Washington Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth today canceled plans for a series of policy dinners at her home after learning that marketing fliers offered lobbyists access to Obama administration officials, members of Congress and Post journalists in exchange for payments as high as $250,000.
“Absolutely, I’m disappointed,” Weymouth, the chief executive of Washington Post Media, said in an interview. “This should never have happened. The fliers got out and weren’t vetted. They didn’t represent at all what we were attempting to do. We’re not going to do any dinners that would impugn the integrity of the newsroom.”
And as we all know the scumbuckets who pimped the Iraq war 24/7 have so much integrity.
Moments earlier, Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said in a separate interview that he was “appalled” by the plan, and he insisted before the cancellation that the newsroom would not participate.
“It suggests that access to Washington Post journalists was available for purchase,” Brauchli said. The proposal “promises we would suspend our usual skeptical questioning because it appears to offer, in exchange for sponsorships, the good name of The Washington Post.”
Maybe you should hire Mark Sanford to get it back. He’ll be looking for work shortly, and he’s so sincere.
The fliers, circulated by the paper’s parent company, offering an “intimate and exclusive Washington Post Salon, an off-the-record dinner and discussion at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth.” The fliers, which said participants would be charged $25,000 to sponsor a single salon and $250,000 to underwrite an annual series of 11 sessions, were reported this morning by Politico.
“We do not offer access to the newsroom for money,” Brauchli said. “We just are not in that business.” He told the staff in an e-mail that the newsroom would have no part of this plan, writing: “Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable.”
One such flier said: “Bring your organization’s CEO or executive director literally to the table. Interact with key Obama Administration and Congressional leaders . . . Spirited? Yes. Confrontational? No. The relaxed setting in the home of Katharine Weymouth assures it.” That flier said a July 21 session would involve “Health-care reporting and editorial staff members of The Washington Post . . . An exclusive opportunity to participate in the health-care reform debate among the select few who will actually get it done.”
IOW, a look at how things are actually done in Beltwayville. It’s a cash business donchaknow.
Two Post executives familiar with the planning, who declined to be identified discussing internal planning, said the fliers appear to be the product of overzealous marketing executives. The fliers were overseen by Charles Pelton, a Post executive hired this year as a conference organizer. He was not immediately available for comment.
White House communications director Anita Dunn said today that The Post Co. had approached officials at the Health and Human Services Department to participate in a Weymouth dinner later this month. But, she said, “no senior Obama administration officials had accepted any invitation for the ’salon.’”
Translation: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman — Ms. Dunn!”
Weymouth knew of the plans to host small dinners at her home and to charge lobbying and trade organizations for participation. But, one of the executives said, she believed that there would be multiple sponsors, to minimize any appearance of charging for access, and that the newsroom would be in charge of the scope and content of any dinners in which Post reporters and editors participated.
Brauchli said he had been involved in discussions, stretching back to last year, about newsroom participation in conferences of the sort commonly staged by major news organizations.
But he said he made clear to the company’s marketing officials that Post journalists would participate only if they could substantially control the nature of any such conference. Brauchli said he was blindsided by the wording of these fliers and that they are an embarrassment to the newspaper.
The truth must always be controlled.
“We expressed our concerns and are disappointed by this outcome,” he said of the previous meetings with Post executives. “I would ascribe it to a lack of effective communication internally.” Brauchli told the staff in his memo that the newsroom would participate in conferences or forums only “in ways that are consistent with our values.”
The aggressively worded pitch gives the impression that The Post is selling access to special interests, not just to administration officials and lawmakers — which raises a separate set of questions about cozy relationships — but to the people who produce the newspaper. The Post often raises questions about whether corporations, unions and trade associations receive access or favors in return for campaign contributions to political candidates.
Love the “often.”
Now the fliers have raised the question of whether the newspaper itself is pursuing such a strategy in exchange for hefty fees from special-interest groups.
Access to Weymouth herself, a granddaughter of longtime publisher Katharine Graham who took over as chief executive of Washington Post Media last year, would be deemed valuable by those trying to influence The Post’s editorial policies and news coverage.
The Post Co. lost $19.5 million in the first quarter and just completed its fourth round of early-retirement buyouts in several years, prompting Weymouth to look for new sources of revenue.
“Many lesbians and gay men supported Mr. Obama’s election, but their leaders have grown increasingly impatient and critical of him as president.”
And as usual gets it ass backwards. The “leaders” have been living up to make excuses while the overwhelming majority of LGBT quasi-citizens are pissed as hell.
