Given that he's starting off on the wrong foot with our LGBT community, I thought I'd create an Obama wish list for 2009 so that he can make it up to us. After all, he received millions of dollars and millions of votes from LGBTs. If we truly are part of his agenda, he can make Pastor Rick Warren yesterday's news quickly by making progress on long-awaited rights for our community.
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.
8 ) Sign on to international United Nations resolutions supporting equal rights for LGBTS. Use your amazing goodwill worldwide to put our rights out front.
9 ) An LGBT round table: President Jimmy Carter made history in having a staffer invite gays to the White House. He didn't meet with them, but it still made history for its location. An ongoing presidential round table on LGBT issues ( where sometimes you attend ) would help advise you on a range of issues, and would be a good model for issues impacting other groups. Make sure, however, that those groups are not segregated or isolated, and that ideas are allowed to bubble up to the top ( you ) , not just your advisors.
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 be fully diverse and integrated 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 its diversity policies, and how those help it attract top talent.
Despite the fact that he can sometimes be infuriatingly dispassionate and practical, I believe we have the best chance, under an Obama administration, to make solid gains on LGBT issues and on all areas of civil rights. But we need proof now, and we also need to make sure we are not taken for granted. During the lengthy presidential campaign, he talked a good talk. Now it's time to walk the good walk.
Tracy Baim is publisher of Windy City Media Group. She blogs at tracybaim.typepad.com .