President Obama has had two run-ins already this week with gay and lesbian activists – and judging by his and his staff’s reaction – he doesn’t like the challenge coming from his left flank. So, naturally, he responded by excluding the media:
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At today’s demonstration in Lafayette Park across from the White House by members of GetEQUAL, a new gay-rights group protesting the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding gays in the military, Secret Service and Metro D.C. police kept reporters far, far away, peremptorily closing the park.
According to the group’s press release – this is what reporters were NOT allowed to witness at the Obama White House today:
Moments ago, Lt. Dan Choi along with other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) discharged veterans — Capt. Jim Pietrangelo II, Petty Officer Larry Whitt, Petty Officer Autumn Sandeen, Cadet Mara Boyd, and Cpl. Evelyn Thomas — handcuffed themselves to the White House gates to demand that President Obama keep his promise to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this year. The vets are concerned about mounting signs that the President is wavering on his promise to push for repeal this year.
Today’s action comes one month after Choi and Pietrangelo were arrested for a similar DADT protest at the White House in which they handcuffed themselves to the gates for a period of an hour, while hundreds of protesters looked on. The new LGBT activist group, GetEQUAL, coordinated both today’s action, and last month’s civil disobedience.
Now I don’t really get into the whole “shouting down the President” and “handcuffing to the White House gates” approach to things. But it is very disturbing that Obama’s people are using the District police to prevent reporters from doing their jobs and covering an act of peaceful civil disobedience. I can only imagine the breathless and shrill outrage by network news anchors tonight if Bush-Cheney had kept the press away from the White House during an anti-war protest in 2005? Surely the Bush Press Secretary would be “The Worst Person In The World” tonight on MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann. So why shouldn’t Robert Gibbs be tonight?
Meanwhile, last night in Los Angeles, Obama bristled when gay activists interrupted his scripted appearance at a fundraiser for US Sen. Barbara Boxer. Representatives of GetEQUAL shouted, “what about ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and “it’s time for equality for all Americans.” The President, at one point bringing his remarks to a halt, said, “Barbara and I are supportive of repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’.”
Activists David John Fleck, Dan Fotou, Laura Kanter, Zoe Nicholson, and Michelle Wright were then escorted out of the reception by security officers. Obama clearly appeared flustered and angry by the outburst. Not surprisingly, the demonstrators have not received much national media attention despite the shocking rebuke to the President most favored by gay rights groups in recent years. I do seem to remember that during the 2003-2008 time period, network news reporters and camera crews seemed to be just a phone call away for even the smallest chance that a Code Pink or Cindy Sheehan appearance might interrupt then-President Bush or then-VP Cheney.
The fact of the matter is that many Americans have soured on President Obama, including those who once were his passionate supporters – the left-wing gay community. I never quite understood their support, since Obama’s views on gay marriage (the Gay Left’s litmus test) are the same as former President Bush’s — and Bush was seen as the devil incarnate. But that being said, there are enough bodies under the Obama bus to have tipped off The Gays that they’d be next.
Looks like some gay Americans aren’t playing their part in the Obama script now. It is just sad that the White House increasingly looks like the Soviet-era Kremlin when it comes to tolerating different points of view.
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