President Obama Captures National Media Attention with Call to Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
January 29, 2010
Mainstream media reported extensively this week about President Obama’s call to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell during his first State of the Union address:
“This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”
The possible repeal gained further attention on Thursday after Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell announced that the Defense Department will hear testimony on Tuesday from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, that will “identify specific steps the military will take before the law is changed to lessen the impact on a force fighting two wars.”
MSNBC added to that report with speculation that the military might adopt an “interim policy” before full repeal of the law that could “ease the number of discharges and investigations that take place under the policy.”
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Department of Justice Intervenes in Title IX Lawsuit over Anti-Gay Bullying
January 21, 2010
On January 14th, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit against the Mohawk Central School District of New York for its failure to protect a gender non-conforming gay male student, who was the target of his classmates’ ongoing verbal harassment and bullying for his gender expression.
Since last week, when NPR’s Ari Shapiro provided the first in-depth report of the news, media coverage of the DOJ’s momentous decision has rocketed, since the motion rests upon an exceptional, though not unprecedented, argument that Title IX’s gender discrimination protections apply to gender identity as well.
The student (Jacob) and his father originally brought suit against the District and officials at Jarvis Jr./Sr. High School in August 2009 with the help of the New York Civil Liberties Union. NPR reported some of the harassment Jacob routinely faced at school:
According to court papers, kids threw food at him and told him to get a sex change. One student pulled out a knife and threatened to string Jacob up the flagpole. A teacher allegedly told Jacob to “hate himself every day until he changed.”
While the original private suit was seeking monetary damages for the negligence of school officials, the Wellesville Daily Reporter noted, “The Justice Department’s legal filing states the government is entering the case against Mohawk to ensure ‘district-wide relief for all district students’ in the future.”
“It’s a significant and welcomed returned presence by the Department of Justice to these issues [of civil rights for LGBT people],” Lambda Legal’s Hayley Gorenberg told Main Justice.
NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman told NBC Affiliate WKTV:
This means that there will be an independent assessment of the school district’s commitment and procedures to ensure that every child who goes there, has a right to go there in a safe and nurturing environment, and it will ensure, I hope, that there is an end to homophobic bullying and harassment the school district has yet to get a handle on.
LGBT advocates are also hopeful that a federal court decision in Jacob’s favor will lead to a broader interpretation of Title IX in future cases of harassment based on gender non-conforming behavior or self-expression. The National Center for Transgender Equality applauded the DOJ’s involvement in their announcement.
Superintendent of Schools Joyce Caputo issued a statement that, “While the district cannot comment on the details of a pending lawsuit, our staff and administration are committed to doing everything in their power to prevent bullying and promote tolerance.”
The full text of the DOJ’s motion to intervene can be found on the Main Justice website.
We will continue to keep you updated about media coverage related to these efforts to combat school bullying and harassment and to offer gender non-conforming people new access to legal protections.
Related Posts:Obama’s Appointment of Transgender Advisor Signals Progress in Policy but Highlights Pitfalls of Some Media Coverage
January 5, 2010
President Obama has appointed Amanda Simpson as Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce, making her the first openly transgender presidential appointee in the U.S. As national news coverage of her nomination increases, we are seeing reports that run the gamut from full and fair descriptions of her life and work, to defamatory headlines promoting sensationalized conceptions of transgender people.
According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, where Simpson has served as a board member for the past three years, she brings 30 years of experience working in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona.
In NCTE’s press release Simpson said:
”I’m truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me. And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others.”
Autumn Sandeen provides a thorough commentary on Simpson’s appointment in her blog on Pam’s House Blend.
ABC News.com published a brief but fair article emphasizing that “it was her merits, not gender identity, that got her the Commerce job.”
ABC quoted Simpson discussing the obstacles she may face as she takes on her new position, “I’d rather not be the first, but someone has to be first, or among the first. I think I’m experienced and very well qualified to deal with anything that might show up because I’ve broken barriers at lots of other places, and I always win people over with who I am and what I can do.”
