Thursday, June 2, 2011

WTF: White House Launches "Winning the Future" LGBT Web Page


Okay, folks, this is one of those Good News/No News items that is important enough to mention, but doesn't really mean much.

On Wednesday the White House unveiled a new page on its web site called Winning the Future: President Obama and the LGBT Community, where the president's official Web Meister has posted a laundry list of things The Big O has done for the LGBT community, like signing DADT Repeal, Hospital Visitation Rights, and declaring DOMA unconstitutional and refusing to defend it against court challenges. 


George Harrison and Gerald Ford, WIN Photo Op
But what about that name, "Winning the Future"? What does that even mean? It may look good on a bumper sticker, but it reminds me of what happened back in 1974 during the Gerald Ford administration, when the country was facing an equally deflated economy. Ford's solution was to launch the Whip Inflation Now campaign and had the government produce and distribute millions of bright red buttons with the  WIN logo for Americans to wear proudly. The only economic stimulus it provided was to the novelty button industry.

Can we expect Obama to start passing out rainbow-colored WTF buttons at his campaign stops, because I would totally wear one.

What is most significant about the site is what it doesn't say, specifically, whether or not the prez now supports Marriage Equality. White House press secretary Jay Carney told The Advocate yesterday, "The president has said in the past what his position is. It hasn’t changed. And if it changes, I’m sure he’ll let you all know."


To quote my favorite bumper sticker, "Evolve, already!!"

This is one of those feel-good moves that politicians do during a re-election campaign season; trying to please  one constituency without pissing off another. He's trying to send the message to the LGBT community, whose money and support he needs now more than ever, that we are better off with him than without him. He also wants to avoid alienating potential voters who may not be totally on board with the gay marriage thing. It's really quite a contortion act. I hope he's got a good chiropractor.

Yesterday's unveiling comes on the heals of Tuesday's Presidential Proclamation, where he declared that June is LGBT Pride Month, as if we didn't know that already. I guess he was trying in his own way to explain to the heteros what all the weekend traffic jams this month are all about.

Happy Pride Month Everybody!
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