[Heyyyy] Obama’s guide to happy homos
November 19th, 2008 by Jess OxleyChange.gov features a lengthy entry on President-elect Barack Obama’s agenda on civil rights. The agenda points to intended progress for the LGBT community, though I’m not sure every initiative hits the mark.
The hate crime and workplace discrimination initiatives seem strong. Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would eliminate an extremely ignorant policy, which was an act of workplace discrimination in itself. Obama also supports extending adoption rights for gay couples, getting more children out of the system and into healthy and happy families.
Obama also supports repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and giving committed gay couples the rights married couples have. The plan indicates a desire to stamp out efforts to restrict same-sex marriages, but doesn’t suggest redefining marriage as a union between any two people. As I understand it, the LGBT community is split on this one. I think if you’re going to give us the rights — hospital visitation, tax breaks, etc. — who cares if you call it marriage.
The initiative that set me off was his HIV/AIDS prevention measures. HIV/AIDS support is important, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not a civil rights issue. And despite popular opinion, I don’t think it it’s an LGBT issue. The verbiage tries to identify that here:
Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma — too often tied to homophobia — that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
What I don’t think he realizes is that by identifying HIV/AIDS awareness as part of his plan to support the LGBT community, he’s essentially perpetuating the stereotype. According to the CDC, African Americans are the largest demographic in new diagnoses for HIV.
Although blacks, or African Americans, made up only 13% of the population in the 33 states [reporting], they accounted for almost half of the estimated number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses made during 2006.
HIV/AIDS awareness should simply be standard in sex ed programs. Everyone needs to be educated about it. Not simply gay men who have unprotected sex.
Overall, it’s clear LGBTs are going to be much better off with Obama as president than when we had good ol’ W around.
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