In contrast to this respectful coverage, other media outlets including the New York Post, and to some degree, the New York Daily News, resorted to problematic headlines. The Post identified Simpson as “sex-change gal,” and The Daily News unnecessarily publicized her assigned name alongside her chosen name in reporting her appointment. Both outlets also used the problematic phrase, “sex change,” and The Post used the defamatory term, “tranny,” in a photo caption. These articles highlight the vital need to continue educating reporters about how to improve their coverage of transgender-related news topics. In 2008, The American Journalism Review published this overview of the common pitfalls of reporting in this area and how the landscape will hopefully continue to change for the better.
We encourage readers to contact the Post and the Daily News and voice concerns about their coverage of this story:
New York Post Executive Editor: Jesse Angelo, jangelo@nypost.com
New York Daily News: voicers@edit.nydailynews.com.
Please include this link to GLAAD’s Transgender Terminology Guide in your email. Please also ensure that your emails are civil and respectful and do not engage in any kind of name-calling or abusive behavior.
GLAAD will continue our outreach to these news outlets about their problematic coverage.
Related Posts:President Obama Signs Expanded Federal Hate Crimes Bill into Law
October 28, 2009
As President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act at the White House this afternoon, civil rights advocates and the families of those who have been victims of anti-LGBT hate crimes expressed their pride and thanks for the promise of federal consequences for any and all such future crimes, while noting that this landmark is not an endpoint.
First introduced in 1996 after the brutal killing of college student Matthew Shepard, the bill passed the senate on October 22 with a 68-29 vote, and has finally landed on the President’s desk after a 13-year struggle. It is now a federal hate crime to assault an individual based on the person’s actual or perceived gender, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation. As NPR’s Ari Shapiro reported, the new law will also allow the Justice Department to help state and local officials prosecute hate crimes by providing funding and personnel assistance.
Later this evening, President Obama will host a signing ceremony in the East Room, accompanied by Attorney General Eric Holder, LGBT advocates, lawmakers, and families of past hate crime victims. In addition to Matthew Shepard’s family, the families of Sean Kennedy and Jimmy Wheeler – both victims of anti-gay beatings which led to their deaths – will also be in attendance.
While President Obama reserved extensive commentary about the signing until this evening’s event, he prefaced it by saying:
“After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we’ve passed inclusive hate-crime legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray, or who they are.”
Jimmy’s mother, Susan Wheeler, appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room on Tuesday and shared her feelings on the legislation: “I feel like this is a triumph for not just members of the gay community, but for us a civilization. It shows that we value all life.”
Sean’s mother, Elke Kennedy, who has received media training and advice from GLAAD during the past two years she has spent educating communities and schools about LGBT harassment and violence, told CNN, “This is a huge milestone, but it is not the end of the fight.”
In GLAAD’s statement today, president Jarrett Barrios said of the law’s passage:
“This is a landmark step in eliminating the kind of hate motivated violence that has taken the lives of so many in our community including Brandon Teena, Matthew Shepard, Fred Martinez, Gwen Araujo, Sakia Gunn, Sean Kennedy, Angie Zapata, Duanna Johnson, Lateisha Green and so many others. The visibility of these tragic losses and the conversations that they sparked brought us to today’s historic step toward ending this violence.”
You can view GLAAD’s full statement here.
Related Posts:Media and National Orgs React to New DOJ Brief Defending DOMA
August 18, 2009
Obama administration lawyers filed a legal briefing on Monday that defends the so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),’ though the brief notes that the administration finds the policy “discriminatory.” The filing challenges a lawsuit by Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer (Smelt v. United States), who charge that the act is unconstitutional.
President Obama was scrutinized by LGBT rights advocates last June after a similar briefing was filed and in which Department of Justice lawyers linked marriage for same-sex couples to incest and pedophilia.
The Associated Press writes in an article published Monday that the President claims his decision to defend DOMA “is not about defending traditional marriage, but is instead about defending traditional legal practice.” President Obama maintains that he intends to repeal DOMA, but insists that the repeal come by way of Congressional legislation rather than court rulings.
Though Monday’s brief is a marked improvement from the June filing, LGBT organizations remain cautious in their praise.
