President Obama delivered his third State of the Union address last night, and in it, mentioned the LGBT community only once, and only in passing. No mention of same-sex marriage equality, no mention of ending DOMA, no mention of pushing for a comprehensive ENDA, and so what?
Were you expecting anything more? Did the pre-Address announcement that sitting with Michelle Obama would be two lesbians make you think there might be more?
“President Obama spoke pointedly tonight of the need to get our country’s economy moving again, of getting people back to work, and of tackling the huge economic disparity that is hurting and hampering families everywhere,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in a statement. “We couldn’t agree more and urge his administration and Congress to work together to ensure that everybody — including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people — have an opportunity to offer their unfettered best to America.”
But dissatisfied, Carey went further.
“If the president is truly serious about job creation and boosting America’s economic well-being, he must provide leadership to pass federal employment protections for LGBT people and end the costly and unjust federal marriage ban. He must also retain the safety net of services that so many people and families depend upon for their survival.”
Two years ago, President Obama asked Congress to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and won. We’ve been waiting for him to “evolve,” and support full civil marriage equality, and he has not.
Perhaps the State of the Union was not the place for him to reveal he’s “evolved,” and perhaps he has not — there’s no evidence he has.
Strangely, I was neither surprised nor discouraged that there was all but no mention of the LGBT community or civil rights for us in his speech.
In, “Only one mention of word ‘gay’ in State of the Union, that’s it.,” John Aravosis at AmericaBlog wrote, for him, it was “kind of a let down.”
It just feels like an awful lot less than I expected. And I wasn’t expected marriage or the ENDA executive order. But I was at least expecting him to brag about, and take credit for, lifting the ban. It almost feels like they didn’t want to talk about it. Why?
Why? Who knows.
Last night, in a “temperature check,” I asked folks via Twitter what they thought.
So,Â
#LGBTÂ folks: No mention ofÂ#DOMA,Â#ENDA, marriage equality. Are you pleased, pissed, or totally OK with it?
I got a fair number of responses, including this one from blogger Pam Spaulding:
Not disappointed, didn’t expect anything. Confirmed when they publicized the lesbian guests of the First Lady – symbolism only.
At the risk of being attacked and at the risk of folks saying I’m sounding like a Republican (don’t you dare!) I neither think last night was the time nor the place to call for marriage equality — although ENDA would have slid in perfectly with the push for jobs.
If Obama announced his support for marriage equality today or tomorrow or next week, I’d be thrilled. And it would be about time. Same with a fully-inclusive ENDA.
But last night was for throwing down the gauntlet, and he did — quite well, I might add.
And today is another day, in which we go back to the fight.
That’s the important part.
We’ll get there, with or without Obama — but never with a Republican in the White House. About that, we must be perfectly clear.