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[Brakke]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...79527e-95e4-11e5-b5e4-279b4501e8a6_story.html

Years before the White House was lit in rainbow colors celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage, President Obama used a routine bureaucratic tool that ended up significantly changing the government’s understanding of gender and how it can be changed.

The process began during Obama’s first year in office when he issued a memo in June 2009 instructing agencies to extend to same-sex couples some benefits that the spouses of federal employees receive. Over time, that directive led to a decision by the Social Security Administration to greatly lower the threshold requirements for changing one’s sex on official government documents, a change that would determine how a person’s gender is recorded on passports, tax returns, marriage licenses and other documents.

Since June 2013, someone wishing to change their sex classification on their Social Security card has needed to provide only a doctor’s note guaranteeing that “appropriate clinical treatment” is underway.

Before then, a person seeking to change their sex on the document had to undergo gender reassignment surgery, an expensive and, many LGBT advocates and doctors say, unnecessary procedure for a transition to take place.

The changes began quietly when Obama ordered all agencies in 2009 to review what could be done to eliminate disparities between same-sex and straight couples, a directive that administration officials ultimately interpreted much more broadly.

At the time, transgender activists felt slighted. Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said that the memo left her and other activists annoyed because it paled in comparison to what they expected of the new president.

“We thought, ‘You were going to do stuff, and now you just put out a memo about doing stuff?’ That memo turned out to be one of the most important things the president ever did,” she said.

The change was a culmination of years of lobbying by LGBT advocates and highlights how modest administrative actions, not just high-profile executive orders or lofty speeches, can reverberate in the lives of ordinary Americans.

At the White House, the change has taken hold as well. It has had at least three transgender interns and in August hired its first full-time transgender staff member, who works for Jarrett.

Much more at the link.

 

[Valhelm]

Obama undermining tried-and-true Christian gender ideals to advance his Muslim agenda. Typical.

 

[Fracas]

Maybe I'm just young and stupid, but I think Obama will go down as one of the better presidents. At least social policy-wise.

 

[Orbis Tabula]

This Obama seems like a nice man. I'd like to vote for him please.

 

[RootCause]

Ooh! Thought this was about Chico being Quiet.

 

[Not]

Maybe I'm just young and stupid, but I think Obama will go down as one of the better presidents. At least social policy-wise.

He'll be up there. The recent competition ain't stiff

 

[Suikoguy]

I did not know about some of those changes.
It was also not a politically popular thing to do either; still not sadly.

Bravo Mr. Obama.

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

Meanwhile, in fantasy land someone is ready to go backwards in the pursuit of ideological purity. If 2016 is a huge GOP win, you can basically say goodbye to this stuff on day one of the new leadership.

But Hillary is better than a Republican, so why not vote for her if Bernie doesn’t get the nod?

From a political science perspective, I see American politics through the lens of realignment cycles. We Democrats have a limited time to get done what we want to get done, which is why I would rather lose this election cycle due to low turnout than waste four years. What will America look like if Hillary wins two terms? So far her platform is more about preserving what we have than it is about improving it; protecting women’s rights, maintaining Obamacare, etc. The U.S. post-Hillary will, more likely than not, bear a striking resemblance to America now — complete with all the same underlying problems we face today, like the political dominance of the billionaire class and the massive wealth gap. That’s because the issues we must tackle require more than half-measures, and Hillary is the half-measures candidate. Hillary winning even one term precludes President Bernie and makes it unlikely that we will ever see President Elizabeth Warren (who will have to run either in 2020 or 2024 in order to be viable age-wise).

The 2020-2024 election cycles are far more important than 2016. Both the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court of the United States will be up for grabs. I worry that Hillary in 2020 will be an even harder sell than she is now, given the direction the electorate is shifting. The fact is, Hillary is not a progressive. She’s barely even a liberal.

That’s why I am not ready for Hillary. Bernie Sanders has given America a vision of what a statesman looks like — the caliber of political leader we can have if we choose. He’s been consistent throughout his entire career on issues that matter. There are videos of him from the early ’90s that sound remarkably similar to what he is saying today. He voted against “welfare reform,” he supported universal healthcare, and in terms of foreign policy, he’s been vindicated. Bernie gives me real hope, and I cannot support the “lesser-of-two-evils” model when there is such a person in the race with a serious chance of winning.

http://www.salon.com/2015/11/30/mor...nnial_and_ill_never_vote_for_hillary_clinton/

 

[Peanut0423]

Obama's underrated.