Lambda Legal — a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT people – issued a statement that both lauds and criticizes the Obama administration:
Lambda Legal and other LGBT groups had serious conversations with the administration after the first brief was filed and we appreciate the progress made since then. But, clearly, serious conversation must continue.
But perhaps one of the more remarkable facets of the filing is the DOJ’s declaration that DOMA is in no way a federal tool meant to “protect” children, as some anti-LGBT groups insist:
The United States does not believe that DOMA is rationally related to any legitimate government interests in procreation and child-rearing and is therefore not relying upon any such interests to defend DOMA’s constitutionality.
Indeed, as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) applauded in a statement released on Monday, the filing even “repudiates the argument that sexual orientation has anything to do with the ability to parent”:
Since DOMA was enacted, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Medical Association, and the Child Welfare League of America have issued policies opposing restrictions on lesbian and gay parenting because they concluded, based on numerous studies, that children raised by gay and lesbian parents are as likely to be well-adjusted as children raised by heterosexual parents.
Blogger Chris Geidner reflected on the significance of the DOJ briefing in regards to LGBT parenting on his blog LawDork.net:
The U.S. Department of Justice took a strong stand today for LGBT equality in at least one portion of its brief in Smelt v. United States, the portion related to LGBT parenting.
Geidner makes an interesting point in wondering if the DOJ briefing will now hold any leverage in future court rulings about LGBT adoption, for instance. Florida’s Supreme Court will hear one such case later this month in which a gay couple is fighting for adoption rights and Geidner asserts that “the DOJ statements certainly will be included in briefing for the likely appeal before Florida’s Supreme Court.”
GLAAD will continue to monitor the media’s coverage of developments surrounding DOMA.
Related Posts:President Obama Honors Harvey Milk & Billie Jean King with Medal of Freedom
August 13, 2009
As GLAAD previously reported, The White House announced late last month that 16 “agents of change” would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Among the recipients were two openly gay and lesbian people, slain San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, and tennis legend Billie Jean King. President Obama held the official ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday, August 12.
The New York Times, USA Today, and other national news media outlined the prodigious accomplishments of the recipients and highlighted the significance of Milk’s legacy.
The President used Milk’s own words in his remarks about the LGBT leader:
“His name was Harvey Milk, and he was here to recruit us – all of us – to join a movement and change a nation,” the president said, evoking a call that Milk would use at political rallies, “In the brief time in which he spoke – and ran and led – his voice stirred the aspirations of millions of people.”
When speaking of King’s accomplishments, the president highlighted her tennis titles, but said that she was really there because of her activism “off-the-court.” President Obama went on to say that “what [King] did to broaden the reach of the game, to change how women athletes and women everywhere view themselves, and to give everyone — regardless of gender or sexual orientation — including my two daughters — a chance to compete both on the court and in life.”
CNN had live coverage of King receiving her medal as well as Stuart Milk, nephew of Harvey Milk, receiving his uncle’s medal:
In an article titled “President Obama Grants Medals to Milk, King,” the Politico.com delved deeper into the event’s significance to the LGBT community.
Writers Alexander Burns and Carol E. Lee acknowledged frustration from some about the Obama Administration’s progress on LGBT issues, such as the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the President’s stance on marriage protections for same-sex couples. The article includes a quote from King, who says she is willing to give the President some more time, however. King notes, “Civil unions, I think we have to get there first. I agree with him…I want to get that done, and then I want to the next step.”
King was also interviewed for a piece by CBS News titled “Billie Jean King More Than Great Tennis.” The article celebrates King’s historical weight as an icon for women’s rights. King addressed her famed “Battle of the Sexes” match against Bobby Riggs, saying, “It’s about history. It’s about changing the way the world thinks.”
On Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor featured a segment in which host Bill O’Reilly, Monica Crowley, and Alan Colmes opined whether or not the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients were ‘worthy’ of receiving the esteemed honor — Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King were both put up to judgment.
Crowley expressed her approval of the choice of Harvey Milk because of his promotion of equal rights. She did say, however, that she believes that the Milk choice “has a political tinge to it.” Crowley also nodded her approval to the choice of Billie Jean King, though she only highlighted the tennis player’s athletic prowess and disregarded King’s sexual orientation when O’Reilly brought it up.
