside the point. It's what a president or any politician does with the power of his or her office that matters - not their personal feelings.

Where do you get off saying that "hardcore Obama haters" (meaning those of us who didn't buy his BS from the beginning) are "delighted" at this vile motion from the DOJ? How fucking offensive is that? I wake up everyday hoping that Obama will prove me wrong about my observations that he is nothing but a bigot who doesn't think gay rights are civil rights (you know, based on pesky little things called facts--McClurkin, Kmiec, Meeks, Warren--hello, figuring out he doesn't like gays wasn't rocket science). As a lifelong Democrat and avowed liberal, your dismissive characterization of those of us WHO WERE RIGHT about Obama just reinforces the notion that those of you who supported him just aren't that bright. We already knew you were assholes, so no shocker there...

so true Garychapelhill. So, now, all over again, those of us who saw through the charade of Obama will continue to be the shit on the bottom of the shoes of those who insisted obama was an advocate.

There were millions who knew and were thrown off blogs for not getting on the bus they were never invited on in the first place.

It's nice to see people waking up to it, but not at the expense of being someone's door mat once again.

It's not about being right, it's about being classy and doing what's right. Sticking by principles. Anyone who would like to join the voice of the ones who have been fighting this from day one, visit

thewiddershins.wordpress.com

"It's not about being right, it's about being classy and doing what's right. "

That's right, taggles. If they would but extend their hand and unclench their fist, we promise we will help pull you all out from under the Obama bus and wipe the tire marks off your face. We have a March on DC in Oct. Remember? We must all look our best.

"we can only hope it's part of some long-term rope-a-dope..."

but for now it's only soap-on-a-rope.

BZero was BZero from day one - talked out of both sides of his mouth. I truly cannot understand anyone, ANYONE voting for him who believes in anything but corporate power and control. Blantant lies for all to see and don't forget the lies and cover provided by the media(corporate media). He used ra@ism from the get go. Hillary was cheated by her own party - she had more votes anyway you "play" with the tally. He began as a hateful candidate and he is now showing just how hateful he is. He is exactly what PUMA's suspected he was - stands for nothing or no one. Which is what his "list" of accomplishments showed - two autobiographies and one speech there is no record on. He did not vote against the war as he was not in Congress then. It was a hateful primary by a hateful candidate and he is going to profit from it while a lot of voters are going to suffer.

If you have read the language in the brief by this DOJ you must understand just how disgusting his distain is. I believe in human rights for all with dignity and grace. We do not have a political party who stands for equal rights now. There is no day light between an R or a D now, it's all for C = corporate. If you too believe in human rights for all, not to mention health care(life) for all, check your candidates history and accomplishments and if there isn't one - speak up. We need our country back.

As long as the nation sits back and allows "relgion" to set the standard for how the rest of us live our lives, then there is no hope in either party to honor equal rights.

How the supportive gay community, watching Obama parade Donnie McClurkin around like "arm candy" at public events and not recognize a strain of homophobia in their candidate is beyond me. He did everything but declare openly "I hate gays!" Now all of a sudden their is a collective awakening that perhaps Obama is not all that was projected?

Staring with the FISA vote then declining to honor the FOCA he just admitted that the bone he threw out was nothing more than a chew toy to quiet the niggling that may have been edging around the questions of commitment.

He is what he is. Indifferent. He is taking this country more to the Right than we could have ever predicted and doing it on a fast track.

lol look a gay person trying to make money on here how funny

yeah yeah every straight person is a bigot acording to these weirdo sickos, go to hell and burn where you belong

Where do you get off saying that "hardcore Obama haters" (meaning those of us who didn't buy his BS from the beginning) are "delighted" at this vile motion from the DOJ?

We're glad to see the Instapundit link paying off at last. Please thank the Perfesser for us.

We look forward to covering the big Republican turnaround on gay marriage. Feel free to send any evidence of this you may have.

Hey Roy,

Oh man, this shite is getting old. Listen up and listen closely, Roy.

Not everyone who saw through the fake gay rights man is a Republican. Get it? Why you want to spit in the face of people who actually agree with you and your alleged principles, is beyond me.

May Democrats knew Obama wasn't gonna be a friend to the gay community or women human rights, period.

If you had paid one bit of attention during the primaries this might have dawned on you. But instead you were hoping for a pony that turned out to be donkey's ass.

Knock it off with the name calling of people who are more closely in line with you politically. I assume you do this because you just can't stand to be WRONG. Well, you were WRONG, Sucka!

We're glad to see the Instapundit link paying off at last. Please thank the Perfesser for us.

