Obama to NAACP Convention: "Our Gay Brothers and Sisters are Still Denied Their Rights"

In his first speech before the nation's oldest civil rights organization since taking office, President Barack Obama paid tribute to the NAACP as it celebrated its centennial and also delivered a rousing sermon telling black America to become more responsible.

The president urged everyone to recapture "the same sense of responsibility in Washington and in our own lives" that propelled the civil rights movement. He told families to help children with their homework, to put away the Xbox and encourage them to be more than "ballers and rappers".

Most importantly, our President reminded the heavily church-based audience that there was still discrimination against gays and lesbian, even in their own community:

But make no mistake: the pain of discrimination is still felt in America. By African-American women paid less for doing the same work as colleagues of a different color and gender. By Latinos made to feel unwelcome in their own country. By Muslim Americans viewed with suspicion for simply kneeling down to pray. By our gay brothers and sisters, still taunted, still attacked, still denied their rights.

On the 45th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, discrimination must not stand. Not on account of color or gender; how you worship or who you love. Prejudice has no place in the United States of America.

This is vintage Barack Obama, the candidate we grew to admire on the campaign trail for telling black church audiences that it "wasn't very Christian" to make homophobic remarks, and cautioning against homophobia from the pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church. 

Obama's remarks were made as the veteran civil rights organization created its first LGBT Equality Task Force and was addressed by the National Black Justice Coalition, the national black LGBT group. Earlier this week, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous was criticized for not aggressively moving the group to take a position on marriage equality.

WHEN YOU JUMP, the remarks made by President Obama. Also notice the applause and cheering when he mentions "gay brothers and sisters." Strong words that hopefully will be followed by even stronger action.

Comments

[GHW]

Vintage Obama! Inspiring as ever.
Incidentaly Rod, what happened to your story (earlier in the week) concerning the Trinidadaian soldier who was murdered alledgedly after an internet hook-up. It was pulled a few hours after it was posted with no explanation.

I actually live in Trinidad so I am both interested and confused about this.

[Ameth]

Hopefully,President Obama spoke where B. Jealous remained silent.Breaking the perenial hypocrisis tradition widely held in black churches and so searingly pointed out by Memphis Commercial Appeal columnist Thomas.

[Taylor Siluwé]

It's great to see, as GHW put it, "vintage Obama".

It's funny and almost sad how this point has to be repeatedly driven home.

[TheRevKev]

I am really worried, in a human way, about the ways we expect things to move rapidly in today's culture.

"VINTAGE OBAMA" makes it sound like he's been "disappointing" us for YEARS and is now back on point. He's been President of the United States of America for 6 MONTHS (that actual date isn't for 3 days!) and he's had to deal with the economy in ruins, international wars, global conflicts and egregious wrongs being done to the LGBT community and so much more. I wonder if the country can be...patient. I went to CafePress the other day and there are DROVES of "Impeach Obama" buttons and tees and things like "HE'S NOT MY PRESIDENT" and the most shocking and hateful of all "HITLER MADE GREAT SPEECHES, TOO!" What is wrong with us as a culture that it's all about NOW, NOW, NOW. I am tired of people walking into me while they text or talk on the phone because they are not paying attention and people calling your cell and when you don't answer, instead of leaving a message, THEY CALL BACK!

Thanks for posting this, Rod, because THIS IS PRESIDENT OBAMA! He uses major opportunities to speak to our Black community about how they treat us and that's so presidential that its not funny!

THANKS FOR THIS ROD AND FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT OUR PRESIDENT REALLY ISN'T AFRAID TO STEP UP AND STEP OUT!

[alicia banks]

this is akin to a white oscar exec giving a speech and declaring
"black actors are still denied this coveted trophy"

and?????

when will obama gift gays as he promised?????????

spare me this empty suit and his sporadic black parlor tricks

[alicia banks]

i agree with obama re education
but we need more than his sporadic speeches to make drastic education reform and radical parental responsibility realities in america...

i adore bill cosby...he is one of my heros!...he sounded this education trumpet long before the vapid and tame obama

I have never been angry at Bill Cosby, because he has courageously initiated a belated and necessary public discussion. I respect him for daring to do so. I will never kill any messengers. I will always address their urgent messages. Rather than insult Cosby, talk to a teacher. Or, visit a public school classroom. You will find that Cosby has been far too reticent and kind.

When rappers tell uncensored truths about ghettos, they call it our CNN. When Cosby tells glaring truths about toxic parenting, his detractors call it airing our dirty laundry. Toxic parents and students are destroying academia in America. Our schools are fatally wounded. All wounds heal best in open air!

http://www.geocities.com/ambwww/schools.htm

[R.O.]

Rod, what do you make of this:

The CNN story that you linked does not mention Obama’s comments about gays at all. The money quote reads:

…Obama said "the pain of discrimination is still felt in America" among African-Americans, Latinos and Muslim-Americans.

Curious isn’t?

Thanks for the post.

[nahtans]

he has done alot in 6months... keep the pressure on but be realistic, Governmment is by nature bureaucratic so dont expect him to create Utopia in 6months

[kayman]

He made some very strong and poignant message about GLBTs of color to the audience.

R.O., why are you surprised? CNN is always ignoring the existence of non-white GLBTs. They seem to want to appease the oblivious ones so that don't offend just look at how Black in America ignored black GLBTs.

[lord]

Obama is gay, just like Gordon Brown (that's the Brit PM to us Americans)