First the Department of Justice released the gratuitously homophobic Smelt brief. Then we read reports that DOJ had rebuffed efforts by GLAD and Lambda Legal to "sit down with top folks at Justice to talk about [other active federal DOMA lawsuits] and what it meant and to engage in more cooperative lawyering". No surprise then that some of us were curious to see what aroma the next LGBT-related DOJ brief would emit.
The DOJ's response to GLAD's DOMA challenge, Gill v OPM was expected today, June 29th. However, because GLAD is amending their filing, we'll have to wait until fall for DOJ's response.
Update: GLAD Will File Amended ComplaintSurely with this delay President Fierce Advocate's DOJ will have had plenty of time to comprehend the difference between professional duty and gratuitous and damaging verbal violence. Right?
June 26, 2009The government's response to our DOMA complaint will not be due June 29. Per agreement between the parties, GLAD will be filing an amended complaint in late July. It will include all of the tax plaintiffs (some of whom were not originally included for administrative reasons), reflect the fact that the passport plaintiffs' issue has been resolved, and perhaps make some other changes. The amended complaint will be posted [on GLAD's website]. The government's response will be due on September 18, or 45 days after the amended complaint is filed.
List of invited guests at the LGBT event in the East Room
White House LGBT Event
June 29, 2009
Administration Officials
John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management
Fred Hochberg, Chair, Export-Import Bank
John Easton, Director, Institute of Education Sciences at the Department of Education
City and State Officials
Jason Bartlett, Connecticut House of Representatives
Kate Brown, Oregon Secretary of State
David Dibble, Minnesota State Senator
Evan Low, Vice-Mayor, Campbell, CA City Council
Al McAffrey, Oklahoma House of Representatives
Andrew Mcdonald, Connecticut House of Representatives
Robert Meza, Arizona House of Representatives
Christine Quinn, New York City Council
Debra Shore, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Denise Simmons, Mayor of Cambridge, MA
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona House of Representatives
Patricia Todd, Alabama House of Representatives
Lupe Valdez, Dallas County Sheriff
The invitation-only guests are below the fold.
Other Invited Guests (Invite Only)
Michael Adams, Service and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE)
Mark Agrast, Washington, DC
Madeline Alk, New York, NY
Ron Ansin, Harvard, MA
Judith Appelbaum, Department of Justice
Chip Arndt, Miami Beach, FL
Cornelius Baker, National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition
Tom Barbera, SEIU Lavender Caucus
Andrew Barnett, Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL)
Jarrett Barrios, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Vic Basile, Office of Personnel Management
Christopher Bates, Washington, DC
Michael Bauer, Chicago, IL
Terrance Bean, Portland, OR
Jeremy Bernard, National Endowement for the Humanities
Jennifer Besson, Washington, DC
Dana Beyer, Chevy Chase, MD
David Binder, San Francisco, CA
Elizabeth Birch, Washington, DC
Jeremy Bishop, Pride at Work (AFL-CIO)
David Bohnett, Beverly Hills, CA
Marsha Botzer, Quilcene, WA
Raymond Buckley, DNC Vice-Chair
Eliza Byard, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Christopher Caldwell, Los Angeles, CA
Leslie Calman, Mautner Project
Rea Carey, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Charles Carter, New York, NY
Kevin Cathcart, Lambda Legal
Curtis Chin, Los Angeles, CA
Jennifer Chrisler, Family Equality Council
Jamie Citron, Department of Health and Human Services
Wes Combs, Washington, DC
Roberta Conroy, Santa Monica, CA
Cheryl Cook, Department of Agriculture
Stampp Corbin, San Diego, CA
Michael Council, Columbus, OH
Wilson Cruz, West Hollywood, CA
Mark Davis, Philadelphia, PA
Q Todd Dickinson, Washington, DC
DC
Daniel Dozier, Washington, DC
Ruby Dunning, Washington, DC
Ingrid Duran, Falls Church, VA
Christopher Dyer, Washington, DC Office of LGBT Affairs
Steven Elmendorf, Washington, DC
Fred Eychaner, Chicago, IL
Eric Fanning, Department of Justice
Bishop Yvette Flunder, City of Refuge United Church of Christ
Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides
Rebecca Fox, National Coalition for LGBT Health
R. Brandon Fradd, New York, NY
Daniel Galindo, San Antonio, TX
Adolfo Garay, New York, N
Jesus Garcia, TX LULAC 4871
Joan Garry, Montclair, NJ
Rufus Gifford, Washington, DC
Emily Giske, New York, NY
Mitchell Gold, Hickory, NC
John Gonzalez, Washington, DC
Vernita Gray, Chicago, IL
Chad Griffin, Los Angeles, CA
Patrick Guerriero, Gill Action
Hon. Michael Guest, Former Ambassador
Rebecca Haag, AIDS Action
Steve Hildebrand, Sioux Falls, SD
