It’s a good strong statement. At first I was impressed. Then I read Geoff Kors’ response, and Geoff is right. You can’t be against intolerance “in all its forms” when your own administration supports intolerance.
And it’s not just marriage. The Obama administration is opposing our civil rights in court case after court case. And before anyone says “they have no choice,” remember last year when the Obama administration refused to even sit down with our community’s lawyers to talk through DOMA?
STATEMENT BY U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN On the Recent Deaths of Two Young Men
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today released the following statement:
“This week, we sadly lost two young men who took their own lives for one unacceptable reason: they were being bullied and harassed because they were openly gay or believed to be gay. These unnecessary tragedies come on the heels of at least three other young people taking their own lives because the trauma of being bullied and harassed for their actual or perceived sexual orientation was too much to bear.
“This is a moment where every one of us – parents, teachers, students, elected officials, and all people of conscience – needs to stand up and speak out against intolerance in all its forms. Whether it’s students harassing other students because of ethnicity, disability or religion; or an adult, public official harassing the President of the University of Michigan student body because he is gay, it is time we as a country said enough. No more. This must stop.”
And here is Geoff Kors’ statement:
Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors writes to this list:
“If the Administration truly wants harassment and bullying to stop our self proclaimed ‘fierce advocate’ needs to stop saying he opposes true equality as his opposition to marriage equality sends a message that our relationships and LGBT people are not deserving of the same protections as he and the majority enjoy. What kind of message does that send to LGBT youth or to those who might harass them?”
I’ve said it before. Had the Obama administration been our fierce advocate on our top issues, had they repealed DADT, signed ENDA into law, and repealed DOMA – hell, had they done even one of those things – I think people might look at this statement from the Secretary of Education as historic.
But it’s not historic, because it’s all we’re going to get as our young people keep killing themselves: Words.
Want to show you care? Do something.