The NYT “Money Quote”:
Mr. Obama campaigned on a promise of repealing two policies that are anathema to them: the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal law that allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, and “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which bars gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military. The president has been accused of dragging his feet on both, but especially on “don’t ask, don’t tell” because he could use his executive authority to order the military not to enforce the rule.
In his remarks on Monday, Mr. Obama affirmed his opposition to the policy, saying he believed that “preventing patriotic Americans from serving our country weakens our national security.” But he said he thought the best course was to work with the Pentagon and lawmakers to overturn it.
“As commander in chief,” Mr. Obama said, “I do have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term.”
The explanation seemed to assuage some of his critics.
Richard Socarides advised President Bill Clinton on gay issues and has been deeply critical of Mr. Obama. Mr. Socarides, who watched the event on the White House Web site because he was not invited, said afterward that while he disagreed with the president’s strategy, he respected him for “articulating why and how” he was making his decisions.
“This will buy him some time,” Mr. Socarides said, “but he’ll have to deliver.”
For at least one person at the reception, time is of the essence.
Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, an Air Force officer who is facing expulsion proceedings after someone informed his superiors that he is gay, attended the reception as a guest of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which is challenging the policy. Colonel Fehrenbach said he introduced himself to the president after Mr. Obama spoke.
“I explained that I’m being thrown out as we speak, and that there was a sense of urgency for me,” Colonel Fehrenbach said. “He looked me in the eye and he said, ‘We’re going to get this done.”
And you believed him? You’re dead, son — go get yourself buried.
FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA
[*] B. OBAMA: Hello, everybody. Hello, hello, hello.
(APPLAUSE)
Hey. Good to see you. I’m waiting for FLOTUS here. FLOTUS always politics more than POTUS.
M. OBAMA: No, you — you move too slow.
(LAUGHTER)
B. OBAMA: It is great to see everybody here today. And there are just — I’ve got a lot of friends in the room, but there are some people I want to specially acknowledge.
First of all, somebody who helped ensure that we are in the White House, Steve Hildebrand. Please give Steve a big round of applause.
Hey, Steve. He’s around here somewhere.
The new chair of the Export-Import Bank, Fred Hochberg. Where is Fred?
(APPLAUSE)
There’s Fred. Good to see you, Fred.
Our director of the Institute of Education Sciences at DOE, John Easton. Where’s John?
(APPLAUSE)
A couple of special friends, Bishop Gene Robinson. Where’s Gene?
(APPLAUSE)
Hey, Gene.
Ambassador Michael Guest is here.
(APPLAUSE)
Ambassador Jim Hormel is here.
APPLAUSE)
Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown is here.
(APPLAUSE)
All of you are here.
(LAUGHTER)
Welcome to your White House.
(APPLAUSE)
“Start somethin’
Louisiana Hayride
No use in callin’ the roll”
Michael Adams, Service and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE)
Mark Agrast, Washington, DC
Madeline Alk, New York, NY
Ron Ansin, Harvard, MA
Judith Appelbaum, Department of Justice
Chip Arndt, Miami Beach, FL
Cornelius Baker, National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition
Tom Barbera, SEIU Lavender Caucus
Andrew Barnett, Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL)
Jarrett Barrios, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Vic Basile, Office of Personnel Management
Christopher Bates, Washington, DC
Michael Bauer, Chicago, IL
Terrance Bean, Portland, OR
Jeremy Bernard, National Endowement for the Humanities
Jennifer Besson, Washington, DC
Dana Beyer, Chevy Chase, MD
David Binder, San Francisco, CA
Elizabeth Birch, Washington, DC
Jeremy Bishop, Pride at Work (AFL-CIO)
David Bohnett, Beverly Hills, CA
Marsha Botzer, Quilcene, WA
Raymond Buckley, DNC Vice-Chair
Eliza Byard, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Christopher Caldwell, Los Angeles, CA
Leslie Calman, Mautner Project
Rea Carey, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Charles Carter, New York, NY
Kevin Cathcart, Lambda Legal
Curtis Chin, Los Angeles, CA
Jennifer Chrisler, Family Equality Council
Jamie Citron, Department of Health and Human Services
Wes Combs, Washington, DC
Roberta Conroy, Santa Monica, CA
Cheryl Cook, Department of Agriculture
Stampp Corbin, San Diego, CA
Michael Council, Columbus, OH
Wilson Cruz, West Hollywood, CA
Mark Davis, Philadelphia, PA Q
Todd Dickinson, Washington, DC
Daniel Dozier, Washington, DC
Ruby Dunning, Washington, DC
Ingrid Duran, Falls Church, VA
Christopher Dyer, Washington, DC Office of LGBT Affairs
Steven Elmendorf, Washington, DC
Fred Eychaner, Chicago, IL
Eric Fanning, Department of Justice Bishop
Yvette Flunder, City of Refuge United Church of Christ
Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides
Rebecca Fox, National Coalition for LGBT Health
R. Brandon Fradd, New York, NY
Daniel Galindo, San Antonio, TX
Adolfo Garay, New York,
N Jesus Garcia, TX LULAC 4871
Joan Garry, Montclair, NJ
Rufus Gifford, Washington, DC
Emily Giske, New York, NY
Mitchell Gold, Hickory, NC
John Gonzalez, Washington, DC
Vernita Gray, Chicago, IL
Chad Griffin, Los Angeles, CA
Patrick Guerriero, Gill Action Hon.
