Gay Rights Demonstration at Obama's Beverly Hills Fundraiser

An update to the planned gay rights demonstration in Beverly Hills that we mentioned on Wednesday. Up to 300 gay activists showed up for a demonstration outside of the Beverly Hilton, where President Obama  was attending a fundraiser and was called on to more aggressively pursue his campaign promises for equality, reports Variety and the Los Angeles Times.

"During the protest, the crowd chanted,'Out of the court, into the streets, we are ready to fight, we won’t be beat.' It was a reference to Tuesday’s state Supreme Court decision to uphold Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage. 'The president made a promise when he made his speech about hope,' said Rick Jacobs, who chairs the Courage Campaign, an organizer of the protest. 'I bought that promise and I still buy that promise, but it’s time for him to start fulfilling that promise for all Americans.' Jacobs, who worked on Howard Dean’s presidential campaign in California, said that gay rights groups had collected 140,000 signatures for a petition asking the president to end the 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy and to stop the firing of U.S. Army Lt. Dan Choi, an Arab language specialist who was ordered discharged after recently declaring that he was gay on the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC."

For the demonstration, Gustavo Yanez, 40, of Los Angeles had made a banner saying, "Obama. We voted for change. Stop discrimination."

Also attending the demonstration was Lt. Dan Choi, recently discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the failed Pentagon policy that prevents openly gay servicemembers from serving in the armed forces, and other LGBT military servicemembers. They were asking for President Obama to respond to the letter signed by 136,000 people asking the president not to fire Lt. Choi. It is not known if the president saw the demonstration.

Top photo via Twitter user AlekandSteph

AFTER THE JUMP, via Queerty, watch video of the protest and Lt. Dan Choi.

Comments

[Carter G]

They had a good turnout. I'm impressed.

Obama was a community organizer in Chicago, I am sure he lead many protests against elected officials. Hell, he probably appreciates the pressure.

I think we need to keep the pressure up and filter it down to congressmen, senators and state representatives in our targeted campaigns.

[Richie]

I think that gays should have the same rights as anyone else to marry, serve in the military, etc.,

However, I have a hard time getting unified with the "movement" when the gay "community" is so exclusive and disjointed. As a Black man, I have to ask why the dissemination of AIDS information is promoted toward the White gay community, when year after year it is Blacks who are reported to make up the largest percentage of AIDS cases. And gay Blacks are barely treated as if they exist. I also wonder why there are separate Gay Prides based on color, when it was unified at the beginning. Bottom line, there is plenty of bigotry among the community that claims bigotry against it. So how can I possibly be inspired by that?

[FQ]

@ Richie:

You must be brand new to gay rights or to this blog. There are many, many black and black gay HIV/AIDS programs and sites. You can find that information anywhere.

As far as black gay men are concerned, this is the largest gay blog, many of us come here to get news geared toward us. I'm not denying there is racism in the gay community, there is, but that is absolutely no reason not to get involved in gay rights. Laws will still affect you, you still may be be a victim of gaybashing, you still may want get fired because you are gay. Volunteer and get involved and change the complexion. Or you can complain.

[Richie]

FQ, thank you for your response. I just have a problem with a "community" that claims to hate "separate but equal" foisted upon them, and yet we have separate but equal HIV/AIDS programs, Pride, etc. Not to mention the scapegoating of Blacks as seen with Prop 8's passing. I never said I wouldn't get involved. My point is the difficulty of doing so when you are treated as a "second class citizen within the second class citizens."

[Chitown Kev]

@FQ
co-sign.

And gay blacks concerns are rarely (if ever) acknowledged by the straight black community too.

[Chitown Kev]

Richie

The difference is that decision was made within the community, not without. The gay community, by and large, is also "segregated" from the straight community also.

[Anderson]

that is a great point Richie.
i hope you are involved in both black LGBT groups/causes and mainstream gay groups.

but you have to be in it, to win it.

but this blog does a great job of trying to get black gay men involved. i don't like to spend too much time obsessing over racism in the gay community or society at large. i do as much as i can. but everything you mentioned, we are trying to move past that. we're trying to get get legislation passed and save lives.

and the black prides were created by blacks gays. they were not created by segregationist white gays. good luck!

