Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-09-06
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Gays part of Obama's State of the Union
News update posted Jan. 25, 2011
by Lisa Keen, Keen News Service
2011-01-26

This article shared 6325 times since Wed Jan 26, 2011
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


President Obama once again brought up the issue of gays in the military during his annual State of the Union address. Last year, he called for repeal of the federal law barring openly gay people from serving. This year, just a month after having signed a bill to repeal that law, the president urged universities which have barred military recruiters over the gay ban now allow recruiters back on campus.

"Our troops come from every corner of this country — they are black, white, Latino, Asian and Native American. They are Christian and Hindu, Jewish and Muslim. And, yes, we know that some of them are gay. Starting this year, no American will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love."

That drew applause.

"And with that change," continued Obama, "I call on all of our college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and the ROTC. It is time to leave behind the divisive battles of the past. It is time to move forward as one nation."

That drew a brief standing ovation.

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese welcomed President Obama's words concerning the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but added that "there remain a number of pressing issues for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community when it comes to economic security."

"The President and Congress can do much more to ensure the economic empowerment of LGBT people including ending the unfair taxation of partner health benefits, prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and ensuring that all married couples have access to the same federal benefits and protections for their families," said Solmonese, in a statement released before the president delivered his address to Congress. "We look forward to working with this President and allies in Congress on the challenges ahead."

But Robin McGehee, director of the activist group GetEQUAL, expressed disappointment.

"Tonight, President Obama missed an opportunity to lay out an agenda and strategy that continues progress made toward LGBT equality — removing the burden of being second-class citizens and acknowledging our families," said McGehee, in a statement. "Sadly, while national hero Daniel Hernandez sat with the First Lady to witness this historic speech, he did not have the luxury of sitting there as an equal — for that, our elected officials should be ashamed. It is time for the President to put the power of the White House behind the passage of legislation that would give the right of full federal equality to LGBT Americans. As a community, it is our promise and our obligation to continue the work of holding both the President and Congress accountable for the inalienable human rights, dignities, and freedoms we all deserve."

He did not, as some LGBT activists had urged, set a new goal for Congress —repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act ( DOMA ) .

President Obama did include an openly gay man as one of his special guests in the House visitors' gallery Tuesday night.

The man was Daniel Hernandez Jr., who was singled out by many news accounts as one of the heroes to take action during the January 8 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson. Hernandez, who was serving as an intern in Giffords' Tucson office, rushed to her side and provided first aid that many have said saved the Congresswoman's life.

A number of Twitter messages from various people noted that Tuesday was also Hernandez's 21st birthday. One Twitter message was from the account of Rep. Giffords, saying: "From the entire Giffords team: Happy 21st Birthday Daniel Hernandez! Sounds like you have fun plans tonight : ) "

CNN indicated it was the first Twitter message from Rep. Giffords' account since she was critically injured in a shooting January 8. Giffords is still recovering from her wounds and is at a rehabilitation hospital in Texas.

Cameras scanning the gallery showed Hernandez early during the broadcast of the State of the Union. But Hernandez appeared to be standing near the back of the gallery, not seated near First Lady Michelle Obama, as expected.

In response to concerns about the hostile political environment, many members of Congress eschewed the usual seating arrangement of Republicans on one side and Democrats on the other, and sat together.

Three of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices chose not to take seats at all and did not attend the State of the Union address. They were the three most conservative—Justices Antonin Scalia, Sam Alito, and Clarence Thomas.

- 2011 by Keen News Service. All rights reserved.

See more at http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=30275


This article shared 6325 times since Wed Jan 26, 2011
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Chicago Ald. Ray Lopez running for Chuy Garcia's Congressional seat 2023-10-04
- Openly gay Chicago Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) declared his candidacy for Congress against progressive leader and incumbent U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia—setting up a March 2024 Democratic primary showdown ...


Gay News

Former Illinois GOP chair joins Personal PAC board 2023-10-03
- Former Illinois Republican Party chair Pat Brady has joined the board of Personal PAC, a pro-choice organization, Politico Illinois Playbook reported. The move is considered controversial within the Republican Party ...


Gay News

Gavin Newsom chooses Black queer activist to fill Feinstein's Senate seat 2023-10-02
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom—fulfilling a promise to appoint a Black woman to the seat—tapped queer Democratic strategist Laphonza Butler to fill the Senate post held by the trailblazing Dianne Feinstein, who died on Sept. 29, The ...


Gay News

Groundbreaking U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein passes away at 90 2023-09-29
- Dianne Feinstein—the oldest member of the U.S. Senate and the longest-serving senator from California—has passed away at age 90. Feinstein had planned to retire at the end of her 2024 term, according to CNBC. Shecast her ...


Gay News

GLAAD: GOP primary debate includes question on anti-LGBTQ+ violence, candidates duck 2023-09-28
--From a press release - GLAAD: "Instead of addressing the critical issue of the safety and rights of all Americans, GOP primary candidates ignored the rise in violence and hateful rhetoric aimed at the LGBTQ community and our allies. Several chose ...


Gay News

WORLD African efforts, HIV in Amsterdam, Donatella Versace, 'The Queen in Me' 2023-09-28
- A new attempt to prevent the recognition of and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people in Kenya through a constitutional amendment has been introduced in Parliament, The Washington Blade reported. The move was in response to this ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Bisexual politicians, DADT, NBJC awards, crimes, Buttigieg 2023-09-28
- For Bi Visibility Day (Sept. 23), The Advocate ran a piece titled "35 Bisexual Politicians You Should Know." Just a few on the list include trans Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, Nevada Assemblymember Cecelia Gonzalez, U.S. ...


Gay News

New report: Attacks on LGBTI rights strongly associated with democratic backsliding globally 2023-09-27
--From a press release - A new report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that countries that are highly accepting of LGBTI people tend to have high levels of liberal democracy, such as free and fair elections ...


Gay News

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes some LGBTQ+ measures and approves others 2023-09-25
- For California's LGBTQ+ community, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has made things interesting over the last few days. Late last week, Newsom vetoed three progressive measures—including an unexpected rejection of a ...


Gay News

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes some LGBTQ+ measures and approves others 2023-09-26
- For California's LGBTQ+ community, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has made things interesting over the last few days. Late last week, Newsom vetoed three progressive measures—including an unexpected rejection of a ...


Gay News

Arrests, fights punctuate battles across Canada over gender diversity in schools 2023-09-21
- Arrests were reported in the Canadian cities of Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Victoria, among others, on Sept. 20 as opposing groups clashed on how schools address issues of gender identity and how teachers refer to transgender ...


Gay News

WORLD French fund, mausoleum, Abrazo Grupal, Biden, Billie Jean King 2023-09-21
- French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced a fund to help promote the rights of LGBTQ+ people, French24 reported. She made the announcement at the 15th anniversary of an LGBTQ+ group at the United Nations at the ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Sarah McBride, TIME100 lists, Kentucky clerk, suspects arrested 2023-09-21
- A poll showed that Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride—who is bidding to become the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress—leads her primary opponents by a wide margin, The Hill reported. In a survey of likely Democratic ...


Gay News

Pritzker and Brady-Davis honored at Planned Parenthood gala 2023-09-17
- On the evening of Sept. 14, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action PAC (PPIA PAC) organizations presented their annual Fighting Forward Gala fundraiser. The event shone ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Lesbian politician, Nancy Pelosi, bomb threat, politician dies, Lyft 2023-09-15
- Kathy Kozachenko—the first out politician elected to public office in the country—will be honored with a statue on the 50th anniversary of her historic election, per The Advocate. The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, will honor ...


 


Copyright © 2023 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS






Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.