Michael Guest, Former Ambassador
Rebecca Haag, AIDS Action
Steve Hildebrand, Sioux Falls, SD
Gavin Hilgemeier, Federal GLOBE
Leonard Hirsch, Federal GLOBE
Lorilyn Holmes, Federal GLOBE
Clifford Honicker, Knoxville, TN
Conrad Honicker, Knoxville, TN
Gerald Hoose, Stonewall Participant
Ernest Hopkins, Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief
Hon. James Hormel, Former Ambassador
Paul Horning, Atlanta, GA
Brad Hoylman, Village Independent Democrats
Jody Huckaby, Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Kevin Jennings, Department of Education
Jennifer Jones, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Frank Kamney, Washington, DC
Elaine Kaplan, Office of Personnel Management
Paul Kawata, National Minority AIDS Council
Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equity
Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Jacqueline Kittrell, Knoxville, TN
Harry Knox, Human Rights Campaign
Steven Latasa-Nicks, New York, NY
Andre Leon Talley, White Plains, NY
Richard Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Robert Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Rosemary Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Thomas Lopach, Export-Import Bank
Lin Lougheed, Miami Beach, FL
Claire Lucas, Corona del Mar, CA
Glenn Magpantay, Federation of LGBTQ AAPI Organizations
Mary Beth Maxwell, Department of Labor
Lisbeth MelendezRivera, Unid@s
Shannon Minter, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Chance Mitchell, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Mary Morten, Chicago, IL
Babak Movahedi, Miami Beach, FL
David Munar, National Association of People with AIDS
Kevin Naff, Washington Blade
Justin Nelson, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
J. Alexander Nicholson, Servicemembers United
David Noble, NASA
Matt Nosanchuk, Silver Spring, MD
Robyn Ochs, BiNet USA and Bisexual Resource Center
Derek Orr, DC Office of Disability Rights
C. Dixon Osborn, Washington, DC
Kathleen Padilla, Philadelphia, PA
Pari Parker, Washington, DC
Skip Paul, Beverly Hills, CA
Terry Penrod, Columbus, OH
Troy Perry, Founder Metropolitan Community Churches
Thomas Petrillo, Washington, DC
Frank Pond, Los Angeles, CA
Robert Raben, Raben Group
Gautam Raghavan, Department of Defense
Steven Ralls, Washington, DC
Ellen Ratner, Washington, DC
Miriam Redleaf, Chicago, IL
Catherine Renna, Chicago, IL
Dr. Sylvia Rhue, National Black Justice Coalition
Jeffrey Richardson, Washington, DC
Laura Ricketts, Chicago, IL
Anthony Riley, Prince Georges County, MD
Carmen Robello, New York, NY
Bishop Gene Robinson, Diocese of New Hampshire
Hilary Rosen, Washington, DC
David Rosenauer, New York, NY
Renee Rosenfield, New York, NY
Jane Saks, Chicago, IL
Aubrey Sarvis, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Thomas Schmidt, Stonewall Participant
Marsha Scott, Washington, DC
Evan Shapiro, New York, NY
Jonathan Sheffer, New York, NY
Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
Babs Siperstein, Edison, NJ
Melissa Sklarz, National Stonewall Democrats
Mary Snider, Silver Spring, MD
Courtney Snowden, The Raben Group
Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign
Rick Stafford, DNC LGBT Caucus Chair
Eric Stern, UC Berkeley School of Law
Jon Stryker, Kalamazoo, MI
Sally Susman, New York, NY
John Tedstrom, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC)
Kevin Thompson, Seattle, WA
Andrew Tobias, DNC Treasurer
Jeffrey Trammell, Washington, DC
Ted Trimpa, Denver, CO
Gregory Varnum, National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC)
Alex Wagner, Department of Defense
Paquita Wiggins, Beltsville, MD
Phil Wilson, Black AIDS Institute
Peter Wilson, New York, NY
Robert Witeck, Arlington, VA
Chuck Wolfe, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
Tobias Wolff, Philadelphia, PA
(UNKNOWN): (OFF-MIKE) OBAMA: Somebody’s asking for the Lincoln Bedroom here. What — you knew he’s from Chicago, too.
