There has been a great deal of media coverage of late about the gay community’s disappointment in Barack Obama for not following through on some of his campaign promises, such as repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and “The Defense of Marriage Act.” I can’t deny that I have shared this frustration, especially after the selection of Rick Warren to deliver the opening prayer at the inauguration in January. But I’m also not ready to give up on Obama. Nine months into a term is hardly the time to say, “too little, too late,” nor am I ready to change that “hope” to “nope.” Still, we need to keep the pressure on the administration. No group has ever won civil rights without fighting for them personally and persistently. We can't sit back and assume President Obama will do what's right without some pressure. He may be an ally, but that is different -- and has always been different -- from belonging to the community seeking justice for itself.
Obama has it in his heart. I also believe that in his heart he supports same sex marriage: not many folks know that he actually supported it in the 1990's, when it was risky to do so. I can say without question that as a gay man I feel safer and more of a citizen with Obama at the helm than I did during the Bush years. By the end of his first term, however, I sure do want to be able to say a whole lot more.
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