Cindi Creager, GLAAD’s Director of National News, applauded the media’s coverage of this event. She said:
Related Posts:“Its encouraging to see this much national news coverage devoted to the LGBT angle of the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony. It highlights the growing interest in stories that affect LGBT lives. Media reports about this honor bestowed on Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King spotlight their immense historical contributions to bringing our community closer to full equality and allow viewers to see a full range of presidential award worthy heroes.”
President Obama to Honor Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King With Presidential Medal of Freedom
July 30, 2009
President Obama today announced the 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. Among those honored will be LGBT rights pioneer, Harvey Milk, as well as openly lesbian tennis champion and gender equality activist, Billie Jean King.
Milk and King are the first openly LGBT people to be honored by the distinguished prize.
The Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural, or other significant public or private endeavors.
In a statement released Thursday, President Obama expounded on the prodigious accomplishments achieved by the honorees:
Each [of the recipients] has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way. Their relentless devotion to breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens sets a standard to which we all should strive. It is my great honor to award them the Medal of Freedom.
Others presidential honorees include Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), South African activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Reverend Joseph Lowery, all of whom have championed LGBT equality across the globe. Tutu was honored by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) in April 2008 for his remarkable strides to end homophobia.
Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, an organization devoted to “identifying, training and electing LGBT leaders to all levels of office in every corner of America,” noted the significance of the president’s selection of Harvey Milk:
We are thrilled President Obama is honoring Harvey Milk with the Medal of Freedom. He’s an American hero and trailblazer whose election more than 30 years ago triggered a political awakening that inspires us still today. This recognition sends an important message about how critical political leadership will be in making all Americans equal in the eyes of the law.
The eleven other laureates are Nancy Goodman Brinker, Pedro José Greer, Jr., Stephen Hawking, Jack Kemp, Joe Medicine Crow, Sandra Day O’Connor, Sidney Poitier, Chita Rivera, Mary Robinson, Janet Davison Rowley, and Muhammad Yunus.
GLAAD will continue to watch for more coverage on the Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Senate Votes to Advance Hate Crimes Bill
July 17, 2009
As GLAAD reported yesterday, the Senate took up the issue of hate crimes this week. Late Thursday night the Senate voted 63-28 to end debate on the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the Associated Press reports. The act was adopted as an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill and broadens hate crimes legislation to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disabilities.
The Advocate reports that President Obama, who supports the Matthew Shepard Act, has threatened to veto the Department of Defense authorization bill because of the $1.75 billion in funding for F-22 fighter jets. White House spokesperson Shin Inouye said:
“The President has long supported the hate crimes bill and gave his personal commitment to Judy Shepard that we will enact an inclusive bill. Unfortunately, the President will have to veto the Defense Authorization bill if it includes wasteful spending for additional F-22s… A Presidential veto would not indicate any change in President Obama’s commitment to seeing the hate crimes bill enacted.”
A Senate aide said that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is confident that the legislation will pass. The aide said that the vote on the Matthew Shepard Act was good and that “Senator Reid is hopeful that we can keep this language in the final bill.”
The Department of Defense authorization bill could go up for a vote as early as Monday.
GLAAD will continue to monitor media coverage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Related Posts:NY Senator May Propose Moratorium on DADT
July 14, 2009
Online news aggregator The Daily Beast reports that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) may amend a Defense reauthorization bill to include an 18-month moratorium on the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. The bill may be taken up by the Senate as early as Tuesday.
When CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked President Obama on Monday about the 1993 law that bars LGBT people from serving openly in the armed forces, President Obama replied with a firm “I want to see this law changed.”
That statement drew tough criticism from LGBT advocates, like John Aravosis, author of AMERICAblog, who cried foul on the President’s word choice of “change” rather than “repeal.” Aravosis accuses the President of subtly recanting his campaign promise to fully repeal DADT, and instead believes that the Obama administration will fall short of a full repeal and simply edit the existing law.
