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This Is A Struggle To Fulfill the Promise Of This Nation, President Obama’s Speech Before The HRC

10/11/09-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Last night, President Barack Obama gave the keynote speech at the Human Rights Campaign dinner. For those who are interested, the video follows. “For nearly 30 years, you’ve advocated on behalf of those without a voice. That’s not easy. For despite the real gains that we’ve made, there’s still laws to change and there’s still hearts to open. There are still fellow citizens, perhaps neighbors, even loved ones — good and decent people — who hold fast to outworn arguments and old attitudes; who fail to see your families like their families; who would deny you the rights most Americans take for granted. And that’s painful and it’s heartbreaking.”

President Obama in his speech told the LGBT Community as a whole that it is not his place to tell us to be patient any more than it was the right of others to tell the African-American community to be patient half a century ago.

Not missing an opportunity to point out that the administration is working on those issues that touch upon our lives that are not directly related to the shared identity of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual. He also pointed out that “And while progress may be taking longer than you’d like as a result of all that we face — and that’s the truth — do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach.” Though, as pointed out by Jon Stewart recently, some of the LGBT issues seem trivial and easily handled when compared to the enormity of the other issues facing the country.

He singled out the loss felt by the Shepards, and announced quite clearly that he will sign the bill named for their son, Matthew. “Together, we will have moved closer to that day when no one has to be afraid to be gay in America. When no one has to fear walking down the street holding the hand of the person they love.”

Speaking of the Employee Non Discrimination Act, President Obama stated frankly that he wants that bill passed, and made mention of recent attacks on a gay member of his staff by saying, “and it’s for this reason that if any of my nominees are attacked not for what they believe but for who they are, I will not waver in my support, because I will not waver in my commitment to ending discrimination in all its forms.”
The President went on to state that he has called upon the Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (his words).

President Barack Obama made the same point that I once made to a professor when he made this point “But these issues also go to the heart of who we are as a people. Are we a nation that can transcend old attitudes and worn divides? Can we embrace our differences and look to the hopes and dreams that we share? Will we uphold the ideals on which this nation was founded: that all of us are equal, that all of us deserve the same opportunity to live our lives freely and pursue our chance at happiness? I believe we can; I believe we will.”

The fight for rights is about empathy, as President Obama mentioned, but he also called upon us to continue to pressure him and others to change the laws. Because they are laws, of course, President Obama and his staff can lobby for those changes, but he is, of course, limited to what a President can do regarding them. He closed with this: “day by day, law by law, changing mind by mind, that is the promise we are fulfilling.”

Below is the speech, please give it a listen. It is a long video.