Now of course I know a top priority has to be cleaning up the massive toxic dump left by Bush/Cheney. The economy, the wars, the environment, all the criminal changes in rules and regulations, enforcement and oversight ... what a mess. But what I hate is when people think you can separate justice issues from "bread and butter" issues. You can't. Not just because it's morally wrong, but also because if you are a gay person kicked out of the military, that is an economic issue for you and for our government. They wasted tax dollars training you. They need to spend more to recruit a replacement. And it impacts our ability to defend our country; if all those gay Arab translators had not been kicked out, would we know more about terrorism? So gay issues are integral to solving many of the difficult tasks facing Obama. He just needs to think more broadly. If he involves more LGBTs in his administration, he will have that much more expertise and brain power solving all those big problems.
So, given the general top issues listed above, I have my own Obama LGBT wish list. While all may not happen in 2009, it won't get easier as the right wing rebuilds, so it may be best to do these early in the administration.
1) The Supreme Court. Start planning now, just in case. Please do not compromise in a middle-right way on this one. Pastor Warren is bad enough; but if you "reach out" across the aisle on any Supreme Court picks, we are royally screwed for decades. You ran middle-left, you won middle-left ... please do not go "right" on this critical decision.
2) Employment. Make sure any statements and resolutions you include on employment in your administration include all our alphabet community: gay, lesbian, bi and trans. And then when you work to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, make sure it, too, includes the T and makes its way through quickly. This is among the most important bills to help your LGBT allies. If you sign it into law, we promise to forget all about Rick Warren. (Even if Melissa Etheridge seems ready to have his baby; see HuffingtonPost.com.)
3) Don't Ask, Don't Tell ... Just Do It, cut it down. Most generals support lifting the ban, and maybe you will even give us an openly gay Navy Secretary to help you get this done fast. We need the troops, it's simple justice, and a lot more palatable than when Bill Clinton tried to do it. Most straight people are now OK with gays dying for their country.
4) Hate crimes. Hey, we know you get this one. Make sure there is not just a comprehensive law passed in your first six months, but also documentation and enforcement equally across the country.
5) Appointments. Your cabinet does not have any openly gay people. Maybe we have to wait now for some openings, or new positions. But come on, you know lots of LGBTs ... make sure your "to do" list includes some bench warmers from our community. As I said before, we can bring lots of talents and ideas to your team.
6) While you hypocritically believe marriage is for a man and a woman, you have also said marriage is a state issue. As a lawyer, you know that is only a partial truth. The federal government provides more than 1,000 benefits to married people. And because states are basically violating the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution (in not recognizing marriages legal in other states), this is a federal issue. The federal Defense of Marriage Act needs to be overturned; states may not allow marriage in their own borders, but they must be forced to recognize those in others or we will have huge legal battles and tax nightmares ahead.
7) If we can't get all 1,000+ benefits fixed for marriage, at least fix a few important ones, such as: Inheritance made the same, so no Gay Tax on those who die and try to give their property and money to a surviving partner; immigration (married partners of citizens being allowed citizenship); and getting rid of taxes on work-related health benefits given to domestic partners.
10) Finally, I think it is critical that each key area of your administration makes sure to be fully aware of issues of diversity, to make them smarter and more effective. Education, environment, healthcare (for better AIDS and cancer prevention policies and funding), and all departments should have fully diverse and integrated departments, so that the very best our country has to offer, including LGBTs, are attracted to government work once again. Corporate America can tell you about their diversity policies, and how those help them attract top talent.
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