In any case, the President has often expressed his opposition to the policy, but rarely has he given any indication as to when it is likely to be overturned. When Anderson Cooper asked the President about a timeframe for “the change,” the President insisted:
I’d like to see it done sooner rather than later and we’ve begun a process to not only work it through congress but also to make sure that the Pentagon has thought through all the ramifications of how this would be most effective.
The Obama administration has faced scrutiny recently from LGBT leaders who criticize the President’s hesitation in fulfilling his campaign promises to the community. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has become an especially contentious subject after the University of California at Santa Barbara’s ‘Palm Center’ pointed out that the President has proper authority under the law to suspend DADT during a time of war. President Obama, however, has stressed that he only supports repealing the policy through congressional legislation.
Sen. Gillibrand’s amendment, if passed, could expedite an end to the policy in a fashion that suits the president’s wishes while simultaneously granting congress time to consider more permanent revisions.
Meanwhile The Advocate reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will support the amendment and even believes Sen. Gillibrand’s proposal could be improved. “I would make it permanent,” Sen. Reid commented. The Advocate also purports that “several other senators” are deliberating the opportunity to present the amendment in the Senate.
GLAAD will continue to monitor the media’s coverage of the White House’s stance on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’.
Related Posts:Incoming GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios Statement on White House Event to Commemorate Stonewall
June 29, 2009
New York, NY, June 29, 2009 – Jarrett Barrios, incoming President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), today joined fellow lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates as well as President Obama and Mrs. Obama at a reception to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 — when patrons at a New York city gay bar fought back against police brutality and harassment and set in motion a wave of activism.
“It was an honor to take part in this important event for the gay and transgender community with fellow advocates and my 17-year old son,” said Jarrett Barrios, incoming President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and former Massachusetts state Senator. “Today’s event, the first time that Stonewall was commemorated by the White House, was a symbol of the fact that the administration recognizes our community at a time when there has been growing frustration about his administration’s seeming reticence to follow through on campaign promises.”
“During his speech today, President Obama said that the road to equality is not only about changing laws, but about changing hearts. Indeed, legal advances are vitally important, but full equality requires us to move our culture – through conversations, living openly in our communities, and through media representations- to a place where gay and transgender Americans are accepted and understood.
“Our community will continue to advocate and will be watching closely to ensure Obama makes good on the promises he discussed today and during the campaign. At the heart of the issues discussed today are everyday Americans who want the same chance as everyone else to earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country, and take care of the ones they love.”
Related Posts:GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios Pens Washington Post Op-ed on Stonewall
June 29, 2009
WashingtonPost.com is running an opinion piece by Jarrett Barrios – former Massachusetts state Senator and incoming President of GLAAD – about his attendance at today’s White House event with President Obama commemorating the anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Read an excerpt here:
“I have to admit I was ambivalent when I received the invitation, with its fancy curlicue script (truly, just like my sister’s wedding announcement) and a return address that read simply “The White House.” The problem is that I haven’t been as excited as I’d like to be about President Obama. I’d been excited by Candidate Obama. His campaign invited people like me and my husband Doug — gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans — into his aspirational vision of America the Possible. But, as President Obama, he has presided over an administration that has stumbled — sometimes symbolically, sometimes substantially — in its commitment to include us on the agenda.”
…
“When I told my 17-year-old son Javier about the reception, he could sense that I was torn. From across the dinner table, he looked straight at me: “Papi, you need to go to the White House, and you need to take me. It’s the President.” Not persuaded by that one, kid. “It’s the President, and he needs to see our family, too. To remind him that we’re counting on him.”
Click here to read the full article.
Related Posts:LGBT Rights Pioneer Dr. Frank Kameny to Address U.S. Office of Personnel Management 52 Years after Being Fired for Being Gay
June 24, 2009
Dr. Frank Kameny, 84, will be celebrated today at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington 52 years after Kameny was fired from his federal job because of his sexual orientation. Kameny will also speak on LGBT rights and the progress of the movement at today’s commemoration.