 

[flyover]

Maybe I'm just young and stupid, but I think Obama will go down as one of the better presidents. At least social policy-wise.

I'm old and stupid, and I think you're right.

 

[Monocle]

Maybe I'm just young and stupid, but I think Obama will go down as one of the better presidents. At least social policy-wise.

No doubt.

 

[Guevara]

First gay president strikes again

 

[A Human Becoming]

 

[injurai]

First gay president strikes again

First Gay Witcher Muslim Immigrant President

 

[DECK'ARD]

Obama's underrated.

Not outside the US.

We'd all be happier if you just kept him.

 

[GaimeGuy]

First gay president strikes again

James Buchanan?

 

[Brakke]

Obama undermining tried-and-true Christian gender ideals to advance his Muslim agenda. Typical.

Now, as always: don't read the comments.

 

[AbsolutBro]

From my own anecdotal experience, we had a person in my induction group (that is, group of employees who all start on the same date, go through orientation, etc.) who worked for several years as "He" before coming out as transgender. We had a mandatory in-person meeting (i.e., couldn't be on telework) that made it clear in no uncertain terms that "he" was now she, and that she had every protection and right that any other woman in the building would have. Anything less would not be tolerated.

The most amazing part, to me, was seeing how a quiet, withdrawn and honestly visibly unhappy "he" became a cheerful, outgoing and exuberant she. I can not being to imagine what it must be like to live a lie for so long; all I can say is that it was extremely eye opening even just to see in passing. For her sake, and those like her everywhere I hope that these policies continue to be pushed, and that eventually we look at those laws the same way we look at old laws about donkeys in bathtubs or limits on the number of ducks you own: curious old relics no longer necessary to a modern society.

 

[daxy]

Meanwhile, in fantasy land someone is ready to go backwards in the pursuit of ideological purity. If 2016 is a huge GOP win, you can basically say goodbye to this stuff on day one of the new leadership.

http://www.salon.com/2015/11/30/mor...nnial_and_ill_never_vote_for_hillary_clinton/

I can't tell, it's early. Are you agreeing with this? The author is right, in any case. I see Hillary as a benchwarmer for a greater democratic candidate down the line.

 

[GraveRobberX]

Literally came for this
Good show Post #13

Not an Obama thread without it

 

[Misha]

I can't tell, it's early. Are you agreeing with this? The author is absolutely right, in any case. I see Hillary as a benchwarmer for a greater democratic candidate down the line.

They're saying that more of the same is better than what you'd get with a republican candidate. The guys up for the GOP want to undo every bit of progress made for LGBT rights and then some.

I guess theres an assumption that Bernie is unelectable and Hillary is the pragmatic choice as a result. Can't say I entirely agree with that but either way, in the general presidential election theres really only going to be one party to vote for

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

Meanwhile, in fantasy land someone is ready to go backwards in the pursuit of ideological purity. If 2016 is a huge GOP win, you can basically say goodbye to this stuff on day one of the new leadership.



http://www.salon.com/2015/11/30/mor...nnial_and_ill_never_vote_for_hillary_clinton/

You are to presidential threads what NinjaBlade is to Nintendo threads on the gaming side. Do you have other opinions about other things, or do you just sit around waiting to thump your chest about the same thing regardless of what the thread is about?

 

[User1608]

Obama can be such an awesome guy.

 

[Monocle]

Meanwhile, in fantasy land someone is ready to go backwards in the pursuit of ideological purity. If 2016 is a huge GOP win, you can basically say goodbye to this stuff on day one of the new leadership.



http://www.salon.com/2015/11/30/mor...nnial_and_ill_never_vote_for_hillary_clinton/

Hillary sucks! The solution? Ensure the Republicans win the White House.

 

[titiklabingapat]

If a Republican win the White House next year, those liberals who were disappointed in Obama will start saying 'the good old days of the Obama administration'.

 

[Shaanyboi]

TOLD YOU HE WAS A MUSL--

...wait...