Gavin Hilgemeier, Federal GLOBE
Leonard Hirsch, Federal GLOBE
Lorilyn Holmes, Federal GLOBE
Clifford Honicker, Knoxville, TN
Conrad Honicker, Knoxville, TN
Gerald Hoose, Stonewall Participant
Ernest Hopkins, Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief
Hon. James Hormel, Former Ambassador
Paul Horning, Atlanta, GA
Brad Hoylman, Village Independent Democrats
Jody Huckaby, Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Kevin Jennings, Department of Education
Jennifer Jones, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Frank Kamney, Washington, DC
Elaine Kaplan, Office of Personnel Management
Paul Kawata, National Minority AIDS Council
Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equity
Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Jacqueline Kittrell, Knoxville, TN
Harry Knox, Human Rights Campaign
Steven Latasa-Nicks, New York, NY
Andre Leon Talley, White Plains, NY
Richard Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Robert Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Rosemary Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Thomas Lopach, Export-Import Bank
Lin Lougheed, Miami Beach, FL
Claire Lucas, Corona del Mar, CA
Glenn Magpantay, Federation of LGBTQ AAPI Organizations
Mary Beth Maxwell, Department of Labor
Lisbeth MelendezRivera, Unid@s
Shannon Minter, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Chance Mitchell, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Mary Morten, Chicago, IL
Babak Movahedi, Miami Beach, FL
David Munar, National Association of People with AIDS
Kevin Naff, Washington Blade
Justin Nelson, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
J. Alexander Nicholson, Servicemembers United
David Noble, NASA
Matt Nosanchuk, Silver Spring, MD
Robyn Ochs, BiNet USA and Bisexual Resource Center
Derek Orr, DC Office of Disability Rights
C. Dixon Osborn, Washington, DC
Kathleen Padilla, Philadelphia, PA
Pari Parker, Washington, DC
Skip Paul, Beverly Hills, CA
Terry Penrod, Columbus, OH
Troy Perry, Founder Metropolitan Community Churches
Thomas Petrillo, Washington, DC
Frank Pond, Los Angeles, CA
Robert Raben, Raben Graben Group
Gautam Raghavan, Department of Defense
Steven Ralls, Washington, DC
Ellen Ratner, Washington, DC
Miriam Redleaf, Chicago, IL
Catherine Renna, Chicago, IL
Dr. Sylvia Rhue, National Black Justice Coalition
Jeffrey Richardson, Washington, DC
Laura Ricketts, Chicago, IL
Anthony Riley, Prince Georges County, MD
Carmen Robello, New York, NY
Bishop Gene Robinson, Diocese of New Hampshire
Hilary Rosen, Washington, DC
David Rosenauer, New York, NY
Renee Rosenfield, New York, NY
Jane Saks, Chicago, IL
Aubrey Sarvis, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Thomas Schmidt, Stonewall Participant
Marsha Scott, Washington, DC
Evan Shapiro, New York, NY
Jonathan Sheffer, New York, NY
Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
Babs Siperstein, Edison, NJ
Melissa Sklarz, National Stonewall Democrats
Mary Snider, Silver Spring, MD
Courtney Snowden, The Raben Group
Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign
Rick Stafford, DNC LGBT Caucus Chair
Eric Stern, UC Berkeley School of Law
Jon Stryker, Kalamazoo, MI
Sally Susman, New York, NY
John Tedstrom, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC)
Kevin Thompson, Seattle, WA
Andrew Tobias, DNC Treasurer
Jeffrey Trammell, Washington, DC
Ted Trimpa, Denver, CO
Gregory Varnum, National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC)
Alex Wagner, Department of Defense
Paquita Wiggins, Beltsville, MD
Phil Wilson, Black AIDS Institute
Peter Wilson, New York, NY
Robert Witeck, Arlington, VA
Chuck Wolfe, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
Tobias Wolff, Philadelphia, PA
***
While the VIP LGBTs were waiting for the President to meet and greet, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was taking a pummeling today at the daily presser about the inaction of the administration regarding several LGBT issues on the back burner. Clearly it's more than just the "whining homos" wondering why the President talks a good game but seems quite passive about doing anything concrete. Gibbs does his usual song and dance saying the Pentagon and Congress have to be involved, but that the President hasn't met with the people in the Pentagon or Congress. Sounds lounds like a circular reference to me.
As in no administrative changes will be worked out with the Pentagon in terms of implementation of DADT, and there will be no executive order. And then he was directly asked about the foot-dragging with Congress.Q Robert, I have a question on today's event in the East Room. On "don't ask, don't tell," how much is the President personally involved? I mean, I know you've said that he sort of turned that policy change over to the Pentagon and you're letting them and Congress work on that.