In 1956 Kameny earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University and soon thereafter obtained a position with the U.S. Army Map Service in Washington. Dr. Kameny was fired in 1957 after investigators discovered that he is gay. Dr. Kameny then committed his life to overturning laws that prohibited LGB people from federal employment. In 1975 Dr. Kameny finally saw the fruits of his activism when the Civil Service Commission announced it would no longer exclude LGB people from government employment.
Dr. Kameny’s allegiance to the LGBT community has been unabated ever since. Kameny is accredited with founding the Washington D.C. chapter of the Mattachine Society, having coined the slogan “Gay is Good,” persuading the American Psychiatric Association to remove “homosexuality” from its list of mental disorders, and became cofounder of the National Gay Task Force and Gay Rights National Lobby.
John Berry, Chief of the OPM, will honor Dr. Kameny today at 11:30 A.M. EST in an event that will be streamed live online.
GLAAD congratulates Dr. Kameny on his prodigious accomplishments and thanks him for his ongoing devotion to achieving LGBT equality.
The live webcast is available here.
Additionally, you may view the captioning for the webcast here.
Related Posts:National Media Analyze Presidential Memo on Benefit Package for Same-Sex Partners of Federal Employees
June 18, 2009
President Obama signed a memorandum on Wednesday that extends limited benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees.
Among those benefits is the right for a same-sex partner to use American medical facilities abroad as well as the right for a federal employee to take a leave of absence to nurse a sick partner or non-biological child to health.
Healthcare and retirement benefits, however, are precluded from the President’s package leaving some LGBT advocates dissatisfied with both yesterday’s memorandum and the President’s hesitance to fulfill his LGBT campaign promises.
Rachel Maddow covered the breaking news on her MSNBC program this past Tuesday:
An editorial in The New York Times, published on Wednesday, candidly exposed the discrimination rooted in excluding same-sex partners from federal healthcare and retirement packages:
Since benefits are an important part of employment compensation, gay people are effectively being paid less than their heterosexual peers for doing the same work.
The Times went on to clarify that while the new benefits are certainly a mark of progress, it is still “impossible to ignore how much of the glass is not full” and urged President Obama to fulfill his campaign pledges and “work to allow gay people to serve openly in the military and to persuade Congress to bar discrimination against gay people in employment.”
Similarly, in a June 18 article, “Gay Couples Express Hope over Benefits Extension,” The Washington Post profiled three gay and lesbian federal employees, all of whom are hoping for further action on the parts of the President and U.S. congress:
Jamie Price, a lawyer with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said she hopes Obama’s action will “perhaps spur Congress” into approving the bipartisan legislation that would provide domestic partners of federal workers the same benefits as the spouses of federal employees.
President Obama has expressed his full support for such legislation.
Although the President did not directly address transgender people in his speech yesterday, the National Center for Transgender Equality reported on Wednesday that:
Officials [NCTE] spoke with today reconfirmed that the decision is firm that the new guidelines to agencies and departments will make clear that discrimination based on gender identity and expression is forbidden under civil service policies and that the policy will be enforced by this Administration.
The Associated Press reported that John Berry, head of the Office of Personnel Management and the highest ranking gay person in the Obama administration declared yesterday’s memorandum to be “a first step – not a final step” in President Obama’s pursuit of LGBT equality.
The blogosphere is also full of praise and criticism of President Obama’s federal employee memorandum.
Leonard Hirsch penned a thankful note to the Administration on Thursday via Bilerico.com:
Thank you, President Obama and your team (you know who you are). Thank you, Secretary Clinton and GLIFAA (Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies) for taking an important lead on these issues during this Administration.
Though Hirsch goes on to say “We still have much to do for LGBT equality and to eliminate hate, discrimination and harassment in our society and our laws” – a point of clarification that Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, took up in her Huffington Post piece, “Our Moral Imperative.”
In the piece, Carey admonished last week’s Department of Justice brief that defended the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) saying it was “not merely disappointing, it was a public abrogation of the promise of equality the president himself embraced as a candidate.” She goes on to list dozens of policies on which the President can take immediate action in a move toward LGBT equality. Carey does give credit where it is due, echoing White House officials in calling the President’s memorandum ‘a first step’.
