I recent read an article on another website that focuses on LGBT issues that was unhappy with President Obama over not signing an executive order for ENDA. And I agree that it was something that, as a trans woman, is very important to me as it is simple for an employer to fire me as because of it. Now I am fortunate in that my employer, a public school district in Phoenix, is progressive on LGBT issues and already has policies in place protecting my rights. But not everyone is so lucky. It is an important issue and important to me as a trans woman. If it were the only issue of importance to me, I'd have a hard time supporting this president and his party.
But fortunately, I am a reasonable person and, also, I am not solely defined by the trans label. I'm an American. I'm a woman. I'm a teacher. I'm a parent. Heck, I'm a Humanistic Jew. I have a lot of labels and a lot of factors that I take into account when I choose who to support. And while the President and his party do not always make decisions that please me, they have still done much that I do support.
And their opposition has done nothing that I support.
Now some might say that I am choosing the lesser of two evils. If that were the case, it would be like voting for some ambivalent middling demon level evil over freaking Cthulhu.
But let's put all my other labels aside because as a responsible citizen, I happen to believe that to vote for a Republican is something akin to treason. But I love my country and what it should stand for and apparently that is in diametric opposition to what the Republicans stand for...
So how do I see the president as a member of the LGBT community...as a trans woman?
As a member of the LGBT community, I have to see a president who has done more than any of his predecessors on our behalf. Could he do more? Of course! But he also has an open ear to us and that is far more than his opponent will have to offer. We can have an expectation that in the second term, his open door will stay open.
As a member of LGBT community, I have an expectation that my rights will improve under a second Obama term and...well, not so much under his opponent. It's not even a question in my mind.
As a trans woman, I've seen this president hire a trans woman because she was more qualified than anyone else for the position. I have been able to get, prior to my upcoming SRS, a passport that identifies me as a woman. Granted, I need said passport to go to Canada because my insurance company is allowed to discriminate against me when it comes to being treated for trans issues, but I actually believe this will not be the case in the future. I have no will to wait, so at least I can travel without being harassed.
The fact is, no politician is perfect and President Obama could be better. But the perfect candidate is not running so I have to pick the best candidate. Not the lesser of two evils. But the best candidate that will represent me on many of the issues I believe to be important, be they LGBT, Trans or just everyday issues.
I will, however, say as a teacher, he could do better. I don't like Arne Duncan.