Tonight, at least 6 progressive activists from the group GetEQUAL were kicked out of the DNC fundraiser for Senator Boxer for interrupting President Obama's speech with protests denouncing the President's inaction on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Video of the event can be seen here.
The protesters could be heard shouting questions at the President such as, "What about Don't Ask, Don't Tell?" and "It's time for equality for all Americans!" After attempting to ignore the protesters, the President eventually responded by saying: "We are going to do that! Hey!...hold on a second, hold on a second. We are going to do that."
The crowd responded to the protesters by shouting them down with "Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Yes We Can!" What were they declaring they CAN do, no one specified. Yes we can...shout down those who would demand equal rights? Yes we can...continue to ignore you? Yes we can...pretend like you and your civil rights are not important enough to inconvenience the President's legislative agenda?
After quite a bit of disarray in the audience, the President addressed what just happened saying:
What the young man was talking about was we need to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which I agree with ...and which we have begun to do. But let me say this, when you've got an ally like Barbara Boxer, and you've got an ally like me, who are standing for the same thing, then you don't know exactly why you've gotta holler, because we already hear you. Alright? It would make more sense to holler that at the people who oppose it.
The President then tried to get back on track with his speech, but the protests did not end. As one protester would be escorted from the building, another would stand up and make themselves heard. Eventually the President, visibly angry at the protestors was forced to address the protests again.
The protest was organized by GetEQUAL, a new LGBT rights group that's been behind several non-violent protests that have made the news recently, including Lt. Dan Choi & Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo handcuffing themselves to the White House fence and the simultaneous bi-coastal protests at Speaker Pelosi's Washington D.C. and San Francisco offices.
Photo By Kerry Eleveld
Photo by Todd Franson
Many Democrats and progressives, especially those in the fundraiser audience tonight, seem dismayed and annoyed that people would be so rude as to interrupt the President when he's speaking...especially people who they expect would be supportive of the President.
I submit to you that what's even more offensive than interrupting the President at a DNC fundraiser is losing your job because you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Even more offensive is being kicked out of the armed forces of a country who you've put your life on the line for. Even more offensive is being deprived of the liberties that you have fought for. Even more offensive is having the government outlaw your union with your soulmate.
Even more offensive is the President, whom you voted for, who has promised time and time again in endless speeches and campaign stops and even in the State of the Union, to repeal federal laws which mandate discrimination against you...even more offensive is discovering that the President lied to you in order to secure your money, your support and your vote.
In this year's SOTU address, the President said:
This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.
And yet ever since the SOTU address, support from President Obama has been getting weaker and weaker. Representative Barney Frank has said that the White House has been sending less than supportive signals to members of Congress, suggesting that they would rather the repeal be postponed until next year or later.
Then in a disturbing move last week, the White House Congressional liaison was caught telling House members NOT to vote on DADT this year:
Joe and I were just informed that the White House congressional liaison office is telling US House members not to include the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" in the Defense Authorization bill, and not to have a vote on DADT on the House floor, this year. This would be at odds with the promise the President made in the State of the Union to repeal DADT this year, but it would be consistent with all other signs coming from the White House.
As you recall, Congressman Barney Frank, who is openly gay, recently said that he is "frustrated" and "disappointed" with the Obama administration's efforts (or lack thereof) to repeal DADT.
This prompted a letter to the White House from Aubrey Sarvis, the Executive Director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the principal lobbying group behind the repeal of DADT:
I am very disturbed by multiple reports from Capitol Hill that your Congressional liaison team is urging some Members of Congress to avoid a vote on repeal this year. The upcoming House and Senate votes will be close, and very frankly, Mr. President, we need your help now.
There are strong suggestions from activity on the Hill that the President will NOT include repeal language when he sends his final defense budget recommendations to the House and Senate in the next couple of weeks.
Frank, disturbed by the waffling on timing of the repeal, made public calls for the White House to clarify its support for passing a repeal for DADT this year. News today:
Frank also said that he has not heard from White House officials since he began prodding them to take a stand on the timing of a vote.
"I haven’t talked to the White House about this," he said. "Obviously, I’ve been sending them public messages about how unhappy I am."
What's happening here is what has happened for decades now with all the major players in the Democratic party. Promises are made to the LGBT community in exchange for campaign money and votes and when they win, nothing is delivered.
LGBT Americans are the Evangelicals of the Democratic Party.
The difference is that we're fighting for our civil rights and the Evangelicals are fighting to revoke other's civil rights. The difference is when we speak up, angry that we've been taken advantage of by (supposedly) "our party", we are shouted down by those who claim to be our supporters.
I hope the GetEQUAL protests continue and if I have the opportunity to protest our President, I will do so.
To all those who will inevitably criticize the GetEQUAL activists who interrupted the President and those of us who support them, I will say, the majority of us were huge supporters of Obama when he was running for President. We volunteered for him, we donated to him and we voted for him. But we are not sheeple.
The President claims that he is our "fierce advocate", but his actions certainly don't suggest that he is. After 15 months in office, we have virtually no progress. Democratic majorities will shrink in November and along with it any remaining hope of achieving LGBT equality could easily disappear for another decade.
Don't ask us to be patient. We've been patient for very, very long and we are 6 months away from seeing it slip away yet again.
Don't tell us to fall in line. What happened to "dissent is the highest form of patriotism?" Does it only apply when a Republican is in the White House?
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For more extensive coverage of the events of this evening and the ongoing issues regarding the White House's waffling on supporting the repeal of DADT, I strongly recommend AmericaBlog:
DADT protesters repeatedly interrupt Obama speech at Boxer fundraiser; Obama looked pissed
Barney Frank still hasn't heard from White House on DADT
SLDN 'disturbed by multiple reports' that Obama admin. is urging congress not to vote on DADT this year, asks Obama to keep his promise
Will the President ever spend any political capital on the gay community?
White House now seemingly at odds with Sec Gates over DADT
Hoyer: House leaders have no plan to put DADT repeal into Defense Authorization bill
White House issues odd statement on DADT, still refuses to call for repeal this year
White House congressional liaison is telling US House not to vote on DADT this year
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Here's the relevant portions of the transcript of the event:
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!"
THE PRESIDENT: We are going to do that. Hey, hold on a second, hold on a second. We are going to do that.
AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can!
THE PRESIDENT: Here we go. All right -- guys, guys, all right. I agree, I agree, I agree. (Applause.) Now --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no, no, listen. What the young man was talking about was we need to -- we need to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don't Tell," which I agree with and which we have begun to do. (Applause.) But let me say this: When you’ve got an ally like Barbara Boxer and you’ve got an ally like me who are standing for the same thing, then you don't know exactly why you’ve got to holler, because we already hear you, all right? (Applause.) I mean, it would have made more sense to holler that at the people who oppose it. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: It’s time for equality for all Americans!
THE PRESIDENT: I’m sorry, do you want to come up here? (Applause.) You know, the -- all right, because can I just say, once again, Barbara and I are supportive of repealing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," so I don't know why you’re hollering.
Now, the problems that we have here put a further strain on folks in this state, forcing painful choices about where to spend and where to save. And the challenges folks have been facing here --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can!
THE PRESIDENT: Barbara -- I just -- everybody, I just wanted to confirm -- I just wanted to confirm -- I just checked with Barbara, so if anybody else is thinking about starting a chant, Barbara didn’t even vote for "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" in the first place, so you know she’s going to be in favor of repealing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." (Applause.)