Bilerico.com went on to publish the transcripts of yesterday’s White House press briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, during which Press Secretary Gibbs was pressed for answers on several LGBT issues. Among the most noteworthy of responses was one in which a timeline for the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was disclosed:
Q: Okay. And on-just one more time on DOMA, “don’t ask, don’t tell” timeline, does the President want to see that overturned in this Congress? I mean, is there a plan to do that in this Congress?
MR. GIBBS: I think, as Senator Reid said, it’s something we can do in this Congress and it’s something that the President is working with members of Congress, working with-on “don’t ask, don’t tell,” working with the Pentagon to ensure that that happens. Yes, ma’am.
GLAAD will continue to monitor media reports of the Obama Administration’s stance and actions on LGBT issues.
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Related Posts:Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao’s Story Covered By MSNBC, Online Media
May 8, 2009
As a result of yesterday’s blog post featuring Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao and her handwritten letter from President Obama, media outlets and interested online users alike have taken notice and have begun including Sandy’s story in the public debate over the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military ban.
Thousands of people came here to read about Sandy’s story, and online outlets like The Huffington Post featured links back to the post or included information about Sandy when discussing other cases of DADT.
We had also pitched the breaking news about President Obama’s handwritten letter over to MSNBC producers at The Rachel Maddow Show. Producers immediately took interest and Rachel Maddow shared Sandy’s incredible news as the lead story.
You can watch the piece below:
Rachel Maddow followed Sandy’s story with that of First Lieutenant Dan Choi, who was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell for coming out as gay on an earlier show. Choi is also the founder of Knights Out, an organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) US military academy alumni and their supporters.
Here is video from his previous appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show:
Please continue to check back as we continue to ensure fair, accurate and inclusive coverage on this issue. I will be working closely with Sandy, Dan and others in the immediate future to share their stories and show the public the emotional toll Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has played on these soldiers’ lives.
Assessment of White House Faith-Based Council Members
April 8, 2009
Harry Knox
Fred Davie
- Nancy Ratzan, Board Chair of National Council of Jewish Women in Miami. Her organization publically supports civil liberties for LGBT people.
- Rabbi David N. Saperstein Director of Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism with an LGBT rights program that is challenging Prop. 8 in California
Nancy Ratzan
- Dr. William J. Shaw, President of National Baptist Convention, USA. Shaw opposed a constitutional ban on marriage for gay couples but does not believe the Bible supports it. The NBC web page says most members are against gay people.
- Rev. Jim Wallis, Executive Director of Sojourners. Wallis sometimes speaksout against homophobia and condemns violence against gay people, but prioritizes poverty, peace and environmental issues over LGBT concerns.
Rabbi David Saperstein and Hillary Rodham Clinton (L) Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images
- Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of Disciples of Christ Church. Disciples of Christ’s LGBT group lauded Watkins for her commitment to “inclusion and acceptance” but Watkins is not outspoken on LGBT issues.
While the new faith-based council also includes leaders who are viewed as opponents of LGBT rights-Dr. Frank S. Page, Pastor Joel C. Hunter, Richard Stearns and Bishop Charles Blake-social progressives like Dr. Arturo Chavez, Diane Baillargeon, Eboo S. Patel, and Melissa Rogers may turn out to be supportive.
Historic Black church leaders like Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie, Rev. Otis Moss, and Dr. William J. Shaw may be supportive out of their prophetic justice traditions but may feel constrained by constituents who do not support LGBT rights.
Catholic priest, Larry J. Snyder, will have to decide whether to follow the majority of US Catholics who accept same-sex relationships and the Vatican’s official stance. Big Brothers and Big Sisters CEO, Judith N. Vredenburgh, works with a backdrop of debate a few years about gay volunteers but they emerged with a non-discrimination policy.
Former NFL coach and anti-gay evangelical Tony Dungy was invited to participate on the council but declined Obama’s invitation due to scheduling conflicts. His nomination to the council caused an outcry from groups like People for the American Way because of his campaigning for a ballot initiative in Indiana that banned same-sex marriage.
For the full list of the advisory council’s members, visit the White House’s official website.
