Observer (UK): 'How Obama set the tone for a quiet revolution in gay rights' (May 24)

How Obama set the tone for a quiet revolution in gay rights

With two lesbians shortlisted for America's supreme court and more than 30 gay men and lesbians appointed to senior posts by the president, the US is witnessing an unprecedented cultural change that is reshaping politics, media, and popular culture

Joanna Walters in New York

The Observer, Sunday 24 May 2009

Even 40 years on, police officer Seymour Pine is still amazed. "We knew something had happened that had never happened before. We'd never had any trouble, but it just came out of nowhere," he said.

"It" was the Stonewall riot in the early hours of 28 June, 1969, in New York's Greenwich Village, when, sick of being harassed, the gay community fought back en masse for the first time and the grassroots gay and lesbian equality movement was born.

Deputy Inspector Pine led the raid on the Stonewall Inn that night, when his handful of club-wielding officers suddenly came under siege from an angry mob of gay men and women.


Rest of article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/24/gay-rights-barack-obama-us

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could. So if that's what he wants to do, fine, as long as he continues to push for its removal. But, since he won't get rid of it as Commander-In-Chief, then I'd appreciate it when Congress votes it out, that he give a speech and say something along the lines of, 'to even have such a policy in this great nation that said, 'well, you can be in the military, but don't you tell us your Gay or Lesbian!' is a disgusting fact of our nation's past - but no longer. These are our heroes and they live how they feel they should just like everyone else.'

I won't hold my breath, but I'm very pleased to see SOS Clinton's announcement about benefits for GLBT people in the State Dept., which clearly signals that DADT is soon to be gone, imo.

I hadn't heard about that. I'll have to go look it up. It sounds like good news.

of straight people telling LGBT people that all they have to do is wait another 3 or 4 more decades and things will be much better. You know, right after the Barack Obamas, Nancy Pelosis and Harry Reids die off.

I was in the Navy at the time, left for deployment in Okinawa in July of '69 and it was off my radar until I was back in civilian life and college. Thanks for posting this. We have come a LONG LONG WAY.

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