(LAUGHTER)
It’s good to see so many friends and familiar faces. And I deeply appreciate the support I’ve received from so many of you. Michelle appreciates it, and I want you to know that you have our support, as well.
And…
(APPLAUSE)
You have my thanks for the work you do every day in pursuit of equality on behalf of the millions of people in this country who work hard and care about their communities and who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
(APPLAUSE)
Translation: “Thanks for doing what I have neither the will nor the guts to do. And my interest ain’t so hot either.”
“Now, this struggle I don’t need to tell you is incredibly difficult, although I think it’s important to consider the extraordinary progress that we have made. There are unjust laws to overturn and unfair practices to stop. And though we’ve made progress, there are still fellow citizens — perhaps neighbors or even family members and loved ones — who still hold fast to worn arguments and old attitudes, who fail to see your families like their families and who would deny you the rights that most Americans take for granted.”
“And I know this is painful. And I know it can be heartbreaking.”
NO YOU DON’T! You know NOTHING!
And yet all of you continue, leading by the force of the arguments you make, but also by the power of the example that you set in your own lives, as parents and friends, as PTA members and leaders in the community, and that’s important. And I’m glad that so many LGBT families could join us today for…
(APPLAUSE)
… for we know that progress depends not only on changing laws, but also changing hearts and that real, transformative change never begins in Washington.
(CELL PHONE RINGS)
Whose — whose — whose duck back there?
M. OBAMA: It’s a duck.
B. OBAMA: There’s a duck quacking in there somewhere.
(LAUGHTER)
(UNKNOWN): (OFF-MIKE) B. OBAMA: Where do you guys get these ring tones, by the way? I’m just curious.
(LAUGHTER)
Indeed, that’s the story of the movement for fairness and equality, not just for those who are gay, but for all those in our history who’ve been denied the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, who’ve been told that the full blessings and opportunities of this country were closed to them.
It’s the story of progress sought by those who started off with little influence or power, by men and women who brought about change through quiet personal acts of compassion and courage and sometimes defiance wherever and whenever they could. That’s the story of a civil rights pioneer who’s here today, Frank Kameny, who was fired…
(APPLAUSE)
Frank was fired from his job as an astronomer for the federal government simply because he was gay. And in 1965, he led a protest outside the White House, which was at the time both an act of conscience, but also an act of extraordinary courage.
And so we are proud of you, Frank, and we are grateful to you for your leadership.
(APPLAUSE)
Too bad he’s been reduced to the level of a prop.
It’s the story of the Stonewall protests, which took place 40 years ago this week when a group of citizens with few options and fewer supporters decided they’d had enough and refused to accept a policy of wanton discrimination. And two men who were at those protests are here today. Imagine the journey that they’ve traveled.
No YOU try to imagine it, Barry. You can’t.
It’s a story of an epidemic that decimated a community and the gay men and women who came to support one another and save one another, and who continue to fight this scourge, and who’ve demonstrated before the world that different kinds of families can show the same compassion and support in a time of need, that we all share the capacity to love.
So this story, this struggle continues today, for even as we face extraordinary challenges as a nation, we cannot and will not put aside issues of basic equality. We seek…
(APPLAUSE)
We seek an America in which no one feels the pain of discrimination based on who you are or who you love. I know that many in this room don’t believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that. It’s not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-century ago.
The most important of whom was a Big Ol’ Gay Homosexual!
But I say this: We have made progress. And we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I’ve made, but by the promises that my administration keeps. And by the time that you see…
(APPLAUSE)
And “Applause”
We’ve been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration. I (inaudible)
(APPLAUSE)
So we’ve got to wait another seven and a half years?
Neat.
