Openly terrific

The President hosted a reception in honor of LGBT Pride month yesterday.

I'm wondering if Rick and Bubba will be able to hold their tongues. They've been warned by their sponsors and by their syndicator to hold down their rhetoric or face the music.

While most of the local community has heard what the sponsors are saying (both Academy Sports and Bojangles Chicken have said they don't agree with Rick Burgess' comments and told the radio hosts as much, and that if they targeted gays or any other group like that again they would pull their sponsorship. The syndicator of the show is unhappy as well, and he doesn't want to hear any more reports of such talk.

Here is the president speaking at the reception. He called Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis, lesbian and gay members of the House of Representative, "openly terrific."

I think that's a great new term for us. Because being gay is terrific.




Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also spoke at an event celebrating LGBT Pride month.

She was the first first lady to march in a Pride parade.

"Human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights once and for all."



One of my facebook friends, and straight woman who took part in the civil rights struggles during the 1960's posted this comment on one of my facebook posts yesterday.

June is Pride Month. President Obama has called upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their lives and everywhere it exists.

I am so proud of our straight allies and the way they take up for us against the hurtful rhetoric of the right.

So many people have told me or have posted on facebook that this year's Pride has given them more inspiration than they have felt in years. Polls are showing that Americans are now more accepting of Equality than they have ever been, and many religious groups or individual churches are realizing that LGBT people are created and loved by God just as they are.

In spite of the vocal frustration with the Obama administration on the slowness of advancement of LGBT Equality, we really should be thankful of the progress that has been made.

These things come to mind.

Passage of the (inclusive) Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act.

Repeal of the HIV ban on travel.

Hospital visitation for lesbian and gay partners (in hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid.

Federal employee benefits.

Broadening of the definition of "son and daughter" so employers would be required to offer workers in same sex relationships the same right to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for partner's newborns or to adopt (announced yesterday by the labor department).

And the president's call for congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), to pass an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the pending end of Don't Ask Don't Tell(DADT). The House has passed the repeal, the Senate Armed Services Comittee has approved, and the full Senate will vote someday.

Country singer Chely Wright was at the President's reception.

Here is her video for "I Already Do."