Robbed of the ability to celebrate the President’s statement on marriage equality

[xchrom]

http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2012/05/10/robbed-of-the-ability-to-celebrate-the-presidents-statement-on-marriage-equality/

This post is inspired by an interesting Facebook thread on my wall where I shared my reaction to the President’s marriage equality debut. It gave me a chance to reflect upon why I felt so numbed by Tuesday’s vote that the landmark announcement by Barack Obama did nothing to penetrate my anger and sense of loss. I felt little sense of elation. I posted around 11 PM last night:

'I just completely cut myself off from phone and internet after 5 until now. I’ve lost track of calls/interviews I’ve had to field about NC or the President and marriage equality. I’m so drained from yesterday, just spent. What happened in NC was so horrible that it robbed me of the ability to celebrate the President’s statement on marriage equality.

I really have no patience for the “get over it and get behind the President” meme popping up when his campaign screwed us over here, then put all of the LGBT orgs into fawning/sleep mode when this move, while landmark in its precedence, does nothing to advance any actual rights — like, say, signing the EO for fed employment non-discrimination. That would actually affect many, many lives in a tangible way.'

Of course one way to look at this is that the President’s coming out — and specifically the timing of it — is to rebuke the results that placed bigotry in the North Carolina Constitution. On the other hand, Barack Obama’s official campaign, OFA, did nothing on the ground or online to help encourage people to vote against the amendment. The only nod was a statement, months ago, that he opposed the amendment; the President still holds the belief that marriage should be decided by the states, even now. So the people have spoken in NC on a civil rights matter than shouldn’t have been on the ballot in the first place.

The curious thing about the last 24 hours is that one of my statements in an earlier post about the prospect of the President’s support for marriage equality seemed to have struck a nerve in some people.

'Being jerked around, constantly seen as an ATM, and the man can’t even state the obvious, and his surrogates continue this tap dance of stupidity over what is or isn’t an affirmation that the President believes in full equality for gay and lesbian couples. His own campaign couldn’t even lift a digital finger to tell people to vote against discrimination here in NC. The President can’t even sign an executive order barring employment discrimination against LGBTs in federal contracts.'

[Vincardog]

1. You have to admit he gives a good speech. His actions not so much

[William769]

2. Recommended.

[Capt. Obvious]

3. Rec. I dropped this in a thread

I dropped this in a thread about the brilliant "strategy" of Obama coming out the day after NC.

[yardwork]

4. As another North Carolina lesbian, Pam's words resonate for me. She says it well.

Here on DU, we got the triple whammy. The hateful amendment passed in North Carolina, and while many friends and allies were sympathetic and kind, as a member of MIRT and a host of LGBT I had to go to work immediately do troll cleanup, as NOM-inspired sleeper trolls came alive to try to cause trouble between gay DUers and black DUers. We were handling that issue when the president made his announcement, which prompted waves of celebratory OPs. I didn't feel like celebrating, as I was still fighting off tears each time a coworker dropped by my office to express awkward sympathy and disappointment on the passage of the amendment. Right on cue, as soon as the president's announcement hit the news, we began to get "ungrateful homo" posts from the usual suspects on DU.

The combination of NOM trolls trying to start another gay-race war, the oblivious celebration of many of our friends and allies who didn't realize what had just happened in North Carolina, and the barrage of pink pony posts yesterday just shut me down. I worked as long as I could as a MIRT member and host and then I just shut down.

[HillWilliam]

8. I guess NOM didn't get the message that

the NAACP and many, many black pastors were our advocates. WE saw it and we're grateful for their support.

Since when isn't NOM a group of fuckheads anyway?

PS, good work zapping, Yardie. I'm grateful for MIRT. It's a huge job, not due to get any smaller until mid-November.

[mitchtv]

5. I remember being unable to celebrate Obama winning the presidency

because propH8 won also, more bitter than sweet

[nofurylike]

6. gee. how's that feel? any empathy that is what happens every single time

President Obama makes unprecedented, and heretofore undreamt of, progress for us, and so many here immediately dump on it? every single time ....

yeah, no, i don't imagine so.

[Capt. Obvious]

7. 3-3 was the vote on this

[William769]

9. This was our vote.

[yardwork]

10. Your concern is noted. You can continue elsewhere on DU.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. 2004 Oregon passed such an amendment. In 2008, California did it. These are my two States.

The right wing was out in force then too. Lots of lies and hate got spread to get these bigoted laws in place. Many people worked hard and typed furiously to make sure the truth was hidden and ignorance ruled....