Now, while there is much more work to do, we can point to important changes we’ve already put in place since coming into office. I signed a memorandum requiring all agencies to extend as many federal benefits as possible to LGBT families as current law allows. And these are benefits that will make a real difference for federal employees and foreign service officers who are so often treated as if their families don’t exist.
And I’d like to note that one of the key voices in helping us develop this policy is John Berry, our director of the Office of Personnel Management, who’s here today.
And I want to thank John (inaudible)
(APPLAUSE)
I’ve called on Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act to help end discrimination…
(APPLAUSE)
Same Old Campaign Promises. If you buy them, then might I interest you in a bridge in Brooklyn?
… to help end discrimination against same-sex couples in this country. Now, I want to add, we have a duty to uphold existing law, but I believe we must do so in a way that does not exacerbate old divides.
And fulfilling this duty in upholding the law in no way lessens my commitment to reversing this law. I’ve made that clear.
No your HAVEN’T.
This is as far as he’s willing to go to apologize for the DOJ brief –
which should never have been filed in the first place.
I’m also urging Congress to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, which will guarantee the full range of benefits, including health care, to LGBT couples and their children.
(APPLAUSE)
Separate and unequal. Give it to Mikey !
My administration is also working hard to pass an Employment Non-Discrimination bill and hate crimes bill, and we’re making progress on both fronts.
Judy — Judy and Dennis Shepard, as well as their son, Logan, are here today. I met with Judy in the Oval Office in May.
(APPLAUSE)
And I assured her and I assured all of you that we are going to pass an inclusive hate crimes bill into law, a bill named for their son, Matthew.
(APPLAUSE)
The Shepards are now props.
In addition, my administration’s committed to rescinding the discriminatory ban on entry to the United States based on HIV status. And the Office…
(APPLAUSE)
The Office of Management and Budget just concluded a review of a proposal to repeal this entry ban, which is a first and very big step towards ending this policy.
And we all know that HIV-AIDS continues to be a public health threat in many communities, including right here in the District of Columbia. And that’s why, this past Saturday, on National HIV Testing Day, I was proud once again to encourage all Americans to know their status and get tested the way Michelle and I know our status and got tested.
Lovely.
And?
And, finally, I want to say…
(APPLAUSE)
Finally, I want to say a word about “don’t ask/don’t tell.” Now, as I said before, I’ll say it again. I believe “don’t ask/don’t tell” doesn’t contribute to our national security. In fact, I believe…
(APPLAUSE)
I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security.
(APPLAUSE)
And it’s widely opposed, even by “Conservatives.” So what’s the problem?
Now, my administration is already working with the Pentagon and members of the House and the Senate on how we’ll go about ending this policy, which will require an act of Congress.
Now, some day, I’m confident, we’ll look back at this transition and ask why it generated such angst, but as commander-in-chief, in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical and a way that takes over the long term.
That’s why I’ve asked the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal. I know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep disappointment to those men and women who continue to be discharged under this policy, patriots who often possess critical language skills and years of training and who’ve served this country well.
But what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing this policy, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is essential for our national security. Now, even as we take these steps, we must recognize that real progress depends not only on the laws we change, but, as I said before, on the hearts we open. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that there are good and decent people in this country who don’t yet fully embrace their gay brothers and sisters, not yet.
That’s why I’ve spoken about these issues not just in front of you, but in front of unlikely audiences, in front of African-American church members, in front of other audiences that have traditionally resisted these changes. And that’s why I’ll continue to do so.
That’s how we’ll shift attitudes. That’s how we’ll honor the legacy of leaders like Frank and many others who have refused to accept anything less than full and equal citizenship.
Tell it to Dan Choi, Barry.
Now, 40 years ago, in the heart of New York City, at a place called the Stonewall Inn, a group of citizens, including a few who are here today, as I said, defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement.
It was the middle of the night. The police stormed the bar, which was known for being one of the few spots where it was safe to be gay in New York. And raids like this were entirely ordinary.
Because it was considered obscene and illegal to be gay, no establishments for gays and lesbians could get licenses to operate. The nature of these businesses, combined with the vulnerability of the gay community itself, meant places like Stonewall and the patrons inside were often the victims of corruption and blackmail.
Now, ordinarily the raid would come and the customers would disperse, but on this night something was different. There are many accounts of what happened, and much has been lost to history, but what we do know is this: People didn’t leave. They stood their ground.
And over the course of several nights, they declared that they had seen enough injustice in their time. This was an outpouring against not just what they experienced that night, but what they had experienced their whole lives.