MR. GIBBS: I've said that -- I mean, the President hasn't, himself, been involved in meetings with the Pentagon. A solution has to include working with the Pentagon. But it's something that the President has been involved in since coming to this administration.
Q How much of a priority is this for him?
MR. GIBBS: Well, it's something that --
Q I mean, is there a timeline or --
MR. GIBBS: When we can get it done. The President has talked about this -- and I've talked about the fact that to have an enduring solution this had to be done legislatively. That, I think most people recognize, is going to take some time to do, working with both Congress and the Pentagon. I think the President will address this in remarks at the event a little bit later today.
Q Change in policy?
MR. GIBBS: Pardon me?
Q A change?
MR. GIBBS: No. But, again, in order to have that enduring solution, this is going to have to be done legislatively.
So which is it -- has the President been in meetings with the Pentagon or not? Anyway, compare this presser to the Obama Speech at today's reception. A key section is below the fold.Q Robert, today the President is going to celebrate Gay Pride at the White House for the first time. Even so, the gay community is somewhat divided over whether or not the President has done enough, the pace of change is enough. What does the President intend to say today, and can you talk a little bit about his thinking about how much he has to mollify a community that's been very supportive during the campaign?
MR. GIBBS: I appreciate the opportunity to comment on mollifying a community, but that's not the way the President looks at important issues. I think if you go back and look at the campaign -- either his campaign for the Senate or his campaign for the presidency -- he takes stands that he believes are consistent with his values.
We didn't play a lot of interest group-based politics in the presidential race, I think that was denoted by the fact that we didn't get a lot of endorsements in the presidential race.
The President makes those decisions, again, based on his values. I won't get ahead of what he's going to say later today, but he will, I think, address a number of issues and reaffirm the commitments that he's made.
Yes, ma'am.
Q Following on that, the President has talked about repealing "don't ask, don't tell," and also the Defense of Marriage Act. So I'm wondering if you can tell me what specific steps has he taken to do this? What is his timeline for doing it? And also --
MR. GIBBS: I think we got a fairly similar question a minute ago, but I'll try to --
Q -- there's legislation apparently moving through House to repeal "don't ask, d ask, don't tell," I think it's H.R. 1283, and he hasn't endorsed it. Why not?
MR. GIBBS: I can certainly talk to legislative affairs about what that piece of legislation would do. As I said earlier, the President has been involved in, personally, meetings on this topic with stakeholders, including those at the Pentagon.
Q What about members of Congress?
MR. GIBBS: I don't know if he's met specifically with members of Congress on that. I know that -- I can try to get a list, I know that staff has worked here on the issue. It's a commitment that he intends to keep.
Q Can you talk a little bit more about the meetings that he's had, what --
MR. GIBBS: No.
Q -- and how recent has he been in these meetings?
MR. GIBBS: Since January 20.
See if you can get the presser and the below in alignment. Some key sections:
I've called on Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act to help end discrimination -- (applause) -- to help end discrimination against same-sex couples in this country. Now, I want to add we have a duty to uphold existing law, but I believe we must do so in a way that does not exacerbate old divides. And fulfilling this duty in upholding the law in no way lessens my commitment to reversing this law. I've made that clear.I'm also urging Congress to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, which will guarantee the full range of benefits, including health care, to LGBT couples and their children. (Applause.) My administration is also working hard to pass an employee non-discrimination bill and hate crimes bill, and we're making progress on both fronts. (Applause.) Judy and Dennis Shepard, as well as their son Logan, are here today. I met with Judy in the Oval Office in May -- (applause) -- and I assured her and I assured all of you that we are going to pass an inclusive hate crimes bill into law, a bill named for their son Matthew. (Applause.)
...And finally, I want to say a word about "don't ask, don't tell." As I said before -- I'll say it again -- I believe "don't ask, don't tell" doesn't contribute to our national security. (Applause.) In fact, I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security. (Applause.)
Now, my administration is already working with the Pentagon and members of the House and the Senate on how we'll go about ending this policy, which will require an act of Congress.
Someday, I'm confident, we'll look back at this transition and ask why it generated such angst, but as Commander-in-Chief, in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term. That's why I've asked the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal.
Related:
* The Robert Gibbs Blend files.
ENDA is being introduced tomorrow in the house! Our next step is to call Rep. Walden and ask him to be a cosponsor of ENDA. Below is a script to use. It is essential that we flood his lines to let him know how many of his constitall Rep. Walden and ask him to be a cosponsor of ENDA. Below is a script to use. It is essential that we flood his lines to let him know how many of his constituents support ENDA! Once you've called, let me know what the staffer said and then ask all of your friends and family in the district to call as well!
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and have them connect you to your Representative (based on your zip code). Tell them:
"I am a constituent and I would like you to please tell Representative _______ that I would like him/her to become a cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. ENDA would ban discrimination against all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace. Can you tell me whether or not Representative _______ has cosponsored the bill?"
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