Obama's DNC Fundraiser -- Inside the Beverly Hilton:
The enthusiasm inside the Beverly Hilton was palpable -- the president was greeted with repeated ovations -- and the payoff was handsome: between $3 million and $4 million in contributions to the Democratic National Committee.
But Obama notably sidestepped two of the biggest issues facing California: He said nothing about the state's disastrous financial condition or the issue of same-sex marriage, which heated up Tuesday when the state Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, a measure banning the practice.
Outside the hotel, about 200 demonstrators chanted and carried flags and protest signs, many urging Obama to take a stronger stand in favor of gay rights.
Outside the Beverly Hilton:
Chanting and carrying flags, gay rights advocates called on President Obama tonight to more aggressively pursue equal rights for all Americans as they demonstrated outside the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the president was attending a fundraiser.
Although organizers called the event a “welcome” for Obama, many in the crowd of 200 expressed anger that the president has not moved to repeal the federal defense of marriage act and the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy toward gay service members.
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.
And in the video clip below, First Lieutenant Dan Choi -- Arabic linguist, West Point graduate, and combat veteran of the Iraq War, who was fired from the military because he came out of the closet on the Rachel Maddow show -- speaks to the crowd at the protest outside Obama's Beverly Hills DNC Fundraiser. . . Dan Choi said: "A message to President Obama: Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell! Stop forcing our soldiers to lie! "
Photo via AlekandSteph
Code Pink was there too.
Gay Marriage Politics Gender News California DADT Obama