Did you read my comment??? Of course not, but you've played this game so long it just slides right out. Accuse anyone who disagrees with you of being a republican. I am gay, I have been a democrat for 20 years, and have been a liberal activist for that long as well. I spent years working to combat the right wing (and Democrat) on AIDS funding/research. I marched with ACT UP when even liberals didn't want to touch us, and I watched far too many of my friends fucking die while the rest of the country sat back and watched. So go ahead and call me a Republican. I've been called much worse by people much scarier than you. Fuck you Edroso. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. Like I said, we knew you were assholes...

roy edroso: Please remove your head from your butt for one minute and try to understand that some of the posters here have been lifelong Dems who seek equal rights for all groups and do not for one minute approve of the Repub agenda under any circumstances. We just knew that would be a complete waste of time.

The gay community for the most part supported Obama under the mistaken impression that he would do the right thing in stepping to the plate and make it known that this nation does not belong to any one group or religious affiliation but represents all of its citizens under the Constitution.

These rights are not excusive to any one party, community or religious organization so before you start labeling think twice. Your guy does not have the same intent and you have been sold a bill of goods. A stroke of the pen is all it takes yet he holds back. Why?

Roy probably doesn't remember Act Up, Gary. They were the voice before he sold out to the broken promises of any politician. When did we start throwing our community under the bus to protect a freaking politician? I never thought I would see the day that the LGBT community allowed a politician to divide us.

Roy Edroso, still drunk on Kool-Aid. Still believing the 18 million DEMOCRATS who saw through Obama are closet Republicans. Still clinging to the notion that the bigot Obama who sat in a racist church for twenty years cares about gay people.

Well, 30% of the American public never game to grips with the fact that Bush was a crappy President. It was just too hard to admit they were wrong.

These same types of people form Obama's base, flip side of the same coin.

Whatever. The fact remains that Obama cannot be trusted. Obama is a liar. Obama is a promise breaker. There is no principle or person Obama will not abandon to save himself. Obama is for Obama and only for Obama.

We have been pointing this out for two years. We're still right. And you, Roy, are still wrong. Free your mind, and your ass will follow.

To those of you dumb enough to vote for this schmuck -- way to go suckers.

Support the Republican Party, which could use the votes, and demand that the party do something for you.

Yeah, because look how well that's worked out for, say, the pro-life movement. Abortion's been illegal for how many years now?

Let's see: "Jumbo shrimp", "military intelligence", "postal service" and, "gay pride". Who'd have thunk it?

Like much else with Obama, we can only hope it's part of some long-term rope-a-dope that plays out to progressive advantage.

In other words, you hope Obama is a liar.

In other words, you hope Obama is a liar.

We already know he's a liar. Knew that before he was elected. Unfortunately, there wasn't a "non-liar" alternative on last year's ballot, so we'd have been stuck with a liar one way or another.

Let's see: He wants to confiscate more of my money and give it to A.C.O.R.N deadbeats so they can stay in houses they can't afford.

Now, facing criticism from Rev. Wright and other black "leaders" he decides to throw the gays under the bus because blacks hate gays and it'll make them happy.

See http://baytzim.com/blog/2009/jun/12/barack_h_obama_who_had_broad_supp-171/ for the whole, true, story.

New Reader--
you are obviously missing the point.
civil rights are civil rights. Our Constitution promises them to everyone. To say that one group is "more deserving" of them than another is patently absurd.

I find it kind of funny and kind of sad that people went after my comment as if I had openly opposed gay marriage. I am not a bigot and I as a heterosexual am a huge non-believer in the entire institution of marriage so I could care less about it either way. I understand the idea of a civil rights battle and I don't want to get into a whole who had it harder and or was more oppressed argument, but I find it insulting to all the black people that have died and continue to die all around the world because of slavery and because of colonialism that you want to compare the gay struggle to the black experience. It's not on a level. You may not want to, but you can hide your sexual orientation, but you can't even if you want to hide your skin color. Let's also not forget that you picked your battle on the hallowed grounds of the most hypocretical people in the world, the religious right. Marriage has always been an institution with strong linkeage to the church so yea you are going to get a lot of bible nuts trying to throw the book at you. And yes they didn't read the bible and don't know shit about the nuttiness that is written in it, but hey that's their deal. It's hard to overcome ignorance.

It's too bad, but I still have high hopes for future changes. Politics is so frustrating sometimes. Here's a discussion of the matter from pandalous: http://www.pandalous.com/nodes/obama_and_gay_marriage