I'll say it, I've repeated said that I've been disappointed with the President's progress towards LGBT equality. Don't get it twisted, yes I love me some Barack but I've always thought he could do more. But then I just read a list of items Obama has accomplished in his first year in the White House and I must admit I'm somewhat impressed. This list, compiled by DNC Treasurer Andrew Tobias, reflects the1. Reversed an inexcusable US position by signing the UN Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
2. Extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
3. Endorsed the Baldwin-Lieberman bill, The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009, to provide full partnership benefits to federal employees
4. Signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act
5. Lifted the HIV Entry Ban effective January 2010
6. Released the first Presidential PRIDE proclamation since 2000
7. Hosted the first LGBT Pride Month Celebration in White House history
8. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King
9. Appointed the first transgender DNC member in history
10. Issued diplomatic passports, and provided other benefits, to the partners of same-sex foreign service employees
To see the entire list please go here. I must admit, I was glad to see so many different accomplishments compiled in one place. Maybe now people can stop saying that our President isn't doing anything. While I would like to see more it is not fair to say that he is indifferent to or has done nothing for the LGBT community. I think the list above refutes that.
1 comment:
Thanks for posting what he has done for the community, to hear it from so many other gay blog's and gay pundits, he has done less than Bush did and is actually an enemy of progress and equality. While, I'm all for the glbt agenda 100%, I wish he would have done more about job creation, where from all points he has done nothing, but, I have to keep telling myself, he can't fix 8 years of a disaster in a year, and, I have to give the guy time, although the clock is ticking with the midterms coming up which will shape the rest of his agenda.
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