Skip to main content

Obama Tries to Throw a Bone

So this is supposed to showcase our "fierce advocate" for GLBT equality... but as others have noted, since DOMA is in place, provision of substantive benefits (e.g., health insurance) are denied.

And the Hate Crimes legislation has been kicked down the road to August at best.

Barney Frank is "mad" but wants to keep the gay ATM open.

Congressional Leadership: FAIL
Congressional GLBT Leaders (except Jared Polis): FAIL
Obama Administration: FAIL

What I find most disheartening about all this is how much all this is disconnected from today's real world... this isn't 1993, it's 2009!

Over 200 Fortune 500 companies:

  • Forbid harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity
  • Include sexual orientation and gender identity in employment non-discrimination policies
  • Provide a full range of benefits to same-sex couples and their families that match what they provide to heterosexual married couples and their families

In short, even in those places that do not have legally sanctioned civil marriage, gays and lesbians are treated with respect and with a degree of equality that is lacking in our civil statutes.

I have, for the last 7 years, completed the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index (CEI) survey for Chevron. I'm happy to say that Chevron has a 100% score... although we didn't start there, we quickly got there. That Chevron recognizes the impact of that score in its Corporate Responsibility Report, is a mark of pride for me.

I can also say that the pace at which the business community has moved on GLBT equality is astounding -- and accelerating.

It used to be the norm that it would take years to move from adding sexual orientation to non-discrimination policies to getting partner benefits for same-sex couples -- or adding gender identity into the mix. Not so anymore. Because of the groundbreaking work by many companies (and their GLBT employees), many newcomers to the CEI enacted these policies in one swift move.

That is the playing field we are on... it has been a subtle but seismic shift over the past two decades -- and I fail to understand how the current administration and Democratic Congress cannot (or will not) see that. Until they do, not one thin dime... and I'll be sitting on my hands on the health-care debate as well. (DOMA disallows GLBT families from being recognized as such for any federal benefit plan that might be proposed.)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just Desserts: Double Peanut Butter Bars

This recipe takes the simple peanut butter cookie and "raises the bar"... with three layers: Peanut Butter Cookie on the bottom Rich peanut butter icing in the middle Topped with a chocolate shell Delicious and decadent! For the cookie base: Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish. 1 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon dark molasses 1/2 cup creamy peanut buter 1/4 cup shortening 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 1/4 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Prepare peanut butter cookie dough (per normal recipe)  but do not refrigerate.  Instead, spread dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 15-18 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  For the middle layer: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups powdered sugar In a small bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, milk, vanilla...
5 comments
Read more

60 Minutes & Chevron

I don't normally post stuff about work, but after watching the drivel on 60 Minutes last night about the "Ecuadorian" lawsuit against Chevron, I had to relay this: Images are of Petroecuador sites and are not Texaco-remediated sites: The images of oil pits, and oil operations in general, that “60 Minutes” used are of locations that are the sole responsibility of Petroecuador, Texaco Petroleum’s partner from the days of the consortium. “60 Minutes” knew this fact, but chose to ignore it in its reporting. No responsibility was placed on Petroecuador: Petroecuador has been the sole operator of oil fields in Ecuador since 1992 and has compiled a well-documented record of environmental mismanagement. In addition, Petroecuador has repeatedly stated that it is responsible for the remaining cleanup work that is required in the Ecuadorian Amazon and it readily admits that it has not cleaned up the sites allocated to them under the remediation action plan 15 years ago. Again, “60 M...
Post a Comment
Read more

Promise? What Promise?

from the NYT " The Caucus " blog... "A gaggle of sign-waving protestors milled around outside The Beverly Hilton, the sprawling hotel on Wilshire Boulevard. They must have caught the president’s eye when he arrived at the hotel from an earlier stop in Las Vegas because he relayed one of their messages to the crowd. 'One of them said, “Obama keep your promise,’ the president said. 'I thought that’s fair. I don’t know which promise he was talking about.' The people in the audience – who paid $30,400 per couple to attend – laughed as they ate a dinner of roasted tenderloin, grilled organic chicken and sun choke rosemary mashed potatoes." Feel free to take this image and put it on your blog -- or even on a poster or t-shirt. Just do me the favor of linking back here and/or putting a link to your blog (or a picture of the graphic in action) in the comments. Thanks!
2 comments
Read more