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An Open Letter to Barack Obama

Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lorri L. Jean has a few words for President Barack Obama, who visits California one day after the California Supreme Court ruled to uphold Prop 8.


Dear President Obama:

Welcome to California, Mr. President. I welcome you with a heavy heart because of the California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Prop. 8, relegating same-sex couples to second class status and denying us that most noble promise of America, "liberty and justice for all."

You are arriving in Los Angeles on the heels of emotional demonstrations throughout California and our nation and your silence at such a time speaks volumes. LGBT people and our allies have the "audacity to hope" for a country that treats us fairly and equally and for a President with the will to stand up for those ideals. From you we expect nothing less.

We know the country faces many serious challenges and we have strived to be patient. We've waited for the slightest sign you would live up to your promise to be a "fierce advocate" for our equal rights while watching gay and lesbian members of the armed forces, who have never been more needed, get discharged from the military. And so far you have done nothing. No stop loss order. No call to cease such foolish and discriminatory actions that make our nation less safe.

You pledged to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, Mr. President. You promised to support a "complete repeal" of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and pledged to advocate for legislation that would give same-sex couples the 1,100+ federal rights and benefits we are denied, including the same rights to social security benefits. You said, "federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples."

What of those promises, Mr. President?

Your commitment to repeal DOMA has been removed from the White House website. Your promise to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" was removed and then replaced with a watered-down version. And in the aftermath of yesterday's California Supreme Court ruling, you have remained silent while your press secretary summarily dismisses questions about the issue.

We not only need to hear from our President, we need his action. And we need it now.

We need your words, Mr. President. But we also need your deeds. We expect you to fulfill the promises you made to us. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us, "Justice too long delayed is justice denied." Do not delay, Mr. President. The time for action is now.

Sincerely,

Lorri L. Jean
Chief Executive Officer
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

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Reader Comments
  • Name: PJR
    Date posted: 6/1/2009 2:32:00 PM
    Hometown: Michigan

    Comment:

    Donna - are you able to write a post without the heterophobic hate contained?? I'm not "angry, ignorant and oppositional" and your constant namecalling as your every response to my facts and points would really just mirror your own characteristics. Hatefully telling people they are haters is telling! "Physician, Heal Thyself!"

  • Name: Laura
    Date posted: 6/1/2009 12:42:00 PM
    Hometown: Columbus

    Comment:

    Thanks for writing this letter. The president needs to seriously consider our needs as a nation. His silence on the issue only adds to the noise and confusion. He needs to step up and start acting on these injustices!

  • Name: Donna
    Date posted: 6/1/2009 4:28:00 AM
    Hometown: Long Beach

    Comment:

    PJR: I'll "ponder" if you seriously consider getting some therapy. Being that angry, ignorant, and oppositional will not serve you well in this life. Are you one of those people who must always have the last word? We'll see.

  • Name: PJR
    Date posted: 5/31/2009 11:04:00 PM
    Hometown: Michigan

    Comment:

    Jason - Facts are I might care about you the most. Enablers don't care. Tough Love cares! Gays are making a huge mistake trying to redefine marriage just to soothe a guilt complex. Sorry, consider that gays are such a minority that they depend on the traditional heterosexual institution of Marriage and the resulting traditional family's great Love and it's proven tolerance, if gays in a society are to not be oppressed. Thus it's all too ironic that the gay would oppress the traditional heterosexual institution Marriage, and weaken society! Ponder!

  • Name: Jason
    Date posted: 5/31/2009 9:14:00 PM
    Hometown: Indiana

    Comment:

    PJR- I am done. I am sorry, but I can't keep banging my head on a wall. I hope you reread the messages that others have left you. I feel that you do NOT care about us at all. I will pray that you get help some day. Patrick-Thank you

  • Name: PJR
    Date posted: 5/30/2009 8:55:00 PM
    Hometown: Michigan

    Comment:

    If this post even get posted, it's just to note that The Advocate moderator has been editing and deleting my posts and post points. Apparently I'm making too much sense and he'd rather have the heterophobic hate mail coming from the gay agenda side! Guess if you can't post without gay intolerant censorship there's really not any point to trying to discuss. Oh, Donna, Steve's list of books/articles are not mainstream or credible, and most don't even apply to gay marriage rather discussions on tolerance with very poor work. For instance, just take Boswell since Steve referred to him twice. He's a gay agenda writer who had real problems with the Catholic Church, and his work is not at all considered credible by anyone but the "gay theology" folks who think it help justify gay as ok for Christianity. Ridiculous stuff! And RMS, "filth"?? Nice heterophobic hateraid! The rest was a fog and hard to understand, but recognizable as heterophobic hate none-the-less!

  • Name: RMS
    Date posted: 5/30/2009 8:20:00 PM
    Hometown: Nowhere

    Comment:

    PJR..You are filth and what makes heaven here on earth hell and will be washed away with your antics and false beliefs. only I don't believe in satan so you do even not exhist to me and those who are Angels among my fellows. You have condemed yourself to your own prison and there you will stay as you die a slow death of ignorance. Period.

  • Name: Donna
    Date posted: 5/30/2009 12:44:00 AM
    Hometown: Long Beach

    Comment:

    PJR, Have you nothing better to do than to write nonsense and ignore the truth? Try reading Steve's (Denton, TX) post regarding the history of marriage; interesting and informative. You simply refer to historical evidence as ridiculous stuff. I won't name call but rather suggest that there's something much more productive you could be doing with your hands versus writing ignorant posts. And to Jeff (Birmingham, AL): Thank you for addressing Obama. This man is in office due to eloquence and top notch bullshitting. He's part of the corrupt Chicago machine and could care less about our community. I didn't, nor will ever, vote for this man. As you said, the objective is bigger government and mindless sheep that do little more than cash gov't checks. Gay or straight, we have to vote with our minds and not our emotions. Less government and more independent thinking will save this country from the direction Obama's going..

  • Name: PJR
    Date posted: 5/29/2009 9:32:00 PM
    Hometown: Michigan

    Comment:

    the best proof for you that the traditional definition of Marriage is between one man and one woman is that indeed there is a gay agenda and effort to redefine marrriage to include same sex, proof positive that same sex is not accepted as mainstream, obviously.

  • Name: Patrick
    Date posted: 5/29/2009 5:21:00 PM
    Hometown: Milwaukee

    Comment:

    PRJ where are your facts to back up what you say?

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