Hey Evangelicals! Did you know the month of June is Gay Pride Month? Umm...didn't think so.
But yes it is and President Obama is having a big event in the East Room of The White House to celebrate it. The gay and lesbianm community get their day courtesy of The White House. Read below from the Washington Blade:
President Obama has invited a several key players in the LGBT community for a White House reception Monday to celebrate Pride month.Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement the event "is a chance for the White House to recognize the accomplishments of LGBT Americans."
"Invited guests include families, volunteers and activists, and community leaders," he said. "This event was long planned as a way to applaud these individuals during Pride month."The event comes as many activists are urging the president to take greater action on LGBT issues including the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."When questioned about the event Friday during a briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the president doesn't plan to make any substantive announcements at the reception regarding DOMA or "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement that he's attending the event because he believes the objectives of the LGBT community "require us to be present and to use every opportunity for dialogue and discussion even when we strongly disagree on the level of progress that's been made.""I believe the president will deliver an address on the state of LGBT equality and it's important to hear those remarks first-hand and have the opportunity to talk directly to the president and members of his administration," he said.
A number of invitees told the Blade they are nonetheless interested in attending and hope to speak with Obama.
Solmonese said he would continue to the press Obama and Congress to deliver on "basic and overdue protections," such as passing hate crimes legislation and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as well repealing DOMA and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
"I continue to respect President Obama and believe we can achieve our goals for equality in partnership with this Administration," Solmonese said.
Robert Raben, a gay consultant and a U.S. assistant attorney general for legislative affairs under President Clinton, also is among the invitees. Raben said it was "remarkable" for Obama to hold the event and noted a distinct contrast between the sitting president and former President George W. Bush. "Going will help me get over lingering anger I harbor toward the last president, who for eight years showed singular success as an anti-gay leader," he said. "President Obama promises to be a real leader on LGBT equality and I am eager to do whatever I can to do the work to fulfill that promise."
Let's be clear. Events like this at The White House DO NOT endear the President to conservative Evangelicals. I'm not talking about the conservative Evangelicals who didn't vote for Obama. They don't like virtualy anything he does. I'm talking about that 25% or so of the conservative Evangelical vote that pulled the lever for Obama in 2008. You have to remember that the conservative Evangelicals who voted FOR Obama didn't do so because they wanted him to push the gay rights agenda. They put that aside and voted for him on biblical related issues like poverty, creation care, human rights, the golden rule, etc.
The gay community is going to push the President hard to further their agenda and believe me they will be loud and forceful but while the gay agenda plays relatively well on the liberal east and west coasts it does not play well at all in the heartland. The President needs to be careful in how and when he pushes the gay agenda forward. There could be a political price to pay.