After days of speculating and the White House has confirmed on that on Monday June 29th, the President will host a Pride Reception in the White House; and has invited a several prominent leaders from the queer-community to attend the event, as well as families with gay parents, and other Queer-Americans in celebration of the Stonewall Riots. The White House also confirms that the President plans to attend the event.
All of this is a very welcomed symbolic gesture by the President and his administration to what has been nothing short of a tremendously rocky relationship with the queer--community since the President took office in January, in fact since he announced Rev. Rick Warren would be speaking at his inauguration last year. However, is it "too little, too late" to repair the damage that was done?
It has been difficult to discern how supportive of an ally the President wants to be, as we have been receiving nothing but mix signals from him and his administration. Like Americans general support for the President and his policies, there is a stark difference between the two for Queer-Americans.
At the rhetoric end of things the President has maintained his stance that he is committed to fulfilling his campaign process, and displayed public supportive for Queer-Americans, such as declaring June LGBT Pride Month, inviting gay-families to the annual White House egg hunt, and saying that he maintained committing to repealing both the Defense of Marriage Act and the controversial Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
However, on the policy end things have been quite difference, which has fueled the hostilities, that are only now showing signs of cooling down. While many debate whether or not the President should have defended the DOMA case, all generally agree that the rhetoric used to defend the law was not becoming of a supportive ally. The President has also gotten some heat from progressives and queer-advocates because he has yet to make a substantial move on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and deflected responsibility on that issue to Congress.
There are now signs that things are changing, both the policy and rhetorical end; and it could not have come any sooner for Democrats, who were losing important donors for the annual fundraiser. The President has expanded some rights to federally employed same-sex couples (though not as much as many had hoped for or initially thought), expanded some benefits to Trans-Americans, will allow married same-sex couples to carry their married name on their passports, called on Congress to pass legislation to repeal the DOMA.
While many have simplified the President's actions to him primarily trying to stay in good favor with a loyal voting and donating block of the Democratic Party, which surely played some part of the political calculation, these changes still represent a significant step forward for Queer-Americans.
When the President signed the executive memorandum last week Wednesday expanding some rights to federally employed same-sex couples, he made his desire known that he wants Congress to provide him with the legislation on DOMA (and presumably DADT as well) sooner rather than later. It was that part of the ceremony that most observers were closely watching.
Until that point other than simply reaffirming his commitment to the Queer community--which at that point had become rather trite--the President had not publicly said anything directed at the Congress to send him legislation on gay-rights to sign. The President's silence was a fact that many contributed to the snail like pace the current legislation in the Congress has making its way through the House and to the Senate, such as Rep. Ellen Tauscher bill, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
The President remains a polarizing figure in the Queer community. His ambiguousness as to how supportive of an ally he considers himself, and how that translates to getting through the necessary legislation, has left many befuddled and confused. While he is the most queer-friendly President for any president that has had to deal with the gay-issue his track record is marred with policy and political decisions that have angered and frustrated many.
While the President has yet to strike out, he is coming up from behind. Monday's Pride Reception will likely be an important opportunity for the President to reset his relationship with the queer community if he handles it well. If he simply treats the event as nothing more than a political photo opt, he is likely to get berated by many as trying to procrastinate even further; however, if he can lay the foundation for the road ahead he just maybe might have done the impossible yet again.