[Richie]

Exactly what I mean, Chitown Kev. IF what is happening outside the community is a mirror of what is happening inside the community, then how does one who is discriminated by their own "compatriots" get past the hypocrisy?

[Chitown Kev]

That happens in EVERY minority community. Not simply the gay community. Try being a poor or working class black person and go around the bougies, for example. What makes you think the gay community is any different, although the discrimination occurs along different lines (including racial and also sexual and also class). If you're black and you look good, I bet you don't go through a whole lot of discrimination, for example.

It doesn't mean that we shouldn't call it out when we see it.

[Chitown Kev]

Thank you Anderson, we crreated black prides and Latinos created Latino Prides and all in the community (of whatever race) are welcome to come to them.

[Dalton]

No offense but how did this conversation become about race, racism and black LGBTs vs white LGBTs? Sorry, but I smell either a troll or someone who just wants to take the conversation off track about Obama.

Back on track: The turn out for the demonstration is much larger than I anticipated. I do think some of the signs seemed a little angrier than I thought was warranted. But, that is par for the course with demonstrations, I can't say how angry someone should or shouldn't be.

I used to live in DC and remember there were demonstrations outside the White House every day about one thing or another. I get the feeling there will be more gay rights demonstrations around the country now. We've come too far to back down.

[Rod Mc]

@ Richie:

Two things. First, this post is not the place for a general discussion on the gay community, racism and gay rights. The post is about the demonstration at the Beverly Hilton.

Second, I'm looking at your IP address comment history. Going forward, pick one name/identity and use that. Thanks. -RM

[FREELEO]

yes, bring obama down. he's failed us in 3 months. he's horrible.. brother...

[Chitown Kev]

We were answering Richie's question.

I actually agree with Carter and I posted as much last night, as a community organizer Obama probably loves protests like this and wants us to keep it up and to make him do what he promised.

This is all par the course and (as posted last night) we should not get squeamish about protesting Obama just because he's black.

I participated in the Prop 8 rally here in Chicago Tuesday and, yes, there were some that were squeamish about speakers that brough up Obama's name because-let's face-Chicago gays would be the last ones to turn on Obama.

But he needs to speak to all of our issues just as he did during the campaign. He doesn't need to solve them right away, just give us a "progress report" from time to time. That's all.

[Richie]

Sorry Rod. I will stick with Richie from now on and I will end this discussion. My questions were sincere but I figured I if I used another name, I would get snarky answers by certain commenters and I wanted to get earnest responses.

[Chitown Kev]

Thanks Rod, it was getting distracting and I did feed off into it. Ny apologies (I am posting too dam much!)

[Rod Mc]

@ Ritchie:

If you're being sincere, it's no problem. I do not hold grudges, nor like to embarrass people, and would encourage you to continue discussions under your usual name. -RM

[TB]

I'm going to cosign with Kev.

I'm committed to supporting my president, but he must support us as well...President Obama must speak to all of our issues. He had no problem doing this during the campaign. Mr. Obama doesn't need to solve them right now, but we do need that "progress report" and "update"....There is nothing wrong with that.

[GRANT]

--->yes, bring obama down. he's failed us in 3 months. he's horrible.. brother...

Oh LaFreela...
Really? Please. Stop. The. Drama.

You said yesterday the president does what he wants and "in his time." I thought this was a democracy, not a monarchy. That really is a 'change'!

Guess I'll just wait for Gov. Schwarzenegger to restore the AIDS funding cuts, too. No need to make my opinions known. Arnold will fund HIV/AIDS cases "in his time"!

[Andrew Holleran]

Obama provided a "God is in the mix" condemnation of marriage equality. That became a recording which was used in robocalls to millions of voters by Prop H8TERS.

It seems most of you people want to pretend it didn't happen, but it did.

[Dalton]

@ Andrew:

"You people"? Racist much?

Look, most of us want the same thing and want to see gay rights enacted from coast to coast. But you need to check your entitlement at the door.

[kayman]

Lord, this is a textbook example of why I'm just pragmatic about the whole same-sex marriage argument personally speaking. I'm more concerned about hate crimes legislation (inclusion of sexuality and gender identity). Since it has passed the House and now in the Senate.

I honestly believe Obama will push for the marriage issues when the economy turns around.