And as with so many movements, it was also something more. It was at this defining moment that folks who had been marginalized rose up to challenge not just how the world saw them, but also how they saw themselves.
As we’ve seen so many times in history, once that spirit takes hold, there’s little that can stand in its way. And…
(APPLAUSE)
The riots at Stonewall gave way to protests, and protests gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a transformation that continues to this day. It continues when a partner fights for her right to sit at the hospital bedside of a woman she loves; it continues when a teenager is called a name for being different and says, “So what if I am?”; it continues in your work and in your activism, in your fight to freely live your lives to the fullest.
And one year after the protests, a few hundred gays and lesbians and their supporters gathered at the Stonewall Inn to lead an historic march for equality. But when they reached Central Park, the few hundred that began the march had swelled to 5,000. Something had changed, and it would never change back.
The truth is, when these folks protested at Stonewall 40 years ago, no one could have imagined that you or, for that matter, I would be standing here today.
(APPLAUSE)
So we are all witnesses to monumental changes in this country. That should give us hope, but we cannot rest. We must continue to do our part to make progress step by step, law by law, mind by changing mind.
And I want you to know that, in this task, I will not only be your friend; I will continue to be an ally and a champion and a president who fights with you and for you.
Thanks very much, everybody. God bless you.
(APPLAUSE)
We are — thank you — it’s a little stuffed in here. We’re going to — we’re going to open up that door. We’re going to walk this way, and then we’re going to come around and we’ll see some of you over there, all right?
M. OBAMA: Out there.
B. OBAMA: But — out there. But thank you very much, all, for being here.
(UNKNOWN): We love you!
B. OBAMA: Enjoy the White House. Thank you.
Dear DNC:
I truly “support” Democrats being elected in 2010 and 2012. I am a “fierce advocate” of the Democratic Party after all. I know that I have promised you my support over the past few decades and have done my best to follow through.
Even now I am “working towards” a financial donation to the Party. I do have to ask for your “patience” though, because as a gay man, my family and I are still second class citizens and are having to funnel our resources towards causes that protect and honor our basic civil rights. “We have a lot on our plate.”
We are “proceeding” towards lifting the denial of funds to the DNC and are “developing a strategy” that will get us there by the end of Obama’s time at the White House. As a matter of fact, my family has planned several “meetings” to discuss these very important donations and will be sending out a press release shortly to announce our “cocktail party” celebrating Democracy.
Thanks for understanding. And hang in there!
Sincerely,
Liam
“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 — have been commemorated in various ways. There have been protests, rallies, academic lectures and parties. Today is the first time Stonewall will be remembered in the tony quarters of the White House.”
Barry won a Tony?
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.”
Well dear if that’s all that it takes to get you to feel “ambivalent”. . .
“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.”
“Indeed, some gay community members advocated boycotting the White House’s Stonewall event. “Co-optation by Cocktails,” read one blog post. “Traitors,” blathered another. While my heart wasn’t filled with such animus, just disappointment, I could understand their anger.”
No you couldn’t. “Just disappointment” doesn’t cut it.
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.”
He doesn’t need any reminders kid. He got the money. We were played.
And what do we get for it?
A photo-op.
“What’s true for President Obama is also true for those Americans who still struggle with stereotypes and misperceptions about gay and transgender people. We know that interpersonal connections — getting to know gay people, their lives, their struggles and concerns — are one of the most important ways for everyday Americans to understand that we are in every family, in every workplace, on every street. And that we’re counting on them to value our contributions, too, and to support our equal treatment.”
Then you don’t know what counts. As this NYT piece makes clear we’re the latest accessory for the with-it heteterosexual.
And nothing more.
“Stonewall” has come to mean many things to many people. For me, it commemorates the moment in time when my powder blue Homecoming tux got soiled with the Coca-Cola that Brad the Surfer poured on me in front of the cheerleaders, just before hurling an f-lettered epithet at me in front of half the school. It wasn’t the first time I’d been called that hurtful name, but for the first time I answered back: “Yes, I am, Brad — and so what?” Instead of feeling afraid, I felt wonderful. Elated. I was sitting on top of the world. My own personal Stonewall.
Oh Prunella! You wouldn’t have lasted a weekend in the West Village back in the day.
“But, as my son made me realize, commemorating the Stonewall Riots isn’t about, or just about, our own liberation. It is a call to action for each of us to change the world by telling our stories. Speaking up so that Stonewall can become no longer a part of our present, but truly a part of our history”
You want to talk “history”? So does AdNags. And he’s equally clueless.
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