With little more than two weeks before election day, now is the time to pull out your little black book and contact everyone in it about Barack Obama.
This election is the most important in at least a generation and for LGBT Americans it is even more crucial. We have the chance to play deciding role in electing the most pro-LGBT president in history. And, the difference between Sen. Obama and John McCain could not be clearer.
Allowing McCain to be elected as president would four more years of the kind of anti-LGBT policies that we got from George Bush. Electing Sen. Obama has president opens up the definite chance for us to finally pass an inclusive ENDA and the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell and to finally develop a national AIDS strategy.
The Obama campaign's Hometown Pride outreach program offers this suggestion to help you get started talking to friends and family:
Find five people back in your hometown to talk to about Barack and Joe. When you talk with these people, tell them why you personally support Barack. These are your friends and people who know you - tell your own story.
Think about people you're still close to, like family members - but also think about people you might not have talked to in years, like old teachers, mentors and friends.
Here are a few quick talking points:
Barack Obama:
- supports an inclusive ENDA
- supports the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act
- supports the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell
- supports the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act
- opposes state constitutional amendments banning marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships
John McCain:
- opposes basic civil rights protections for LGBT Americans
- supports the ban on openly gay Americans serving in the military
- opposes gay adoption
- would appoint Supreme Court justices that would overturn Roe v Wade
In short, a vote for John McCain is a vote for discrimination against LGBT people while a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for civil rights for LGBT people.
For more information, read:
Gays Won't Let Friends Vote McCain
No Way. No How. No McCain/Palin.
The LGBT Case for Barack Obama
On Facebook: Gays Won't Let Friends Vote McCain
Editors' note: Did you like this post? Please help us out by voting for The Bilerico Project as the Best LGBT Blog in the 2008 Weblog Awards! You don't have to sign up for anything, or even leave our site - just click on "The Bilerico Project." Thank you so much!
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I'm having so much fun using my new Obama iPhone application. I've called almost my entire address book - and it's a big one!
Bil Browning | October 18, 2008 8:06 PM
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Obama has enough money.
Give to No on 8 in California instead.
Give to No on 102 in Arizona instead.
Give to No on 2 in Florida instead.
Let Obama know you will give to his campaign after he contributes to ours.
We need much more help than he does right now.
patrick | October 18, 2008 8:55 PM
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Patrick,
I don't see it as an either or proposition. We can help elect Obama as our next president and help to defeat the anti-gay amendments. They are not mutually exclusive goals.
It is also worth noting that ending marriage discrimination once and for all the issue will have to go through the Supreme Court. That makes the decision of our next president that much more crucial. McCain would appoint justices that would be hostile to LGBT civil rights in addition to wanting to overturn Roe v Wade. Obama would appoint justices who are fair-minded and more likely to issue pro-LGBT decisions.
Michael Crawford | October 19, 2008 10:03 AM
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The only thing that Obama’s contributed to the debate on same sex marriage to date is his prejudice, which he claims he bases a strict acceptance of superstition. He keeps saying "god's in the mix". It hardly matters if his bigotry is based on a real belief in what the sky gods tell him or whether, as some desperately assume, he’s just doing it to pander to bigots.
In any case the chances of Obama and the Democrats supporting a strong set of laws to advance our agenda are slim to none based on their record. And that’s all we can go on, not their promises.
They were the party that gutted ENDA, ditched the urgently needed hate crimes law and refused to repeal DOMA and DADT when they had the chance, It was their votes that insured the appointment of a bitterly homophobic racist to the New Orleans Federal Circuit Court.
They’re just as right wing and protective of the status quo on other questions. They’ll enlarge and expand the genocide, which is why Colin Powell, the architect of Bush’s genocide, feels comfortable endorsing Obama. Obama and the Democrats are the party primarily responsible for the grand theft of $700 billion (and a few trillion more) to pay of the debts of the rancid rich. That’s the end of HIV services, socialized medicine and social programs of all types.
The Obamavilles springing up across the nation and cuts in social services are the price we’ll all pay because of partisan efforts to elect another in a long series of ‘lesser evils’.
Bill Perdue | October 19, 2008 9:51 AM
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I've been seeing more Obama paraphernalia around here than McCain junk. And that's strange, because this is the heart of Bush territory.
Alex Blaze | October 19, 2008 11:55 PM
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More like their 'Bushville's' since the rule of American politics is that if it happens on your presidential watch, you own the problem..
Barack Obama ain't president yet.
Stop hatin'
Monica Roberts | October 20, 2008 9:25 AM
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Electing Obama/Biden is important. However, do not for a moment overlook your local, state, and Congressional candidates, as well as those ballot initiatives. Obama cannot do any good as President if he does not have a competent Congress, and having good local and state officeholders is very important and pertinent to your life. Those judicial, city council, and school board races matter. Do your homework, ask questions, select carefully, and if you find a candidate or two you can believe in, write a check.
Polar | October 20, 2008 1:54 PM
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