Yes, the DNC did a video about us. All about us. And if it were 1985, we’d be on our knees thanking them for acknowledging our pathetic existence. But since it’s 2010, it’s not enough for the Democrats to keep doing these very public but very lacking in substance efforts to buy off our money and our votes.
I’ve made the comparison to high school before. And how when we were all insecure children, we practically waited on pins and needles for that one moment in the hallway when one of the popular kids might look our way and smile, or maybe even said “hi.”
But we’re not pathetic kids anymore. And doing a video about us, showing up at some organization’s dinner, or throwing us a cocktail party in the White House isn’t going to cut it anymore. We no longer feel the overwhelming need to be accepted into the cool kids club. We are the cool kids now. Our community has the money, the votes, the power. We are a key constituency of the Democratic party, and you’d better damn well be wooing us, because you need us. And we’ve finally come to realize that point. YOU need US.
That’s why another sweet-nothing, which this video is, is not going to cut it. Truman didn’t do a video instead of integrating the military. Johnson didn’t do a video instead of getting the Civil Rights Act passed. This little YouTube isn’t going to get Dan Choi his job back. It’s not going to help the lesbian fired from her job. It’s not going to let gay couples finally marry like everyone else. The President didn’t promise us videos and dinner appearances. He didn’t promise an administrative fix to hospital visitation rights that will go away the next time a Republican president takes office along with those “new” benefits for gay federal employees that we found out weren’t new at all, and in fact, gay federal employees have been getting since the Clinton era. The President promised us the repeal of DADT and DOMA, and the passage of ENDA.
So where are they?
When you come up with that video, the one telling us you repealed DADT and DOMA, and passed ENDA, get back to us.
PS And please don’t claim credit for DADT when the legislation currently being discussed doesn’t even repeal the law, doesn’t require a repeal in the future, doesn’t mandate what is to replace DADT if it is ever repealed, and in fact gives DOD 2 votes to the White House’s 1 vote for repeal. When you can tell us the discharges have stopped – when you can tell us WHEN the discharges will even stop – then get back to us.
