« Christmas Hathos Nominee | Main | Corrections Of The Year »

18 Dec 2008 10:52 am

"What Counts"

Defending the Warren pick, Damon Linker says that the Democrats are better on gay rights, so we should roll over:

Andrew might be right that Obama will not prove to be a champion of gay civil rights (at least when it comes to the issue of marriage). But we can be absolutely sure that no presidential candidate of the current Republican Party would be anything other than a rabid opponent of these rights. And that means: What benefits Obama and the Democrats -- and what harms the Republicans -- contributes (if perhaps only negatively) to Andrew's cause. And that should be what counts.

I guess I come back to the view that the job of a civil rights movement is to make our case and take on the administration, whichever party controls it, if they're doing or saying things we disagree with. Sure, being part of a broader coalition in both parties means sacrifices - and the sacrifices gay Democrats now have to make are nothing compared with those of gay Republicans. But what the gay rights movement must never do, in my view, is become a sub-group of any single party. Look where that got African-Americans.

Stand up. Make our case. Engage our opponents. Refuse to be rolled by our allies.

Permalink :: Trackback (0) :: Sphere It! ::

Share This